Nany González is still searching for her first-ever win on The Challenge. Despite previously competing on 12 seasons of the flagship show, Nany has yet to win a final (even though she made it there four times).

Could Season 41 finally be the time she takes home the W? Longtime host T.J. Lavin tells TV Insider that The Real World alum is “definitely one to watch out for” this season, which will feature 16 veteran players and 16 newcomers competing to see who will come out on top.

“[Nany is] somebody that’s very in the mix, always, and I feel like her time to shine has got to be coming around the corner,” Lavin teases. He also confirms that González, along with other notorious non-winners Aneesa Ferreira and Leroy Garrett, still have a “hunger” to be a champion. “I see that they’re really trying to get it done, and I love it,” he admits, adding that “some more than others” are putting in the work this season.

The season began with a launch special on July 23, which featured the competitors picking their partners (the teams are rookie/veteran, male/female pairs). González is teamed up with boxer Ben Davis.

Ahead of the official premiere on Wednesday, July 30, scroll down for more scoop from Lavin about what to expect.

Coming off of Season 40, which was such a major milestone, was there added pressure on this season to deliver? And do you think it does?

T.J. Lavin: Of course, for sure, without a doubt. There’s definitely pressure. We had to come up with something cool, we had to come up with something great, we had to bring the heat. I swear to you … every time I get done with the show, I’m like, “That’s the best show we’ve ever done,” and this time I said it again. I mean it every time, but this is, like … the outcomes of the games are just insane. It’s really, really good.

Why do you think the theme of “Vets & New Threats” was a good one to follow that milestone?

Bringing in all the new heat. The new threats they brought in were amazing.

Who made an impression on you off the bat, and were there any who surprised you?

I don’t want to spoil it because there’s definitely a lot of awesome personalities, but you will see, there are some people in there that are, like, the most cocky people you’ve ever seen in your life, but they get humbled. They actually are really good. You’ll see who I mean and what I mean, but it’s a very interesting dynamic to see somebody come in with so much cockiness and confidence, it’s crazy, and then actually be really good in the end.

There’s been similar seasons before with vet/rookie pairings, what differentiates this season from those?

I think the vetting process on this one seemed to be a little bit superior to the others. They brought some of the best athletes I’ve ever seen, some of the best runners. They brought the full spectrum. I was very impressed, very excited to have that kind of talent.

How would you say the challenges stack up compared to what we’ve seen in the past?

There’s a lot of new stuff, but it’s definitely still a lot of the favorites, like some of the favorite games. There’s always different takes on different games. Trivia, for instance, there’s always a different take on it, there’s a different take on the high buildings and things like that, as well. There’s a lot of good stuff, a lot of things that you have to have a lot of endurance as well. There’s a lot of the same style of games, but with new twists and new threats, it’s pretty good.

You’ve been doing this for so long. What brings you back every season?

It’s not easy to leave the dogs. The kid’s grown, the wife’s doing her thing, but the dogs, they really have my heart. A lot of it is the travel, and the crew is like family, so once you start leaving the crew, you’re like, “All right, I’m ready to go back to them, hang out with them again.” We’re all real tight. When we go to different places, we become part of the fabric of the community as well. It’s pretty cool.

What do you think it is about The Challenge that has such staying power?

I think it is a sense of nostalgia, so we have a niche group of people, but then when you go on mainstream television as well, it’s like, oh my God. They pick it up, and they figure it out, and then their favorites come on my show. It’s awesome. And also the creativity of Justin Booth. He is The Challenge. He’s the guy that puts all that stuff together. His creativity is second to none when it comes to Challenge shows.

The Challenge, Season 41 premiere, Wednesday, July 30, 8/7c, MTV