Famed survivalist Bear Grylls is on another adventure, this time taking 66 teams from 30 countries to race non-stop for 11 days across hundreds of miles of rugged terrain in the new series, World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji.
Grylls, best known for his work on the hit show Man vs. Wild, thrives on getting people to push their limits.
"I think that’s the business I’m in to encourage people, to know adventure is a state of mind, we have that resiliency inside, and the qualities that matters in the jungle are the same qualities that matter in life about courage and kindness," he said.
In a time when many struggle to find encouragement to get out and grasp their own adventure, Grylls is convinced it’s closer than many might think.
"You don’t need to go to the other ends of the world to find adventure ... How we approach life and how we tackle difficult things and all those things matter so much in a time of pandemic. If you can get out, you can build adventure close to home. Adventure, I really do believe, is a state of mind."
Here's 5 things you need to know about Grylls and his latest series:
- Beginning in 1995, this is the eleventh Eco-Challenge race event, first airing on Discovery Channel and now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
- Filmed last fall in Fiji, this battle to the finish includes 330 competitors (who form teams of five, including four racers and an assistant crew member); however, the greatest challenges are not the competing teams, but the unforgiving 416 miles of terrain that stand between those competing and the finish line.
- People from all walks of life and every corner of the globe take part to overcome incredible obstacles, including a team from the U.S., Travis & Mark Macy, where the father is battling Alzheimer's Disease.
- Grylls climbed Mt. Everest, led a team to circumnavigate the British Isles on jet skis, crossed the North Atlantic, paramotoring over the Himalayas, journeyed to Antarctica, did the longest indoor freefall, and accomplished a Northwest Passage expedition spanning 5,700 nautical miles.
- True to his calling, Grylls lives on an island in North Wales, off the grid with no main electricity, no main water, and having to cross water just to get a newspaper and milk.
World's Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.