What Happened to The Challenge’s Nelson Thomas? Why the Reality Star Had His Right Foot Amputated

Nelson Thomas has been MIA from The Challenge after having his foot and lower leg amputated in March 2024, leaving fans to wonder about exactly what happened to him.

What Happened to The Challenge’s Nelson Thomas?

Nelson was involved in a car accident in Texas on March 5, 2023. The reality star was pulled out of his burning vehicle by Minnesota Vikings wide receiver K.J. Osborn and three others who witnessed the crash.

“When I woke up and I hit that pillar, I thought I was in hell,” he told People while reflecting on the night of the accident. “All I saw was flames and fire around me. It’s such a vivid memory in my head, me getting pulled out of that burning car. I go to sleep sometimes and I’ll wake up screaming, thinking I’m in that car.”

Nelson was rushed to the hospital and immediately feared he’d never walk again. Over the next several months, he had six surgeries and ended up with three plates and 22 screws in his foot. He tried various treatments, including stem cell therapy, electrical stimulation and physical therapy, and traveled to California, Mexico and New York for the procedures.

While Nelson was initially told it would take him six months to walk again, he started doing so in just three. In October 2023, he was back in the gym and started picking up swimming, seemingly beating the odds.

Why Did The Challenge’s Nelson Thomas Have His Foot Amputated?

Despite Nelson’s seemingly fast recovery, he was still experiencing pain in his foot in October 2023. Doctors told him that his bone – a nonunion bone – was not healing.

In early 2024, he made the decision to amputate his foot and lower leg, despite previously saying he “didn’t even want to think about” that possibility. “I’m at peace with it,” he told People in February 2024. “I’ve prayed about it. I’ve wrote in my journal. I’ve read books. I’ve done all my research that I could do. I’ve done everything I can to try and save my foot. There’s a lot of people out there, even friends, they’re calling me, ‘Nelson, you have a chance to keep your foot and look normal and walk around.’ But then you have to ask yourself, ‘What kind of quality of life do I want to live?’”

He was given other options besides amputation, including having a fusion that would’ve left him “with no mobility” in his ankle. “I could be in and out of the hospital for the next year and I could be in pain for the rest of my life,” he pointed out.

Nelson had his surgery on the one-year anniversary of his March 2023 car accident. Days later, he posted a TikTok video of himself moving his knee for the first time. “Truly remarkable,” he captioned the video. He seemed to be in good spirits at the time and even mentioned competing in the 2024 Paralympics.

“Trust me, people, it’s weird. It is weird,” he added. “I still don’t know how I feel, but right now, I know that I’m home and I’m happy and that’s all that matters. I’m just gonna take it day by day and we’ll see how things go.”

The Challenge’s Nelson Thomas Was Charged With DWI After Crash

In September 2023, Nelson was charged with DWI stemming from the March 2023 crash, In Touch confirmed. He had a BAC of .178 (the legal BAC for driving in Texas is .08). Because Nelson’s BAC was higher than .15, he was charged with a Class A misdemeanor.

Nelson was arrested for DWI on the night of his crash but had to be released from custody to treat his injuries. However, a blood sample was taken and a warrant for his arrest was executed in June 2023 based on the results.

The police report from the night of the crash said that an officer “noted that Nelson had bloodshot, glassy eyes.” When speaking to the former Are You the One? star at the hospital, the officer said he “detected a strong odor of alcoholic beverage emitting from [Nelson’s] breath.” Due to his severe injuries, Nelson only took one Standardized Field Sobriety Test on the night of the crash. He said he had “2-3 mixed alcoholic drinks” before operating the vehicle.

In October 2024, the charges against Nelson were dropped after he completed a DWI PTD (pre-trial diversion), In Touch confirmed via court documents.

When news about Nelson’s DWI charge first broke in October 2023, he faced backlash because thousands of dollars had been donated to a GoFundMe page for him. Fans were upset that Nelson didn’t disclose the full story about the night of his accident.

“I apologize to those who thought I overlooked them through the GoFundMe,” he wrote on Instagram in December 2023. “A friend, who only knew about my hospitalization due to a car accident, created it with positive intentions, aware that I would go through hard times and need help. I initially withheld this information due to legal considerations. Those who requested a refund have received it.”

He also took onus for his part in what happened. “What sucked the most is that what I had to deal with is that, ‘Nelson, you caused this to yourself. He blessed you with this opportunity and you slammed the door in your own face,’” Nelson told People. “Do you know how many times I got to look at myself in the mirror and I blame myself for everything?”

Would Nelson Thomas Return to ‘The Challenge’?

Nelson now walks with the help of a prosthetic foot and has said that he wouldn’t rule out a return to The Challenge in the future.

“I can’t give you that answer just yet because it’s not what I want anymore,” he told People before his amputation. “And if that opportunity presents itself, heck yeah! If The Challenge calls, I would definitely pick up that phone call. But I don’t know what He has in store for me.”