The runner-up of the 10th season of TV survival series ‘Alone’ is looking back on a grueling, life-changing experience.
James ‘Wyatt’ Black who lives in Bracebridge was dropped off along with nine other cast members at Reindeer Lake, Saskatchewan this past autumn where they had to build shelters, find fresh water, fight off wild animals, and experience challenging weather – all for long durations – in a bid to win $500,000.
Black lasted 64 days before his experience ended. The season finale aired last night when the winner Alan Tenta of BC was announced.
The whole experience was very humbling and incredible in so many ways, says Black.
“It challenges you physically, mentally, emotionally,” he says. “It’s got a mixture of everything out there and it’s a true test of yourself.”
Black doesn’t consider himself a survival expert, but he’s always been in the bush. He’d never built his own lure, fishing rod, or reel despite being familiar with such things all his life. Making them was new.
“When I caught that first fish I was like a kid at Christmas” he laughs. “It was a pretty awesome feeling.”
He wasn’t shocked at who won the show, saying he’d always predicted he and Alan would be the last two out there.
“We had nine days together and I said ‘It’s that guy’” he recalls. “He deserved to win. He has my respect forever.”
The experience has changed the Muskoka resident a lot.
“I don’t take anything for granted anymore,” he explains. “It’s the little things. Giving your kids a hug and not letting any food go to waste.”
He had plans to open a wilderness school with the prize money if he’d won. For now, the plan is to go to Hawaii and teach a survival course and other similar gigs may follow.
In the meantime, he’s patenting the gold hellfire series he’s developed. “Let’s face it, those lures work” he laughs.
When it came time to make the hard decision to end his bid, he says he first tried to get the body and soul back on track, but says it just wasn’t in the cards.
“Being out there that long you don’t want to quit,” he says.
Black is now saying thanks to everyone involved in the show, including his many strong supporters at home and across the world.
He has seen some negative comments made on social media aimed at some of the other cast members and says that has to stop.
“There’s been some pretty rude things said with no basis behind them,” he says. “And there’s an old saying: ‘Blowing someone else’s candle out doesn’t make yours burn brighter.’ We all have friends and we all have family and we all have feelings.”
Almost 43,000 people applied for those 10 spots on the show this time round and all the people who made it deserve nothing but credit, he says.
It’s the mental aspect of the ordeal on the show too that Black points out was something he had to embrace.
“It’s not only a game of survival, it’s a game of mental fortitude and that takes a long time to gain. It’s part of growing old.”
