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Can You Pass The Australian Survivor Fitness Test?
After five seasons of stranding contestants on Polynesian islands, the newest iteration of Australian Survivor is in the works – and currently open for applications.
The show is set tackle a new kind of setting, this time based in the vast outback of northwest Queensland, in a town called Cloncurry, instead of the usual coastal locations of Samoa and Fiji,
Home to 2,719 people, Cloncurry was a “hot spot” on Burke and Wills’ inland expedition back in 1861 and is situated right next to the ghost town of Mary Kathleen. It’s known as the Friendly Heart of the Great North West and is sure to put the new contestant to the test with its scorching temperatures.
“With its rich history and epic landscape that includes iconic red dirt, towering rock formations, and spectacular freshwater dams, Cloncurry is the perfect place to really change things up,” states Channel 10.
“There will be bigger challenges and a different set of skills put to our castaways to the ultimate test.”
Sound like something you want to get involved in? Well, in order to survive the wilderness on Survivor, there are a few physical skills you should acquire to be able to get in to the show.
“We’re seeking men and women of all backgrounds and locations around Australia,” reads the official casting call.
“You need to be physically and mentally strong enough to survive in some of the toughest conditions ever experienced.”
“You must be able to engage with others, be confident, and be comfortable living in close quarters with strangers.”
“And most of all – you need to be ready to play the game.”
Sydney exercise scientist and personal trainer Damien Kelly and former army medical officer turned GP and media presenter Dr Sam Hay put the Survivor entry test together for Australian Survivor a few years back, simply to gauge overall health and fitness.
“It was a basic test designed to check for things like specific weaknesses and mobility,” Kelly said.
“All that was needed was to ascertain that the physical condition of a Survivor applicants was at the required level for their participation in the show — they weren’t there to break speed or endurance or bench press records.
“There is intentionally no modifications on expectations for men or women and those of different ages. It is simply assessing the expected physicality of an average person over six simple tests.”
The test might have been simple, but Peter Newman, head of Non-Scripted Content at Endemol Shine Australia, the production house behind Australian Survivor, said it was all part of a duty of care that’s taken very seriously.
“The fitness test is to make sure they are all physically healthy and fit enough to take part in the challenges and the overall physicality of being on the island for 55 days,” he said.
“It was one of a number of checks carried out on all the contestants before they arrived on the island to make sure they are healthy and prepared for their time on the show.
“While there are some unbelievably fit people like Lee, Sam and Kylie in the game, we needed a cross section of people who might be better at the mental and strategic part of the show.”
Newman said mental fitness was just as important as physical fitness on the show.
“Our age ranges from people in their 20s to their 60s with different strengths, not just physical who really hold their own against the more obvious strong contestants,” he said.
“The mental game is just as important as the physical. Living on the island is not easy but living and playing the game against 23 other people is just as tough.
“Plus not all challenges are purely physical — there are memory games, puzzles, much more than just challenges based on strength.”
The Survivor Fitness test
1. Walk/Run Endurance (to assess health of ankles, knees, hips and lower back, and meet expected physical endurance): Walk or run 1600m in under 20 minutes. Set a treadmill to 5km/hr (12mins/kilometre) or faster and have the participant complete 1600m in under 20 minutes. The average human walking speed is 4.8km/hr.
2. Push Up Test (assesses health of shoulders, elbows and core): Complete 10 knee push-ups, with correct form in one minute. According to the American College of Sports Medicine the average 60 to 70-year-old will pass this test
3. Squat Test (assesses health of knee, hip, ankle, core and general mobility): Squat to a depth where hip crease is lower than knee height. Once. A human’s number one functional movement is the squat. It allows us to access the ground.
4. Weighted lift Test (assesses lower back, shoulders, general strength and mobility): Lift a 10kg weight of any type from the ground to shoulder. Pick weight up and touch it to the front of the left shoulder. Return it to the ground, pick it up again, and touch to the right shoulder. This movement would be expected in the workplace or by a parent.
5. Weighted Carry (Farmers Walk) to check general strength and mobility of entire body: Carry a 10kg weight, whatever way you like, in your arms, for 20m in one go. This tests basic strength and mobility similar to carrying wood or water.
6. General Mobility (checks healthy basic body weight movement): Lay down on the ground on your stomach, and get up again under your own steam. No ropes. No helping hands.
Survivor Australia applications require you to fulfil the following criteria:
- You must be over 18
- You must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
- You must fill out the entire application form (this may take up to a couple of hours)
- You must upload two pictures of yourself – one recent and clear photograph of yourself (no hats or sunglasses), one that best “reflects you as a person”
- You must submit an online video along with your application form and photos (maximum of three minutes to sum up why you should be picked for Survivor Australia, why you believe you have what it takes to be the ultimate/sole Survivor)
Those who successfully complete all of the above and deemed a suitable candidate will be contacted by Endemol Shine Australia’s Casting Team to discuss the next stage – good luck. You can apply here.
