By Ashley Thompson

 

Zack from Guyana spills the beans on what it's really like to be alone for most of a challenge. He also let's us know how he felt after his high fever that almost cost him his own 21 day survival experience.

 

RW: How were you cast?
Zack: I had tasks as far as putting out discovery.com and sent a video as well as my friend Luke who was on the Namibia episode so when he got back he gave me a producers email and she forwarded me to the casting company metal flowers media.

 

RW: Was knowing a previous survivalist what made you stand out?
Zack: Luke and I both worked at the same program in Utah with at risk youth. The parents send them out there if they're making bad decisions in life. We teach kids that maybe don't make their bed or do their homework at home how to make a primitive shelter, so if they make a bad one and it rains they're not going to be happy that night.

 

RW: Did you pay the opportunity forward with anyone else from that program?
Zack: Not really, you know we don't work there any more. It was really funny because Outback had someone that worked there before me that was on the show. Alyssa. It's like a Naked and Afraid factory. We didn't even know her.

 

RW: It said in the episode that you are a devout Christian, how did your church feel about you being naked on television?
Zack: I haven't really got back into a specific church, I have a local one that I've been at my whole life in Missouri. They were all really supportive. It's a small town church, you can fit maybe 60 people in it... my grandpa made all the benches, it's that kind of church. All of them were very supportive. They were zinging me during the Easter service. The pastor related my experience to the Easter service.

 

RW: Did you prepare your skin for the sun?
Zack: If you see me on the show you see that I'm like the great white man out there. There's not a lot I could do because when I worked in Utah with the kids, you have to have the appropriate uniform on. You don't want to be a distraction. I got like two weeks notice before before I knew I was going to Guyana, and at first I thought they said Ghana and I was like, 'what does that mean?'. So I've got a week of work then a week off and I went to the tanning bed once. I had never been so I had this weird leopard tan. I didn't know what was going on. It was more like a burn.

 

RW: Is there anything you would have done to prepare differently?
Zack: There's survival experts that know a lot of things about where they're from. Like, I know a lot about Utah plants. You go to Guyana and all the plants are different. I think if I'd have had a really good encyclopedia on the plants and animals and resources there I'd do a lot better.

 

RW: If you only had a week to prepare, was it a lot of pressure?
Zack: ::laughs:: I ate a lot of ribs and chili and I was trying to pack on the pounds. It was basically all I could do. You just try to add fat because you know you're body is going to start eating itself trying to get energy. I would put chemical treatments on my feet. I would longboard and go running barefoot. I would try to hike as much as I could barefoot, like 3 miles. You develop calluses after a while and it gets better.

 

RW: Are the calluses still there?
Zack: Yeah, actually it's hard for me to wear the same shoes I wore before because my feet have widened up.

 

RW: Why didn't you make shoes?
Zack: I mean, you make shoes and then you wear them for a second and you're like, 'you know what, it's a minor discomfort next to the other stuff out there'. If there were more thorns to walk on maybe I would have made good shoes.

 

RW: We saw that maybe you weren't the best matched duo. Was your first concerning moment hone your partner was afraid of a turtle?
Zack: Well, my first concern was when we were talking during the first walk about our skills and she said that she took one survival class. I was like, "oh boy, I hope she has a strong personality for sticking it out". And it was just one of those things where I don't think she's been desensitized to the wild as much as other people that have been on the show. It was funny, there were certain things I didn't see that I saw watching the show. Her whole reaction to picking up the turtle... I was concerned with the snake while she was worried about the turtle. Really what was entertaining was when she found the turtle and she said, "Hurry up, its going to get away!" ::laughing:: I was just like, "have you heard of the tortoise and the hare story??" ::laughing:: It was really funny.

 

RW: After learning about her lack of experience, how did you feel when Afften tapped out?
Zack: I was very mixed. I felt like success on the show is finishing with a partner. I love watching the Jaclyn and Adam episode because they got a long and hugged at the end. I felt robbed of the experience and I drew the short stick on that. The other feeling was now I have to really hone in on survival.

 

RW: Do you think it was easier alone?
Zack: I did feel like it was easier. I didn't have to worry about things that weren't survival.

 

RW: Did you get to keep her bag or her tool?
Zack: I did not get to keep, well... I got to keep the pot, yeah. She got to keep her glasses. There's a really big uproar about all the survival items we were given. They're starting to give other items and what not. But she took the glass even though she never really used them.

