Discovery’s New Series ‘The Wheel’ Will Turn For Six Amateur Survivalists

This new adventure series puts a unique spin on surviving in some of the harshest and most difficult locations across South America. Every time the Wheel turns, six amateur survivalists will be dropped into a new, remote region. They can expect to face several challenges as they struggle to conquer six grueling landscapes over the course of 60 days, including freezing tundra, rugged mountains, parched deserts, and treacherous rainforests. Where they end up is determined not only by when or why the Wheel turns, but by the rotation of the moon as well.

The Wheel recently took to their Twitter page to share a photo of the participants along with a comment that read, “The first and last time our six participants will be together on this journey. Who will survive #TheWheel?”

The first and last time our six participants will be together on this journey. Who will survive #TheWheel? pic.twitter.com/gfrCSi2MwK

— The Wheel (@TheWheel) December 18, 2016

The four men and two women featured on The Wheel will be equipped with light survival packs which will come in useful as they go about finding food, water, and shelter through each rotation. They will also carry SOS devices with them that they can use at any time to quit The Wheel challenge and call for help.

According to Discovery’s bio page for The Wheel contestants, 39-year-old Katherine “Kat” Dellinger is described as an energetic and successful woman who has it all with a loving family and a career as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. Kat also enjoys spending time alone, thriving in the wilderness and happiest when surrounded by nature. She has camped and hiked alone on a portion of the Appalachian Trail in Tennessee and on the Art Loeb Trail in North Carolina. Looks may be deceiving in Katherine’s case, although she may look like a well-manicured professional, she has a feisty attitude that is coupled with the ability to adapt, and the confidence to help her on The Wheel.

33-year-old Shon Joyner has always been an underdog, but he never let that stand in his way. Standing at 5’4″ he was bullied mercilessly, and when he was 18, enlisted in the Marines. He gained a new toughness and confidence, serving proudly for almost eight years. While in the military he learned basic survival skills, and he continues to stay active. He has some hunting and foraging skills which should serve him well on The Wheel, but he does admit to having a few weaknesses when it comes to staying mentally occupied, and he doesn’t handle cold weather well.

Adam Kimble is a 29-year-old professional ultra-runner, speaker, and running coach who is described as the “Real Life Forrest Gump.” In April he successfully ran across the United States, he started in Georgia and ended in California. He also won the 250k Gobi Death March in China, beating competitors from over 40 countries. In 2014, he and his wife quit their jobs and traveled the world. Over the course of an entire year, they visited 20 countries on six continents, and his endurance will be an asset on The Wheel. Although he is tough, he does lack crucial survival know-how and skill sets, and plans to get help from his dad to learn basic fire starting, hunting, and water collecting that will be vital skills to have on The Wheel.

As a model, 25-year-old Lindsay Phenix has lived in six different countries and traveled to fifty more. Besides modeling, she is an Ironman triathlete, loves to hike, and is an expert fisherman. She grew up hunting and butchering animals for food, and credits most of her survival skills to her “doomsday prepper” father. She goes hiking and camping often and is experienced with firearms and knives, which should help her on The Wheel. Like Joyner, she is not a fan of cold weather, but her determination to complete The Wheel should help her push past any feelings of discomfort no matter what region she finds herself in.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMhCIxgjtjW/?taken-by=phenix18

23-year-old Josh Morin had big plans after competing for ten years as a middle school, high school, and college wrestler. Unfortunately, his dreams of becoming part of the US Olympic wrestling team were crushed after he suffered a career-ending back injury. Once fully recovered, he began traveling and camping alone in the wilderness. He recently backpacked the Na Pali Coast in Kauai and did several multi-day trips exploring parts of the Pacific Coast Trail. He has experience fishing in lakes, rivers, creeks, and the ocean, which should help him on The Wheel. He is an expert fire starter, which will definitely be a handy skill to know on The Wheel.

In 2013, Luke Soderling was diagnosed with stage 3 thyroid cancer, but after going through therapy, he now has a clean bill of health. He has always enjoyed the outdoors and likes to camp, hike, and hunt. As a master plumber and a firearms instructor, he works to spend as much time as possible in nature with his buddies and his sons. By participating on The Wheel, Luke wants to show his sons that he is back and stronger than ever. He is comfortable in the cold, having mushed dog sleds for sport at one time, but he has no formal outdoor survival training.

Each participant will be pushed to their physical and mental limits on The Wheel, and only those who learn to overcome any obstacle in their way will conquer this challenge. According to TV Series Finale, with little time to prepare and with what tools and materials they have available, the participants will have to work quickly as each new location on The Wheel forces them to utilize and come up with the necessary skills to survive.

Will you be watching The Wheel? Do you think these six contestants have what it takes? Leave your comments, thoughts, and opinions concerning The Wheel below. The Wheel premieres on Friday, January 13 at 10 p.m. ET on the Discovery Channel.

[Featured Image by Discovery]