Annie’s Journey as Player #536

One Wild Decision, One Wild Ride - Annie Rutman’s story

Getting into Beast Games was already an amazing accomplishment, with hundreds of thousands of applicants but only 1,000 making it through, and surviving round after round to reach the top 50 was almost unheard of.

In this exclusive interview, Annie talks about how her journey started long before the competition. She had originally trained for MrBeast’s Squid Game, going all in with rock climbing, survival courses, and practicing for challenges that never even happened. She thought she was ready for anything, but nothing could prepare her for the surprises inside of Beast Games.

From trapdoors and moments of self-sacrifice to a game full of luck and strategy, Annie gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the intense training, the suspenseful moments, and the wild ride that helped her reach the top.

The Road to Beast Games:  

Annie never set out to be in MrBeast’s Beast Games. While she knew of MrBeast’s work and understood his massive influence, she hadn’t closely followed his career. She wasn’t a dedicated subscriber or a superfan, just someone who respected what he had built but never imagined she’d be part of one of the biggest game shows in history!  

With millions of followers and likely a million applications, she figured her chances were nonexistent. A twist of fate changed everything. In March, she became a U.S. citizen, a crucial requirement for the competition. By April, a friend urged her to apply. Still, she hesitated, thinking, “There’s no way he’ll notice me.” When June came, she found herself with a rare free day between meetings. Something shifted. Instead of overthinking it, she went for it. No editing, no overproduction, just Annie, raw and real, answering questions on camera. She submitted the video just before applications closed, and then the unthinkable happened.

A day later, she got the email. MrBeast’s team liked her video, liked her energy, and wanted to move forward. Within weeks, she was on a plane to Las Vegas to record Episode Zero. It all happened so fast that she barely had time to process it. But the surprises weren’t over, Annie arrived expecting a full-on Amazon production, but when she got there, she learned that 2,000 contestants had been flown in and only half would make it through the first round. She had to fight just to get a real spot in the games! That was the moment she thought to herself, "There’s no way I’m making it to Amazon Prime."

But against all odds, she proved herself wrong, big time! Through determination, adaptability, and grit, Annie powered through, making it into the top 1,000, then the top 500, then the top 100… and eventually, the top 50. Each round tested not just her skills, but her mindset. When she called her parents after making it to the top 1,000, they reminded her how small the chances were of actually getting screen time. But she had already made up her mind: “I’m going to make it as far as possible so you see me.” As the numbers decreased, the pressure was on. At 60 contestants left, she could hardly believe she was still standing. What had started as a long shot, something she nearly didn’t apply for became an intense, fast-paced, once-in-a-lifetime experience that pushed her beyond what she thought was possible. Annie’s road to Beast Games wasn’t just about luck, it was about trusting her gut, stepping up to the challenge, and proving that even a last-minute leap can lead to something extraordinary.

For Annie, entering the Beast Games was a whirlwind of surprises, challenges, and a constant rush of adrenaline. From the moment she applied, everything unfolded so quickly that it was hard to catch her breath. There was little time to plan, strategize, or even fully grasp what was happening around her.

Despite the chaos, Annie found herself with unexpected free time. Most challenges were recorded late at night, leaving her and the other contestants with hours to kill. They spent this time speculating about what might come next. Billboards around the city displayed hints about the challenges, which seemed like a great way to get ahead. But those billboards only deepened the mystery. “We’d sit for hours studying those billboards, but we were always wrong,” she said.

It was in these moments of unpredictability that Annie began to realize just how much luck played into the competition. She remembers a moment on the plane to Panama when frustration began to set in. "I was tired of guessing. I had gotten everything wrong so far," she said, reflecting on how little control they truly had over what was to come. The only challenge she managed to predict with any accuracy was the very first one, the foam blocks challenge. "I saw those little blocks and thought, "We’re gonna build something on top of them,’ and that’s exactly what happened. It was the only time I was right." she said.  

She went on to point out how the contestants did not have access to phones or T.V so that left them with each other. As Annie put it “the Beast City was our entire life, we talked to everybody 24/7, everybody wanted to talk about strategy so it was literally just talking about the games.”  This was their time to talk, build alliances, try to understand everyone's angle, and figure out who to trust. She mentions how it feels like the Beast City is your entire world "you don’t talk to anyone else, you don’t talk to your parents, the people there become your friends, they become everything for you".

