"Last One Standing"

FAQ: Questions & Answers

RICHARD

What is your competitive style?

I've always loved to win. I've always been very competitive. And even though I don't seem very tough, I can surprise people. And I'll always really throw myself into everything. That's kind of the way I've been raised—it's sort of the English way, I suppose

Why did you want to do this competition?

The reason I wanted to do this journey is mainly to see all the cultural richness that these tribes have to offer. I mean, it doesn't just stop at the sports. There are so many other things to see. There's different foods, different living conditions, different religions even. And all these things, beyond the sports, made me just think this is the perfect package.

What was the best part of the experience for you?

The connections you make with the families you're staying with. And they're not just guest-host relationships, they're real friendships. And sometimes when you leave, there's tears really, on both sides. And it's amazing how sometimes when you can't even speak the language, you can make these unbreakable bonds with people, in this kind of really mysterious way.

What was it like when you arrived in Brazil, your first location?

It was a surreal place. And I really felt like I took a step back in time at that point. I remember very clearly that feeling in the boat, going past the crocodiles up the river. And feeling pretty nervous, just because the whole atmosphere was so intense, and we were all kind of quiet in the boat. And then to see that sight on the riverbank, of six or seven pretty naked guys, ferocious looking, really sort of muscular, it definitely made me gulp.

What were the reactions of the villagers to you guys?

They were hugely impressed with Brad when he arrived, because of his colossal size. And there was a good deal of arm slapping and poking his muscles, just to see if it was real. Which I think he liked in parts, but they got quite overwhelming, I think. I mean, they were constantly dangling off him. But they placed huge amounts of pressure on him. And when he didn't prove to be the superhero that they thought, they were very quick critics, and quite a fickle crowd.

JASON

How does living in the tribe differ for you from being back home?

There have actually been times where I've came home, and I've almost wanted to go back to the tribe. Even though I was somewhat miserable in the tribe, life is so easygoing and slow paced there. It's really relaxing.

What are some of the big differences between the people you’ve met on your journey and those back home?

In the tribes, they push so hard and struggle through life to get food on their plate, which is a simple task in our country. But it's not easy work to get food on your plate out there. And they still smile and enjoy life. And here [in the U.S.] you have people that have got everything in the world. And they're still miserable. And, man, I don't have time for people like that anymore.

Talk about your experiences with the other athletes on the show.

The other five, they're truly good people. And I enjoy almost every minute around them. They're true friends. And I know if something were to happen to me out here, they would be there for me. And I can't say that about some of my friends at home.

Who is your biggest competition?

There’s obviously a rivalry between me and Rajko. At any given point in time, if either one of us wants to beat the other person hard enough, we'll do it. It just comes down to who wants it most in the end.

What was your favorite competition?

The Papua, New Guinea trip, canoe racing. I had so much fun there. That was probably one of the coolest places I've ever been because the whole time we were practicing in the canoes, I was just goofing around and being myself and enjoying life. And nobody was taking me seriously. But in BMX, when you're acquiring a new skill, usually you're just out having fun.

COREY

What’s your motivation for doing the show?

I was dissatisfied with what I'd been told was the meaning of life. And I wanted to find out for myself why I was really on this earth. I was very disenchanted with school and with academics and with accomplishment, and I felt like everyone was just missing the point.

What’s been the hardest thing for you on this journey?

The most difficult part of this trip, by far, has been the climate—dealing with hot temperatures. Because being a skier and being a mountaineer from Alaska, I had never dealt with hot climates. And I was dealing with super humid, super hot, super intense tropical climates.

Are you close to the other five competitors?

I'm an only child. And over this whole adventure, the other five athletes have really become what I consider my brothers. So I think for me, the best experience of this whole time has been living and learning through their eyes. They all come from such different backgrounds, and they've all taught me so much. Richard has taught me about the value of compassion and Brad has taught me about the value of time, Mark about the value of sincerity. Jason about the value of listening, and Rajko about the value of fitness and health. And they're all-encompassing lessons that have completely changed the course of my life. So I'm so grateful to these five, and I don't think that I'll ever be able to leave these friendships.

Is it hard to compete with people who have become your friends?

The amazing part about our relationships is that we came into this whole experience as competitors, against each other. But we've developed into this family, to the point where when we go on the court, we somehow put on this game face where the other person is our enemy. But as soon as we walk off the court, suddenly we're family again. So it's really a kind of magical experience for me, this kind of unconditional affection that I don't think I've ever experienced.

How has your upbringing prepared you for this?

My parents came from traditional East Coast backgrounds, and just decided during my mid-adolescence that they were going to up and move to Kodiak Island, Alaska. So I think their kind of intrepid, frontier spirit that they represented throughout their lives, like not caring about what anyone thought, or just doing whatever they wanted to do, allowed me to embrace this experience and just up and leave Western culture and say screw it, there's something more out there and I want to discover it.

BRAD

Why did you sign up for this?

All my life, I always wanted to be a superhero. And I feel like this is going be the greatest challenge to push me to do things that I'm not good at, to basically challenge my superhero strength. This is the chance for me to actually be able to step out into the world and see what it's truly about.

What’s your personality compared to the others?

Out of the six, I'm definitely the most relaxed, the most chilled. You know, we have a lot of strong personalities throughout us. And some come across a little more harsh than others and whenever that comes out, I like to come through and I'll throw my little spin on things and create the even tilt.

