Being stranded in a harsh environment with next to nothing to your name, participating on Australian Survivor is no walk in the park.
WATCH BELOW: Australian Survivor 2021 comes to outback Queensland
Before stepping out of their comfort zones and into an unknown location, many of the castaways did all that they could to prepare for the show.
Some lose or gain weight to adjust for the lack of food that will be out there, while others study the previous seasons and look to the big players for strategy.
Each player’s approach is different, more so with the season split by those who are either Brains or Brawn, so we’ve rounded up some of the most unique prep from the stars of this season.
Gerald
“Before I went in I’d certainly been trying to do some fitness stuff before I went in and stay fit same as I would when I’m woodchopping but just a bit of different fitness as well,” Gerald told New Idea.
“I’d actually put on a few kilos before I went because I knew I was going to lose a lot of weight while I was there and lose it fast so I’d actually been packing on about five or so kilos before I went in over the sort of two months leading up to it so that I didn’t end up being one of the guys that’s always lacking energy and that when you’re out there.
“Which is what happens when your body starts eating its own muscle mass which could’ve worked in my favour a little bit I guess but didn’t work in my favour coming across on the TV screen,” he laughed as he explained.
Rachel
“I actually did a lot of things and one of the things I did do was I went and spoke to a psychologist for a little while because I am very conscious of the fact that a lot of the time I lead with my heart and I wanted to really unpack some of the triggers that I have around just life in general so that I could recognise them when they were happening,” Rachel told New Idea.
“I did lots of physical preparation as well, I had – not long before – had all of the cartilage taken out of my right knee, so there was a fair bit of work kind of getting all of that back.
“Also, I did watch so many seasons of Survivor and watched all of the big players and unpack their strategy so I did put a fair amount of thought and effort into it because when I decide to do something I really like to do it as well as I possibly can.”
George
“My body simply was not ready for the physical side of the game. I was 90kg and couldn’t do more than 3 push ups. I went down to F45 Bankstown and signed up knowing that Survivor was starting and I needed to get my act together as quickly as possible to be competitive at challenges,” George told New Idea.
“Going to the gym doesn’t come naturally for a person like me. I am super competitive and it was embarrassing at first that I couldn’t pick up heavy weights or keep up with the cardio parts of the F45 class. Many people probably feel this kind of shame at the gym, but all that matters is pushing yourself, step by step, day by day, and that’s what I did!
“I treated those F45 classes at first as if they were my own personal immunity challenge. If I complete the class – I win. Using that mindset, I attended classes 6 times a week for the next 8 months and my body completely transformed by the time I walked into Day 1 of Australian Survivor,” he said.
Cara
“My preparation started as soon as I found out I was a contestant. Survivalist expert Gordon Dedman and I spoke for hours discussing making fire, useful edible plants, plants for cordage (good for making shelters and weaving baskets). I learnt about using mud to reinforce our campfire to build a reflection wall, making bush tea to fill our tummies and keep us warm, and understating what might be poisonous ‘leaves of 3, let them be’,” Cara told New Idea.
“I also investigated the Cloncurry Shire Council website to find out the flora and fauna existed on the land as I had no idea of the place that was going to be my home for a while. I was desperately trying to get my hands on a very special book called ‘Mitakoodi Bush Tucker’ to understand the very specific region in Cloncurry and how the traditional owners of the land lived. I have so much admiration and respect for them.
“My son Tove also was teaching me how to tie knots (reef knots, clove knots, slip knots)… in hindsight I do wish I had studied that more,” she said.
Hayley, Shannon, and Laura
“Loads of laser! Laser hair removal was great as I didn’t have to feel insecure during challenges,” Shannon told WHO.
Hayley added: “Unfortunately, we are not given razors on Survivor so I started laser treatment a few months before the show, but it wasn’t enough time in advance for it to work. I certainly shaved before I went out there, but that didn’t last too long.”
“I went and got a top up of laser all over my body before I entered Survivor. We don’t get razors and the machete and hatchet aren’t exactly shaving-friendly! It worked a treat, I never had to think about body hair while I was there, although, it’s all natural so if it did grow I wouldn’t have had an issue with it,” Laura said.
Simon
“There are a lot of people who haven’t watched the show before, and having the knowledge of what’s coming up – it is a blessing and a curse,” Simon told WHO.
“Being a fan, information is always going to be more valuable to you, and it helps you map out your next decision based on the potential twists, and what can happen.
“There was no one I was specifically trying to replicate or emulate, but you do take different parts of people’s games and go, ‘oh wow, that was really cool, I need to try and do that if I can’.”
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