In Race to Survive: New Zealand, crossing the finish line is a victory
on The race for survival: New ZealandCrossing the finish line is a victory in itself. So, when the “gym rats” in Rhode Island, Heather Sicho And Emilio Navarro It ended up being the first team to be eliminated after finishing last in the first race, and I never felt defeated. Instead, it felt like a bittersweet celebration.
Reality Tea had the opportunity to speak with the dynamic duo in Rhode Island, and it became abundantly clear that the word “defeated” had never been in their vocabulary. They adapt and move forward, all while tearing each other down along the way.
Of course, no one wants to go home first, but the duo talked about how they ended up participating in one of reality TV’s most intense competitions in the first place and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. Additionally, they shared whether or not they would take another shot at the race.
Six-week intensive course
Surprisingly, Emilio and Heather’s journey to Race to Survive: New Zealand actually began a while ago. According to Emilio, he was originally running for a spot on Race to Survive: Alaska with another friend. This failed, and they continued with their lives.
A year later, Emilio said he didn’t even know the show had come to fruition on USA Network. Then, he randomly received a casting call about season two. Within a few weeks of that phone call, he and his gym girlfriend Heather were confirmed for the race.
Although they didn’t know where the race would be, the athletes knew they had the physical ability to climb, hike, paddle and make their way down any course. However, Rhode Island’s urban population was not necessarily well-informed about the outside world. There’s no shame in that! But once they knew they would be part of the race, they only had six weeks to prepare. They spent that time learning all the skills they needed to survive in the wild, all while continuing to live their normal lives.
“We actually started from scratch,” Emilio recalls. “As far as map reading, I do everything using the GPS on my phone, so we had to start from scratch there. We started from scratch by building the shelter.”
“I took the map/compass piece,” Emilio continued. [Heather] I took the shelter piece. We had a friend who was experienced at camping, so we did six weeks of intense training on how to at least have a fighting chance.
Although Heather and Emilio have been doing their homework for the race, there’s no better way to learn how to survive the outdoors than to just get out and try it. With only a few weeks to prepare, Heather and Emilio never had the opportunity to practice handling it overnight. Race 1 was the first time they used all the skills at once, but you’d never know that watching from home.
“We got the hang of it pretty quickly even when we were racing,” Heather explained. “Every day, we got better.”
Sizing up the competition
Once Heather and Emilio arrive in New Zealand, a welcome change from Alaska in season one, they immediately begin sizing up their competition. Who doesn’t? When they learned they would be encountering marathon runners, muscle hunters, and people who jump out of airplanes for a living, they had mixed thoughts. With over two decades of personal training experience, Heather said she can easily evaluate other teams’ athletic performance.
“I saw them right away and thought, ‘We’re waiting for this,’” Heather recalls.
Emilio, on the other hand, looked around and didn’t feel too worried. Despite being the oldest contestant in the game, he felt confident that he and Heather had the muscle and willpower to overcome the toughest competitors. It was hard for him to imagine some teams participating in these training sessions, all while carrying 40-pound backpacks. By the end of the race, Emilio said he had learned a valuable lesson about judging people by first impressions. One of the many lessons learned during this ordeal.
“I learned a huge lesson in that because I couldn’t believe how amazing these humans were,” Emilio said. “Their backgrounds didn’t matter. They all had this drive and this attitude that they wouldn’t give up, and it was incredible to watch.
Quitting smoking was not an option
Throughout the first race, we watched the Rhode Islanders go head-to-head with the Brooklyn Climbers in a battle to stay out of last place. This continued for several days, but the Rhode Islanders never gave up. They knew that finishing the course was their first priority – regardless of who got there before them.
“Instead of saying, ‘Oh, we’ve made it to the end,’ we were more excited,” Heather recalls.
Both Rhode Islanders noted that several times in the race, there were instances where they gained a lead over some of the other teams. The sheer size of the race makes it difficult to see on television. However, they explained that they began to lose initiative once they entered the winding forests and prioritized pursuing food caches. On top of that, Emilio suffered a bad spill that cost them more time on the course. Regardless, quitting was not an option, and they had hope in their hearts that they would receive a medal once they reached the finish box.
“If you watched the first season, people right and left were getting fired, quitting, and you didn’t find out until you got to the box,” Heather explained. “You just keep saying, ‘Keep going, keep going.’ There’s always that opportunity.”
Once they arrived at Survival Camp and learned there was no medal waiting for them, they showed great support from their fellow contestants. However, what we didn’t see on the show was how much support they received before reaching the finish line.
“We were walking down this river, and it was very emotional. They all came out of their camps,” Emilio recalls. “They started running along the banks, cheering us on.”
Heather shared how there was a sense of camaraderie between the teams as they all had a common experience of enduring the multi-day course. She said everyone was calling them “warriors” and they kept going until the end.
“Suddenly, we were part of this brotherhood. They joined us. It was amazing,” Emilio added.
Will Heather and Emilio do another season of Survival Race?
After being eliminated from Race to Survive, Emilio said the experience was the “hardest thing” he had ever done in his life. However, that won’t stop him from scoring again. When asked about the possibility of returning for another race, neither of them had to think twice about it.
“Yes, yes. We’re going. Pack the bag. Let’s go,” Heather replied excitedly. “I’d go in a heartbeat. “I’ll pack my bag today.”
“Aside from tearing, my bag will be half its size,” Emilio added with a laugh. We thought we were going to be on vacation.
He continued: “When you have to survive, you realize that you don’t really need much to survive. You can really get away with almost anything.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Race to Survive: New Zealand airs Monday nights at 11/10c on USA Network.
TELL US – Were you sad to see Rhode Islanders go home? Are you surprised to learn how quickly they learned survival skills right before the show? Would you like to see them return for another run?