What’s been the hardest thing for you on this journey?

When we first started, it was definitely the food. And it wasn't eating the food, it was not having enough food to eat. So, basically, my body started feeding off of itself and I just started shutting down and not having any energy to be able to do anything.

What did you want to prove to yourself in doing this challenge?

I like to overcome challenges. And the greatest challenge I think that someone can actually do is travel and live as simply as possible. So, you know, the main motivation behind this is, this is a great experience to learn about life, great experience to learn about yourself, great experience to be able to come back and tell your children stories of how other people live outside of your typical boundary of where you're at. And overcoming challenges is just something I felt I had to do.

Talk about the piranha teeth ritual in Brazil.

I was actually kind of excited about it. You know, being able to go through the tribal tradition as they do it. So they literally take piranha teeth, scrape it against your flesh to release blood because in their culture, blood is bad. So as I'm getting scratched, it's a tolerable pain. I have a few tats on me. He puts the handful of salt and chilies on the top of my quad and I automatically feel it lock up on me. It literally felt like he took fire and just lit me up and then he just worked it all the way down and he made sure he was getting it in all the cracks, all the crevices. He's working it in. And then he hits the other leg. And I'm just sitting there going, I'm at a 15, man. The pain is at a 15. It's off the charts. This is horrible. This is like being burnt alive. You can't wash it off. The whole warrior squad is sitting there watching you. This is the test of manhood, basically. If you can't endure this pain, then basically, you can't wrestle. And I'm gonna wrestle. So I held my composure.

MARK

What made you want to do this competition?

I feel like I have been an underachiever and I want to prove to myself and to my father that I can win. So for me, it was a chance to turn my life around and prove to myself and to my dad that I can make something of it.

How has your father’s death affected your life?

Nine years ago, my dad passed away quite suddenly. Which forced my mom and my sister to move back to Malta to be with the majority of my Maltese family there, and I stayed in England to make a life for myself and to achieve my goals. There's more opportunity there. And ever since then, I've never looked back. I went to university, got my degree. And then carried on, got my qualifications while I was working in a career in project management, which I still do now for a construction company.

What appealed to you about participating in the show?

I wanted to go on this incredible journey because it was obviously a chance to travel the world, see the world, experience the world, but experience it firsthand living with tribes. Not only that, but just to take part in sports, which is real passion of mine. I mean, I really train hard in my spare time. I learn new sports all the time.

In what way has the experience been difficult for you?

It's been tough in a mental aspect where you have to throw yourself into a new environment. You're throwing yourself into a situation that you're not used to. You're out of your comfort zone. You're with people who don't speak your language. You're with people who you don't necessarily know how to react with.

In what ways have you changed in doing this show?

Over the period of the 12 months so far that we've been doing this, I've learned a lot about myself. And because of the situations we’re in, I've learned how to be more tolerant. I've learned how to interact with people in difficult situations. I've learned about how mentally I can push myself, how far I can push myself. So for me, it's more of a self-learning experience, a personal journey of growing really.

How did you get involved with salsa dancing?

It was a favor to a friend. I joined a dancing school and learned how to dance. And then I absolutely loved it. It was a long-term commitment of six months. Hard work. I found out that I had coordination because of kickboxing, but I also learned that I had rhythm as well. Three, four times a week now, I go to salsa. And I started my own class. I wanted to start my own class because I felt that there are not enough people with the confidence to take themselves out there into a class where everybody can dance. And people are shy. So I wanted to create my own class to give people the confidence.

RAJKO

What edge do you think you have over the other competitors?

I know my mind is my strongest weapon. And I think sometimes that's what gives me an edge. I think the toughest part for me is the physical side. Because of how hard all the contests are and because of how hard it is actually to live in a completely different environment, different food, different sleep, everything's different. And you only realize how difficult that is when you do it, because it can be as simple as you just can't sleep at night and then the whole next day, you've got to wrestle with some intense wrestlers.

What has been your favorite experience?

The best moments were in the Trobriand Islands. I fell in love with that place and the people. And I had one moment that was sort of unconnected with our official competition. But I played for their soccer team and they were playing against another village and it meant a great deal to them. And because I was English, they assumed I must be good. And they said, give us advice. Give us tactics. And so I played for them. And it was coming to the end of the match and then I got this pass and I scored the best goal I've ever scored in my life in this tribal village match, and by the time I got back to the village that night, everyone was running up to me like I was the hero of the village.

Any moments that particularly resonate with you?

My host, I'd gotten on so well with him. And he gave me the greatest honor. He had just had a baby boy. And he'd already named his boy. But one day, he called his wife over and called me over, he said, “I'm changing the name of our son.” And he changed the name of his son to Rajko. So I’ve got like this little Rajko godson in the Trobriands! And I'm gonna go back and visit him.

What have you learned about yourself in this competition?

I've learned that I'm extremely competitive, much more than I ever realized.

Who do you think will win?

Regardless of who wins, it will have been worthwhile. The relationships, the cultures, everything we've been through, that's way up here. The competition's a bit below. When we're in the competition, I treat it like it's the most important thing, but if I don't win, that's okay. And because I know I can look back and think, even when I was injured and I had every excuse not to try, I tried my best. And if I didn't win, that's okay.