History channel’s Alone is an adventure reality game show, where we can watch individuals document their struggles as they are sent into the wilderness and see how long they can last. As they are stripped from contact with the other contestants and the outside world, and are given a limited supply of survival equipment (in addition to cameras they have to use to document their experience), they push themselves to their limits, test their survival abilities, and get a taste for what it’s actually like to survive in the wild.
This show really makes our lives look easy, and is honest about how difficult living out in the wild truly is. From the comfort of our own homes, we sit and watch each of the contestants struggle and question whether we’d be any better. Winners or not, the resilience shown is definitely impressive and the contestant who lasts the longest can win a huge prize of $500,000. So, let’s take a look at the most resilient contestants who used their stamina, intelligence, and physicality to survive Alone.
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7 Nicole Apelian (Season 2 & 5)
History
If battling the wilderness isn’t enough, try battling it with MS as well. A mother of two, Nicole first appeared in season two and came in fighting with incredible determination and a strong mental attitude. She was intelligent and passionate, getting her through the challenge both times. With each bump in the road, she carefully considered her options and was always willing to throw herself into a test. While she was driven, Nicole still remained extremely modest and tested her limits, but still managed to not push herself to breaking point.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
6 Larry Roberts (Seasons 2 & 5)
Who doesn’t love an underdog? Larry was extremely likable in both times he appeared on the show; he’s humble, fun, and seemed to always have bad luck, which made him quite relatable and enjoyable to root for. He never let it ultimately beat him, though, and he was always honest with himself and his journey, even if he didn’t like the answer. Larry also opened up about feeling lonely and hungry and how this affected his mental health. This is what makes a good contestant: he didn’t pretend to find it easy or act like he was doing okay, which might not make him the strongest competitor, but he pushed himself out of his comfort zone, and that is an achievement in itself.
5 Dave Nessia (Seasons 3 & 5)
In his first appearance in season three, Dave impressed the viewers by surviving a total of 73 days, although he did end up being evacuated for medical reasons. He was the perfect example of pure commitment and determination and even brought some great skills to the table in both season three and five. He decided to come back for round two, and it was obvious he was even more experienced, as his knowledge and skills had grown, but after only 35 days, he decided he’d had enough. Who can blame him? He’d proven to himself that he could survive in the wilderness and learnt some valuable skills.
4 Woniya Thibeault (Season 6)
She wasn’t the strongest, but Woniya’s journey was utterly inspirational. Tuning into their spirituality instead, got Woniya through 76 days in the wilderness and even made it to runner-up. Woniya was a pleasure to watch, as she was calm, collected, and highly intelligent; listening to her monologues and quiet introspection was always a delight. She never gave in to stress, and her spiritual energy radiated across the season, helping make the difficult season six one of Alone’s best. Perhaps we should all take a page from Wonia’s book.
3 Carleigh Fairchild (Seasons 3 & 5)
She might have been medically evacuated eventually, but Carleigh had one of the most impressive journeys in the show, lasting an incredible 86 days and would’ve stayed longer if she wasn’t forced out for her health. She used her intuition to get her through, but she was also extremely knowledgeable about how to make the best out of the situation. Her dedication and determination didn’t drop once, and she always saw the positive out of everything she went through, which made her strong, resilient, and one of the most life-affirming and charming competitors in Alone history. She was so close her second time around, yet when her hand was cut with a fishhook, it cut her journey short.
2 Jordan Jonas (Season 6)
Season six had to be one of the toughest seasons of the show because if its extreme weather, and Jordan battled it out fiercely. When temperatures dropped to below zero, he didn’t let it stand in the way of his journey. Lasting an impressive 77 days, throughout his time in the wilderness, Jordan always seemed extremely relaxed and laid-back, which was refreshing amongst all the panic. He brought a great atmosphere to the season and his funny and chilled-out personality really shone through, which is why he made such a great winner and audience favorite
1 Sam Larson (Season 1 & 5)
Taking part once in Alone wasn’t intense enough for Sam, and he felt like he really wanted to push his abilities to try and beat his best score, so competed again in season five. He definitely prepared well as he went on to be crowned winner of Alone: Redemption. Nevertheless, his time didn’t come without struggles; his food supplies ran worryingly low, and he began to have doubts of whether he could make it through to the final hurdle.
However, it seems like mind over matter is the way forward with these situations and that is exactly what Sam did – he picked himself up and remembered to use his great knowledge and skills. Sam persevered through some of the toughest situations, but he wasn’t going to let failure take him again. He remained extremely positive and optimistic, and it certainly paid off the second time around as it got him through and was even crowned a worthy winner. Watching his surprise and glee when he found out was some of the best, most genuine and rewarding moments in the history of this surprisingly great reality TV show.
