Each Naked and Afraid episode follows one male survivalist and one female survivalist. The duo meet for the first time when they take on the challenge. The two must last with no food, no water, and no clothes. They are only allowed to bring just one item along with them. The show has become quite a stand-out among the long list of competition shows on reality television.
This is the challenge recently accepted by Mandy Horvath. She competed on the latest season of Naked and Afraid. However, her story has brought a new kind of representation not previously seen in the show's 12-year history. Mandy is a double amputee, having lost both her legs in a terrible accident. However, she is pressing on, hoping to inspire others in similar circumstances and give them a sense of direction.
Mandy Horvath Is The First Double Amputee Contestant In The History Of Naked And Afraid
Naked and Afraid has been on the air for 12 years, and it's still pushing boundaries. In a first for reality television, viewers met Mandy Horvath, the first double amputee contestant in the show's history. She opened up on the show about her journey and perspective on the competition.
Mandy lost both of her legs in a terrible accident, but she hasn't let that stop her. Since her recovery, Mandy became the first female bilateral amputee to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. Mandy said that she now wants to show viewers “there is life after the unimaginable.” She said, “My motto is: tell me that I can't and I will show you that I can. I get to be the first person on Naked and Afraid with no f****** legs, and I think that's pretty damn cool.”
Mandy's time on Naked and Afraid saw her trying to survive in Belize, a remote jungle and dense rain forest, for 21 days with her partner Jonny. Mandy called the challenge her “Everest.” The episode saw them facing heavy rains, a ton of mosquitos, as well as little-to-no food and water.
Mandy Used Her Platform To Inspire Others Who Are Facing Similar Challenges
Prior to the premiere of Naked and Afraid's latest season, Many spoke to People about her journey before being cast on the show. She also opened up about what she hoped to accomplish as a result and her outlook on life. “Tell me that I can’t and I’ll show you that I can,” is tattooed on Mandy's body and this is the attitude she's bringing to the show.
“Ten years ago, my life was changed forever,” Mandy said in the premiere episode as she arrived in the jungle. “I was struck by a locomotive, severing my limbs from my body. I have died three times and came back from that.”
Due to her missing two limbs, Mandy's experience was obviously very different from other contestants, both past and present. This brought a whole new set of challenges that went beyond physical. However, Mandy was more than willing to take on the challenge. People asked Mandy what it felt like to break barriers and inspire viewers.
"This position does come with a lot of pressure, but I do take it very seriously. It's deeply personal to me," Mandy told the outlet. "I got to do a little video for a 14-year-old paraplegic girl last week just saying 'Hey' and thanking her for her support. It's important to me that young women that find themselves in these traumatic situations have something to hold onto."
Giving people a sense of hope and direction is important to Mandy, because it's something she didn't always have. In the aftermath of her accident, Mandy remembers "struggling without any kind of roadmap." “People repeatedly told me to look at [Paralympic medalist] Amy Purdy and all the things that she’s doing.” Mandy found Amy to be "talented in her own right," but she discovered she was "more interested in the outdoors — growing up hunting, foraging and fishing." "I didn’t have anybody telling me, 'You can still go out there, it’s [just] going to be a little different.'"
During the challenge, Mandy experienced everything from swarming mosquitoes to exhaustion and nausea from the lack of calories. Mandy and “one of the crew members had a brief interaction” as she was “completely covered in bugs.” The crew member remembered how some of the “bigger legends on the show” always complained about the bugs, and he thought they were “p******” for “b******* about it.”
“I looked at him, and I was like, were you just in a roundabout way calling me a p****?” Mandy said this interaction “set her back on track.” When she was asked what it was that kept her going throughout the challenge, she said, "For me, it was just one more day and repeating that until I was done."
Mandy Faced Additional Challenges Due To Being A Woman
It goes without saying that Mandy faced challenges that other contestants on the show didn't face. However, in addition to being an amputee, Mandy faced additional hurdles due to being a woman. Because she didn't have legs, Mandy faced a higher risk of infection and other medical complications. This included possible gynecological issues, which no doubt added to the stress of her experience. Still, Mandy handled it very well.
"I didn't actually have any issues with that; production allowed me to use wipes [to avoid] bacterial infections and UTIs," Mandy remembered. "I also used tampons throughout the challenge to make sure there wasn’t dirt and debris," which she said was "actually very effective." "Every climb that I’ve ever done, I use tampons when I'm climbing. I learned on my first ascent of Pike's Peak that it’s a necessity, actually," she added.
Keeping all of this in mind, Mandy's journey is definitely much more impressive given the circumstances. People asked Mandy if there was anything she experienced that viewers won't get to see in the episodes. Mandy then discussed a particularly embarrassing moment with Jonny at the very start of the competition.
"Before Jonny picked me up, I got bit right by my butt by a massive leaf cutter ant and it broke skin," she admitted. "So, two minutes after meeting my partner, I'm like, 'Oh my God, this hurts. Can you check it?'"
On the bright side, this led to her and Jonny developing a real trust in one another. Mandy discussed her difficulties trusting others in the first episode. According to her, this had to do with her accident. "They could not have put me with somebody better," Mandy said. "I was terrified of meeting him for months because I am a very strong-willed personality, and if somebody had been negative towards me, I would've not been so pleasant to work with."
Mandy said she learned a lot from Jonny, even though he wasn't very skilled at primitive bushcraft. "I learned to have more trust in myself, but also, I learned a great deal about working as a team and conflict resolution from Jonny. I think that those two together combined are the key to our entire relationship."
"Jonny and I are really good friends," Mandy said when asked if they were just as close off-camera. "We've met up several times since the challenge. Every time I go back home, we meet up. So that was very natural." Mandy said that, through all the challenges, they relied on each other to make it through. "I don't think that either of us would've been successful without each other. I needed him and he needed me, and we certainly leaned on each other in times of stress and need," she said.
While most people would never participate in such a challenge once, let alone twice, Mandy said she would absolutely do it again. “Watch with an open mind,” she said, “and maybe don’t judge a book by its cover.”
Naked and Afraid
- Release Date
- June 23, 2013
- Network
- Discovery
Cast
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Michael BrownSelf - Survivalist
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