One of the most significant challenges Karagach faced was during the freestyle dance in the finale. She explained that the routine required her to perform a high-energy Lindy hop, which involved landing multiple times on her own without any support. As a result, she developed stress fractures in her heels due to her fragile joints.

Karagach revealed that she received shots from a doctor to alleviate the pain before the live finale. Despite the excruciating pain, she managed to perform the entire show, but later discovered that she had fractured her heels. The injury forced her to take a six-week break from dancing.

Karagach’s determination to push through her injuries is a testament to her passion for dance. Now that she has made a full recovery, she and her husband, Pasha Pashkov, are celebrating their 10-year anniversary by seeking thrills at Six Flags amusement park.

“We’re literally going to go to Six Flags and ride some roller-coasters,” Karagach shared, noting that they used to be big amusement park enthusiasts until their daughter arrived. “We had our baby, and now all of a sudden, I have this fear of God forbid something happens to me on this roller-coaster.”

With reporting by Christina Garibaldi