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Tournament of Champions season 6 winner Antonia Lofaso had participated in all five seasons before, and after failing to win every single time, she wasn't planning on returning for a sixth entry. In the finale press release published by Warner Bros. Discovery on April 21, Antonia shared that she was satisfied with her past five-season performance and felt that it would be "enough" for her.
However, after having a change of perspective and heart, she realized that she wanted to return, this time, finally winning it. Reflecting on her victory in season 6, episode 8, which aired on April 20, the chef called the experience “an incredible journey” and “one of the greatest moments of my life.”
“I did not initially want to come back and compete this year. I had been there five times before and done well so thought maybe that could be enough, but a change in perspective and a change of heart had me back in the hunt for the title. Winning TOC has truly been an incredible journey and one of the greatest moments of my life,” said Lofaso.
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Tournament of Champions winner Antonia Lofaso shares how much the win means to her
In Tournament of Champions season 6, episode 8, Antonia Lofaso was finally able to win the coveted title after failing for over five seasons.
Antonia first beat Britt Rescigno in the semi-final by one point, after impressing the judges with her bold fried pompano dish. Later in the finale, she was put up against Sara Bradley, and the two were challenged to prepare a dish using wagyu beef and huitlacoche, besides other random ingredients.
While Sara’s sausage fell short in texture, Antonia's dish was praised for its wagyu sausage and sticky beef salad. Eventually, Antonia was crowned the winner after beating Sara with a final score of 88 to 82.
In an April 22 interview with the Food Network, Antonia reflected on her Tournament of Champions journey and how much the season 6 win meant to her.
Antonia playfully joked that she should get a trophy just for competing in all five seasons. Reflecting on her win, she shared that when she was announced as the winner, she was "overcome with a ton of emotion."
The chef explained that her TOC journey was so long. While she had a good turn during her first two seasons, she fell short in seasons 3 and 4 and was planning on leaving the show due to her age.
After once again facing defeat in season 5 despite an impressive performance, she noted that she felt very good about winning the coveted title in the subsequent season.
"It was the accomplishment I needed. This idea of not winning TOC and knowing all the people who won that I'm with all the time: Brooke [Williamson], Mei [Lin], Maneet and Tiffani [Faison]. I make a joke throughout the season where I'm like, "Those are my people. I'm with them, yet I'm not with them. I'm the only one who hasn't won TOC," she added.
Furthermore, in the interview, Antonia revealed that her victory came from a mix of preparation and mindset. She shared that instead of forcing too much on the rigid practice, she chose to rely on her instincts she gained form her years of experience.
"I played a lot of golf. It's very meditative. It put me in a position to focus on myself and the task at hand. Like [when] you just hit the ball and think of nothing else: Cook and think of nothing else. And I did better. I felt better doing it," the Tournament of Champions season 6 winner added.
Tournament of Champions season 6 episodes are available on Food Network.