Moments of Clarity Inside the Competition:  

For Annie, Beast Games wasn't just a competition, it was an opportunity to prove something not only to herself, but to the people she cared about. Throughout the rough challenges, she had three driving forces that kept her going when things got tough.

First and foremost, it was her family. Annie knew that winning, no matter the amount, could change her parents’ lives for the better. “If I can win money for my parents, it’s gonna be life-changing,” she shared. With her dad’s health on her mind, hoping to help with medication and even surgery and her mom as a major motivation, she pushed forward.

Annie wasn't just competing for herself; she was competing for her family's future. “It’s MrBeast and he gives away a lot of money,” she said. But no matter what, Annie was determined to stay true to her values. She refused to betray others, even though there were moments when the temptation to do so could have been great. “No matter how badly I need the money, I can’t screw other people over. I have to stay true to myself.” The second motivator was the desire to represent the immigrant community. As someone who had faced many challenges in the U.S., Annie wanted to be that voice of hope for others in similar situations. She thought about the immigrant families watching the show, imagining how powerful it would be for them to see someone like her on Amazon Prime, thriving in an environment that felt unreachable.

“When they see me on TV, they’ll think, ‘she made it to Amazon Prime, on a private island. That means there is no limitation on what is possible in life.’ She wanted to inspire others to believe that no dream is too big and no obstacle impossible.

And lastly, Annie wanted to prove something to herself. She’d always watched these intense competitions on TV, wondering what she’d be like in the same situation. It’s easy to sit on the couch and say, ‘I would do this or that,’ she reflected. But now she was in the thick of it, facing challenges head-on and testing her own limits. The experience was as much about self-discovery as it was about winning. Despite the uncertainty and the moments when the odds felt overwhelming, Annie stayed grounded by these anchors. They were her lifelines, her source of strength when the going got tough, and they helped her to push through, no matter the challenges that came her way.

Annie's Commitment to Values Over Victory:

While Annie’s goal was clear, the unpredictable nature of the game constantly challenged her approach. Competing against players with strong motivations and strategic gameplay forced her to confront the reality of the competition. She valued connection and fairness, refusing to step over others to get ahead, even when faced with strategies that prioritized personal gain. While she recognized the tactical brilliance of certain moves, she couldn’t bring herself to compromise her values, even if it meant putting her own position at risk.

During her elimination, she recognized a shared sense of drive with the other contestant she faced in her final challenge before being eliminated, noting that both of their core motivations were rooted in helping others. As she put it, “We had strong motivations in common,” drawing a parallel between herself and the other player in terms of their deep desires to make a positive impact. For the other player, the focus was on aiding homeless kids, a cause that connected with her own understanding of hardship. On the other hand, Annie’s mission was more personal, deeply tied to her identity as an immigrant and her desire to support her family. As she explained, “For her, it was homeless kids; for me, it was immigrants and my family.” While both were driven by a desire to make the world a better place, their different focuses reflected how their unique backgrounds shaped the way they approached the game.

Annie’s Mission Moving Forward:

Annie Rutman’s rise from an underdog to a top competitor in Beast Games was just the beginning, now, she’s using her success to take her personal brand to the next level by sharing the untold stories of others from the competition. Her journey, marked by resilience, bold decisions, and overcoming the odds as an immigrant, has kept her motivated to inspire people to chase their dreams, no matter where they come from. “There is no limitation on what’s achievable in life,” she says, a belief shaped by her struggles with the English language, navigating a new country, and proving that she belonged in spaces where she was doubted.

Beyond her game-related content, Annie wants her platform to be a space for real, unfiltered storytelling, both her own and that of others who fought through challenges to get where they are. “I don’t want to sugarcoat a lot of things,” she admits. “I want to show more of the challenges I’m going through and how I’m getting from point A to point B.” With her success, she hopes to uplift those who feel like outsiders, especially immigrants chasing big dreams. Coming from Belarus, she knows firsthand how isolating that journey can be, most people don’t even know the struggles tied to her homeland. But through courage, the right steps, and the sacrifices her mother made including giving up her savings so Annie could chase the American Dream, she made it!

Now, her mission is bigger than just content creation; it’s about proving that anyone willing to put in the work can turn their dreams into reality. “I just want to be an example of someone people can look up to,” she says. And with her platform, she’s making sure that no story, no struggle, goes unnoticed.

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