What happened to Tony in The Summit? Medical reason explored

The US version of The Summit premiered on September 29, on CBS. Sixteen contestants participate in the survival competition to get a chance to win a portion of $1 million. They start at Lake Wakatipu near Glenorchy and are given 14 days to reach the top (of The Summit) of the Southern Alps of New Zealand.

The $1 million prize is divided between the 16 participants and they have to carry the amount to the top of the mountain. If a person is removed from the competition for medical reasons or if someone decides to quit, the amount they are carrying would be deducted from the total prize money.

Two contestants were eliminated in episode one, out of which Tony Reyes was taken out for medical reasons. The Austin marathon runner collapsed a few hours into the trek and was taken off the game.

In an interview with Give Me My Remote after the premiere episode, showrunner Kevin Lee talked about Reyes and the reason he collapsed at the start of the show. The showrunner shared that he believes Reyes didn't drink enough water and did not have enough electrolytes to continue the trek. Lee said:

“I do think what happened was he hadn’t drank enough water; he didn’t have enough electrolytes, and it just kind of got him. "

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The Summit showrunner Kevin Lee talks about Tony Reyes and his elimination during episode 1

Tony Reyes was the first contestant to get eliminated in The Summit episode 1. In the first five hours of the group streak, the Austin marathon runner abruptly stopped and collapsed to the ground. After his fall, he was surrounded by producers and medics.

He insisted that he was okay and could continue with the streak after resting for five minutes. Despite Reyes' persistence, he was taken off the show for his own safety. With his, the share of prize money he was caring for was also out of the show.

The reality show provided a backstory for Reyes during the premiere episode. He is a 36-year-old Media director from Austin, Texas. He was once over 400 pounds and decided to cut weight after his son was born.

Reyes believed he was dying because of being obese and wanted to see his son grow. He shredded over 140 pounds and participated in marathons to cement his new life.

The Summit showrunner Kevin Lee told Give Me My Remote that he was devasted by Reyes' elimination from the show. He shared that he became friends with the contestant during the casting process. The contestants had to go through medical tests and Reyes passed all of them for being on the show.

Lee delved into Reyes' backstory as a marathon runner and said that The Summit was "an important part of his emotional life". It was emotionally devastating for the showrunner to see the contestant collapse. He chimed in on Reyes' elimination and said:

“At first I thought he was having a heart attack or something. I’m like, ‘Oh my God, what the hell? Did all of our processes fail?’ Luckily, we found out that, no, he just collapsed from exhaustion, and he was completely fine. Even hours later, he was completely fine, but we didn’t know that at the time, so it was really scary."

Lee further added that later that day the The Summit contestant wanted to return to the show and asked him to bring him back. Lee doesn't solely have the power to make that decision. However, he said that he would talk to his team, and if they agreed, he would definitely bring back the Austin marathon runner. He said:

“I’m only one of many decision-makers, but if they listen to me, I would love to bring him back, because he’s such a rootable guy,”

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The Summit premiere episode is available to stream on CBS and Paramount Plus.