The aftermath of the Amazon
Challenge Duration: 21 Days
Weight Loss: 17 pounds
Recovery Time: 3 weeks
Physical Stress:
– fungus growing underneath fingernails and toenails
-under weight BMI
-severely infected bug bites, 4 that resulted in abscess growth, surgically extracted
-hundreds of thorns in feet and hands (result of the spiny palm trees that littered the ground in the amazon
My hands were riddled with thorns and burn marks. We kept the fire steady the entire trip, building a mote around it to elevate it from heavy rainfall. We also utilized a technique in which we created an oven to continually burn wet dead logs as there was no dry wood available. In order to create fire I had to construct a platform to dry out palm fibers and palm grasses for two days before I could get a tinder bundle to ignite successfully. Before that we had to ward off mosquitoes at night by covering ourselves and clay and mud. We prevented ants from entering our shelter area by covering the ground with thick ash from the fire.
South Africa, 40 Days
- Duration of challenge: 40 Days
- Weight Loss: 25 pounds
- Recovery Time: 2weeks
- Physical Stress:thorns chest, feet, hands, severe sun-d amage, gash across knee, 2 cavities
I was so relieved that I put on 16 pounds for the 40 day challenge in South Africa. I came out thin, but had I not gained the survival weight I would have looked way worse. I will also never be that tan again. My challenge in the Amazon taught me that gaining weight for this type of extreme challenge was important as I would need fat reserves to make it to day 40.
sun exposure
