Naked and Afar’s First Bilateral Amputee Survivor Talks Camp, Empowing Women (Exclusive)

Naked and scared starts its last season on March 9 and takes a groundbreaking turn in a large way in the middle of Discovered The show’s 12-year driving.

Viewers will witness the story as the first double amputated survivor, Mandy HorvathTakes on the brutal wilderness in Belise’s dense and unforgiving jungles – a challenge that goes beyond the wild and acts as proof of pure willpower, determination and resilience.

“Tell me that I can’t and I’ll show you that I can,” reads Mandy’s tattoo, which, as it turns out, is not just her motto – she has proven it, step by step, in one of the toughest environments on earth.

Mandy was in a tragic accident that interrupted both legs, but she still managed to become the first female bilateral amputated to reach the top of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Today she makes history once again as the first female double amputate to take on this brutal survival challenge.

“Ten years ago, my life changed forever,” says Mandy at the beginning of the episode, when she officially surrenders herself to nature. “I was beaten by a locomotive and interrupted my limbs from my body. I died three times and came back from it. “

When the sun went on Belize Rainforest, Mandy was not only fighting for survival, but struggles with a deeper, more in -depth personal battle – one that many could never really understand.

It is one thing to register for a brutal survival challenge, and it is another to register without two limbs. This, together with the incredible challenges of being in nature, meant that Mandy’s journey would test every ounce of her strength and resilience.

“This position comes with a lot of pressure, but I take it very seriously. It is deeply personal to me,” says Mandy exclusively when they are asked how it feels to break these phenomenal obstacles and be such inspiration in the process.

“I have to make a small video for a 14-year-old umbrella girl last week just to say” hello “and thank her for her support. It is important to me that young women who are in these traumatic situations have something to stick to.”

Having that feeling of direction, or a “North Star”, if you want, was particularly difficult for Mandy. She is reminiscent of “fighting without any kind of roadmap” after her accident. “People repeatedly said that I would look at (Paralympic Medalist) Amy Purdy and all the things she does,” she says.

While Mandy believes Purdy is “talented in her own right”, she was “more interested in outdoors – growing hunting, feed and fishing.”

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“I had no one who told me,” you can still go out there, it will (just) be a little different, “she says.

It is no secret that it is scary to go out in a distant jungle for 21 days, but there were moments in the premiere that really showed the strict efforts that go into this survival challenge. When you look at the section, you understand why Mandy referred to it as “Her Everest.”

From the swearing mosquitoes to the exhaustion and nausea from the lack of calories, you will be surprised to discover her motivation.

She and “one of the crew members had a brief interaction” while she was “completely covered with bugs”, during which he recalled how some of the “larger legends on the show” constantly complained about the bugs and how he considered them “P — es” for “Ticking about it.”

“I looked at him and I was like, were you just on a roundabout that called me a P — y?” Something with this “put her back on the right track”, she says with a laugh when she asked what the light at the end of the tunnel was for her. “For me it was only one day and repeated it until I was done.”

You would think to survive the Belize jungle as a double amputated would be enough a challenge, but as a woman navigating in the forest under these conditions, there were additional obstacles.

Without legs, Mandy also met a higher risk of infection and other medical complications, including potential gynecological problems, which made every step on the journey even more difficult. “I actually had no problems with that; the production allowed me to use wet wipes (to avoid) bacterial infections and out,” she reminds. “I also used tampons throughout the challenge to make sure there was no dirt and debris”, which she says was “actually very effective.”

“Every climb I have ever made, I use tampons when I climb. I learned on my first ascent of Pike’s Peak that it is a necessity, in fact,” she adds.

This makes her journey all the more inspiring, especially as a woman, but it was still not easy. When asked if there was something specifically she endured that the viewers will not see, she revealed what turned out to be the beginning of her journey, given that it happened when she met her partner, Johnny.

“Before Johnny picked me up, I got a little right at my butth hole at a massive leaf cutter Myra and it broke the skin,” she reveals. “So, two minutes after meeting my partner, I’m like, my God, it hurts. Can you control it?”

To say that this challenge required to put her ego aside would be an understatement.

The silver lining? Team work and camaraderie between her and Johnny were really hearty. Given Mandy’s tragic experience, the idea of ​​trust was something she naturally struggles with that openly discussed in the section.

“They couldn’t have made me better with anyone,” she says. “I was terrified to meet him for months because I am a very viling personality, and if someone had been negative to me, I would not have been so nice to work with.”

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Despite his lack of skills in Primitive Bushcraft, Mandy admitted that he learned much from his partner. “I learned to have more confidence in myself, but I also learned a lot about working as a team and conflict resolution from Johnny. I think these two together combined are the key to our entire relationship.”

“Johnny and I are really good friends,” she says as she asked if their innate connection in Belize was the same outside the camera. “We have met several times since the challenge. Every time I go home we meet. So it was very natural.”

Leaning on someone in the middle of the jungle is really an advantage, but Mandy and Johnny’s mutual synergy and respect are undeniable. “I don’t think any of us would have been successful without each other. I needed him and he needed me, and we really leaned on each other in times of stress and needs,” she says.

When asked if she would do everything again Mandy’s answer can surprise you. But with her strength and pure willpower, it is not difficult to believe that she says “yes” without hesitation. “See with an open mind,” she adds, “and may not judge a book after the cover.”

Mandy’s journey is a hardship and triumph, a proof of the strength of the human spirit. Her resilience and determination are not defined by the restrictions that others can see, but by the unstoppable driving force that drives her every step of the road.

Naked and scared Premiere on Sunday 9 March at. 20 ET on Discovery Channel with two new sections. It will also be available to stream the next day at Max and Discovery+.