 

RW: So, you brought the fire starter?
Zack: I brought my knife. The show gave a fire starter and I think they're starting to do that more as the season goes along.

 

RW: But, your twitter handle is @BowdrillBuck, are you going to be disappointed that no one is using a bow drill if they start giving out fire starters?
Zack: That is one of the things that I was disappointed about for myself. I was happy because, hey, I've got fire. But for myself, my biggest skill set is making fire from sticks. It's what I do in Utah. I also brought cordage I never got to use.

 

RW: Did you miss her?
Zack: Not really. I was really focused on what needed to be done that day. Especially in the last week it was about not using calories. It was like, what could I have done? Could I have been more direct? I just kind of let her do her thing.

 

RW: Did you get to the point where you felt primal? Like Tom Hanks in Castaway?
Zack: Oh yeah! There was a point on like day 14 and nobody showed up that day, the camera crew, and they failed to tell me they were bringing a drone camera. It makes a crazy noise. I heard the sound and was opening up and closing my ears wondering if I was going crazy if I was making it up ::laughs::. The biggest thing for me was being goofy with the diary cam. I'm like that at home, just a big goofball. They showed mostly Afften and my interactions. They didn't show a lot of me being me. What they did edit was very true to what the story was.

 

RW: Were you so happy to see the crew each day after spending the nights alone?
Zack: Oh yeah, you know you've got the camera crew there but the nights are definitely the longest because you've got the mosquitoes there. The lack of sleep was probably the worst thing for me. So waking up and hearing the camera crew get there and filming you, the night was my biggest challenge.

 

RW: We watched a few clips of you praying and having a few anxious moments about the situation. Do you suffer from anxiety in real life, was it worse on the show?
Zack: I don't really suffer anxiety too much at all. I was definitely out of my comfort zone. You're trying to weather the mental aspect of it. If you don't get sleep for 12 days straight you'll go a little crazy like that. It just felt like a storm that was going to pass and you have to weather it.

 

RW: Many of us would feel semi-comfortable cooking a snake after watching so many N&A episodes, but how did you know how to cook iguana?
Zack: At home I've done a lot of barbecuing. My dad and I made our own stainless steel smoker so as far ass cooking it's pretty straight forward.... find the muscle, cook the muscle. I had done a little bit of research. It's like a delicacy there, it's like their chicken.

 

RW: Are you allowed to do the extraction trek in several days, were you worried about filling up with protein for the journey?
Zack: They didn't show that I actually got another tortoise that last week. So I had food and palm roots for carbs and sugars. I was eating a little bit and getting ready for it. The biggest thing was the lack of water that last two days.

 

RW: Since the crew was so concerned about your health, did anyone stay with you over night?
Zack: No. No. They basically leave you every day an hour before the sun goes down and come back an hour after the sun comes up. As far as reality TV goes, it's real what they show.

 

RW: Did you end up going to the hospital?
Zack: After the show was done filming, I was going to stay in town and fly out the next day. But as soon as they were done filming they flew me out to Georgetown to make sure I didn't have anything serious.

 

RW: What was your diagnosis?
Zack: A month and a half of like poison ivy stuff going up my leg. I didn't have malaria. They didn't really tell me what I had, they just said "here take this and try to get your fever down". After it's all said and done I'm just taking Tylenol trying to get better.

 

RW: Would you do it again?
Zack: Yeah, I would. I keep thinking of different scenarios because you know they showed Afften wanting to do it again and I was laughing... they'll be like, "you can go back out there" and then I'll get there and it'll be Afften again. Oh, Lord! ::laughs:: It would definitely be something.

 

RW: Who was the first person you talked to after your 21 days?
Zack: My wife. I got on the satellite phone. It was an emotional conversation because my wife and my mom were glad to hear I was ok. They weren't able to sleep as well not knowing.

 

RW: Was there anything edit out that you wish they would have shown?
Zack: Um... well... I wish they would've shown more about the turtle. There was a lot of funny stuff about the turtle. I understand they have 42 minutes. They could've shown more survival stuff.

 

RW: Did you ever get that steak and gravy?
Zack: ::laughs:: Yeah, actually! A few days ago I got steak and mashed potatoes and brown gravy. So that answers that question, white or brown gravy... usually I go with brown gravy. My producer said that I'm the best at starvation talk. ::laughing:: My buddies at Outback, not the steakhouse, were laughing because we talk to the kids, I would do the same thing there.

 

Photo credit: Discovery Channel