How can nature help save the world? Thanks to Discovery’s new show Trailblazers, the question is more relevant than ever before. The Trailblazers cast bios are made up of four scientist-adventurers, who each week are tasked with a different discovery in the name of medicine and science. It’s a truly ambitious show; before we get to those bios, here’s the show synopsis, from the official Trailblazers page:
From the deepest and darkest rainforest jungles to the edges of active volcanos, these men and women are searching for answers to some of the world’s greatest scientific mysteries. Out of their labs and into the wilderness, they place their lives into the hands of a brotherhood of elite survivalists who are sworn to keep every expedition safe, risking their lives to ensure everybody makes it in, completes their mission, and gets out alive….Each hour-long episode will follow three elite survivalists as they lead separate teams of scientists through some of the most dangerous regions of the world in the search for clues and discoveries that could lead to scientific breakthroughs. From the largely unexplored island of Papua New Guinea, to the Jurassic Park-like jungles of Bolivia and the volcanic landscapes of Ecuador – Gary Humphrey, Nick Koumalatsos and Shaun Keilen represent some of the most elite trailblazers in the world. With decades of combined survival experience between them- do these trailblazers have what it takes to not only survive the harsh elements, but accomplish their mission while keeping everyone on their team safe?
With a scope that wide, Trailblazers looks to be an intriguing cross between Discovery’s survivalist hit Dual Survival and the network’s save-the-world-with-adventure-fun-times quest romp Venom Hunters, whose first season premiered earlier this year. And, given the number of varied locations promised by the synopsis above, it looks like viewers will get to see plenty of action.
How about those four adventures on Trailblazer? Here’s a brief bio of the groupings; you can click the link embedded in the cast members’ names to get to the social media profile of each.
Gary Humphrey is a 17-year veteran of the British military and UK Special Forces, and “honed his survival skills in the world’s harshest environments–the Arctic, jungle, and desert” before becoming a Special Forces instructor and tutoring the next generation of survival experts in his ways. Among Gary’s many adventures are “wrestling 12-foot anaconda, castrating reindeer and surviving for weeks with only water from tree vines;” as if that weren’t plenty, “he’s driven across North Africa, biked from the Amazon to Chile, driven a snowmobile to the Magnetic North Pole, sailed through a hurricane and hitchhiked from Cape Town to Nairobi.” And his willingness to sit down for a calming cup of tea proves his belief that “no situation is ever truly out of control.”
Chris Gillette is a “professional animal handler and wildlife enthusiast” who “works with large predators for a living.” (His Twitter handle is @GatorBoys_Chris, if you hadn’t already seen.) Chris has “decades of experience with dangerous predators” and combines that with passions for “up-close photography and hands-on conservation”–which is handy, when you consider he’s also been “swimming outside the cage with great white sharks, kissing a king cobra on the head, and opening the jaws of an unrestrained fifteen foot croc in the wild,” plus “having taken bites from 10ft alligators and being charged by bull sharks.”
Nick Koumalatsos grew up “hard” in Florida, and was often in trouble with the law before “turning his life around.” How did Nick do that? For starters, he joined the Marines “and trained to become a Reconnaissance Marine,” serving twelve years of active duty and completing “covert operations around the world, including South East Asia, Iraq and Afghanistan.” When on duty, Nick insists on being the leader, and expects total devotion from his crew; when at home, he’s a devoted father to two little girls, and is the director of the Gallantfew Raider Project, which helps Marines ending their service transition back into civilian life.
Shaun Keilen, a native of Connecticut, saw his early years defined by a battle with “Guillain-Barre syndrome, which attacked his nervous system and caused him to lose 50 pounds.” After winning that fight, Shaun found himself with a new determination, and enlisted in the Navy; but, “wanting to reach the highest level, he trained for and joined the SEALs in 1996. He worked three SEAL platoons specialising as a Combat Medic and serving in the Middle East where he honed his fast extractions skills.” Shaun is never without his red shemagh scarf–as evidenced by the above photo–which “he credits for keeping him safe in dangerous situations.” Shaun, too, is a father: his oldest, a daughter, is 15; his twin girls are 14, and his two boys are 10 and 8.
In addition to all that info, the good people over at Discovery have provided a handful of Trailblazers trailers and clips. Feast your eyes:
To recap, then: Science and adventure combine to save the world (eventually) and bring crazy adventures to the screen of your choice. Sounds like a pretty good time! To see the show for yourself, check out Trailblazers Friday nights at 10 PM on Discovery.
(Photo credits: Trailblazers cast bios via Discovery)
