Nathan

Age: 35
From: Manchester (originally London)
Occupation: Fitness Instructor & Operations Manager

What made you want to be a contestant on Survivor?

I very much believe in the concept of Kaizen (a Japanese term for continuous improvement) and I try to apply this concept to every part of my life. When I reflect on when I’ve grown the most, it has always been on the back of significantly challenging times, adversity, or hardship. So, when the opportunity to be a part of one of the most challenging experiences someone can face, I needed no convincing.

What qualities did you think you’d bring to the game?

I feel I brought my mental attributes of determination, resilience, positivity, optimism and humility and physical attributes of strength and power. Used effectively these were perhaps inspiring for the rest of the camp to observe.

How did you prepare yourself mentally and physically for taking part?

Mentally, it was a case of daily positive affirmations, reminding myself that if I’m able to get through the things I have got through so far in life, that I will be able to get through anything the game would be able to throw at me.

On the physical side, prior to confirmation of my involvement in the show, I already had a fairly intensive training programme, however, I introduced more cardio and calisthenic exercises into my training and undertook swimming lessons.

Did you have a strategy of how you were going to play the game?

My strategy for the show was simple, to be an asset to the tribe and build strong relationships. I didn’t want to be the strongest player, but equally didn’t want to be the weakest, as both scenarios would put me at risk.

How competitive are you?

On a scale of 1-10, I’m 9 out of 10 competitive. I would describe myself as good competitive and most of the time the competitions are with myself. The reason I wouldn’t say I’m a 10 competitive, is because there are certain things I wouldn’t do just to win.

What kind of challenges were you most looking forward to?

I was most looking forward to the challenges that allowed me to best leverage my strengths: physical strength and endurance, determination, resilience, and problem-solving skills. I think there were a couple of challenges that allowed me to showcase what I can do.

How did you cope with living on a beach with no home comforts?

In all honesty, I believe I thrived in this environment. It was great to be stripped back to nothing and not have to worry about all the things the modern world has taught us we need. The main thing I missed was my toothbrush.

How did you cope with the hunger?

This was quite possibly the toughest part of the experience. If there was anything that would have seen me tap out early it would have been starvation.

What did you learn from being on the show?

There are so many things I took from the game. I learnt to take more risks – nothing great happens from playing it safe. To be present – I thoroughly enjoyed having no technology and found that I was much more present in my social interactions and my connections with people were so much stronger as a result. To have more gratitude – all of the things that we take for granted, family and friends, food and drinks on demand, washing machines etc. There was a time before the show where I might pick out certain things of my dish that I didn’t like eating such as onions or peppers whereas in the show I would have killed for those flavours! It has meant that since coming out I don’t take them for granted. I’ve also learnt to say no to things that don’t align with my values or the direction I want to head in.