Laurel Stucky is finally ready to talk about winning The Challenge: All Stars 4.

The Challenge vet (and literal veterinary doctor) became the sole winner of All Stars 4 back in June, getting her second championship 10 years after her first win on Free Agents. But her celebration (a.k.a. victory press tour) didn't happen immediately.

"Doing an interview right after that, I hadn't been able to process it," Laurel tells Entertainment Weekly ahead of season 40's Battle of the Eras premiere. "I wouldn't have had the most coherent responses to how I feel about winning $250,000 and being able to now be debt free from my master's degree. And sometimes it's hard because with all of the response that you get, while there's a lot of positive, there's also a lot of negative."

She adds that it was "a lot" for her to deal with as "a regular person who doesn't have a publicist team who is literally just living a normal life."

"And sometimes that gets in the way of me celebrating and really taking in the blessings that this show has brought to my life," she says. "But I feel like I'm ready to speak now, and I'm glad we're getting that chance."

Below, Laurel breaks down her win, reveals the injury that wasn't shown that could have cost her everything, who she thinks is the best female Challenge champ (the answer will definitely surprise you!), and what wasn't shown in her big fight with Cara Maria Sorbello.

Jonne Roriz/Paramount+

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Congratulations on becoming a two-time champ! How did it feel crossing the finish line?

LAUREL STUCKY: Thank you! It was amazing. I knew I was going to win because of the star advantage. Once we found out that that was going to be the case and that I got that many stars, I knew that there was no way that anyone was going to beat me. But there's always a chance, so I wasn't going to get so cocky that I would mess up. Once I planned out the strategy in terms of how I was going to do that last checkpoint with all of the puzzles and I took off running, I was walking for a period of time because nobody was even close to me. I didn't know where I was running to, I didn't know where the finish line was, but I was just like, "Oh my god, I'm going to win this. I'm about to be the sole winner of this show." Then I pull up and I see TJ, and he was so happy for me. He gave me a hug and, god, it was amazing. I cannot believe what my life is.

The stars ended up having a massive impact on the outcome of the game — how did it feel knowing you got the majority of them from the eliminated finalists?

I was so moved that anybody would give me their star. I've had interpersonal problems with people in the past on the show, just because most people target me and they really want to get me out. But I focused on, this season, making genuine friendships and being there for people. And I couldn't have anticipated that the stars were going to have any impact like that, but just the fact that they did, it's almost like I share that win with the friends that gave me those stars. And I did send Veronica a nice Yves Saint Laurent purse for giving me a star.

In the last leg of the final, Steve was ahead of you until he used his last star incorrectly. At what point did you realize you had a chance to pass him and finish first? Were you ever worried that he would beat you?

I don't know if he was in the lead. We were literally right next to each other, so it was a back and forth thing. And rookie mistake. That's the thing — I am not a rookie. I don't make mistakes like that. And that's what separates a Challenge champion from someone who's not a Challenge champion. We don't make mistakes like that. When it's a game time decision, you can't be making a mistake like that. There was either zero planning involved or just something mentally not right to make a huge blunder like that. It would've been really close and it would've changed a lot if he didn't make that mistake, but I would've fought like hell and definitely would not have given it to him easy.

Jonne Roriz/Paramount+

If Steve hadn't messed up using that final star, do you think he would have won?

Steve and I were both injured, and Steve is not a good runner. I had taken a lot of ibuprofen because I had torn my MCL and medial meniscus on the challenge right before the final, so I actually had a very unstable knee joint. I didn't want to get kicked out of the game, so I didn't tell anybody, and I just took a really high level of Extra Strength Tylenol before running the final in case we had to do anything really rigorous. But I had so much adrenaline running through me that I feel like I just was ready to push myself.

In my real life, I eat donuts, I get coffee, I don't always show up in shape. Back when I was 22 years old, having just graduated Michigan State and playing volleyball, I was a natural athlete. I didn't have to train for a show. Now, I'm just a normal person that lives a normal life and I was like, "Wow, it's starting to catch up with me. I should probably work out and maybe lift a couple weights if I want to win again." So I had been training prior to the show, and I was definitely in the best shape of my life. I would've done everything to kick his ass. And he's even admitted himself that he's not a good runner, and we were so close that I think I would've pulled in front of him.

Everyone loves to debate who’s the Challenge GOAT, and depending on who you ask, it’s you vs. Cara Maria for that top spot for the women. Do you think winning All Stars 4 settles that debate and puts you above Cara?

I mean, what does it say? I was No. 1 and someone else was No. 2. I think that grants me the title of winner. And she's a good adversary. She's a good opponent, but she fell short and she didn't play the game like I did. The cards fell where they did, and I couldn't be happier about it. I know there was a lot of drama that was shown and I know that there were a lot of interpersonal dynamics that we saw, but it was all worth it in the end, and I'm really happy about it. To be honest with you, though, I will say Evelyn is probably the best Challenger in history, so I'm going to dub her the GOAT and then maybe I'm the second.

Yes! I wish she was on season 40 and we could see you, Cara, and her all compete against each other. That's the dream.

Yeah, I know.

After All Stars 4, Cara told me in an interview that your win comes with an "asterisk" because of how much the stars impacted the result — what is your response to that?

I think bitterness and jealousy show itself in a lot of ways. If you're anything other than happy for somebody, then that's a you problem. I was really mad at Carley Johnson for winning Fresh Meat 2, and I took it out on her because I didn't think that she deserved it. And that was a me problem. I wanted to win and I didn't think she deserved to win, but all my bitching and moaning didn't change the fact that she won Fresh Meat 2 and I did not. So it's a lot of bitching and moaning — don't got time for that around me.

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What was it like watching All Stars 4 back like a year and half after you filmed it? Did anything surprise you about how it was edited or the way other cast members spoke about you?

I actually was gone filming Challenge 40 when it was airing, so I didn't get to watch it. I only watched a couple of things here and there, I've seen a few clips that popped up on the internet, but that's the extent of it. I really don't know what was shown.

Do you plan to watch it at some point in the future?

Maybe in the future I'll watch it, but it's always going to be out there, so I'm in no rush. Reality TV is a wild endeavor and watching yourself is not always the healthiest. I want to stay as healthy as possible. I am literally feeling the most blessed that I have ever been in my life and thankful and grateful, and I feel like I'm exactly where I want to be and I don't want to do anything that's going to mess that up. It's for everyone else's entertainment, not mine.

Was there anything that happened on All Stars 4 that wasn't shown in the episodes that you want fans to know about?

Definitely my apology to Cara immediately after I raised my voice at her. I was a little upset that they didn't really show that situation in the way that I felt that it went down, and I don't understand why they omit things to make it look a certain way. Immediately after I raised my voice, Cara was like, "You didn't have to yell." And I was like, "You know what, Cara? You're right. I'm so sorry. I'm just upset because you're bringing up my personal relationships here and we haven't even talked about this. And now you're trying to use it as a leverage against me in the game because you're in a tough spot. If you were really my friend, you wouldn't be doing that. And I'm sorry for yelling at you. You're right. I shouldn't have yelled, but I'm frustrated and I don't like the words that you call me." So I wish that they would show everything, but it's reality TV and they just don't. I hope they get better with that.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The Challenge: Battle of the Eras premieres Wednesday, Aug. 14, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV.