The Olympics has that wonderful way of igniting our competitive spirit & letting us see some of the world’s most incredible athletes push themselves to the very best of their abilities. If you love watching humans pushing their physical boundaries as much as we do here at WNiF, we are excited to announce that there’s more great television viewing in store for you. Search4Hurt is making a comeback! The TV show was extremely popular when it ran for three seasons back in the mid 2010’s and is about to kick off a new series from August 10th 2024.
What is Search4Hurt?
Unlike many reality shows that revolve around big personalities and emotional dramas for entertainment, Search4Hurt prefers to showcase grit, determination and physical performance. The show pushes contestants to their limits as they train for some of the toughest physical challenges out there.
Over 300 applicants took part in an online qualifier this season that involved a Parkrun (5km timed run), a HYROX PFT, and 100 burpees for time. (I’m guessing the thought of a hundred burpees probably did a fair amount of culling from the initial applicants!)
From these results, the top six females and top six males were invited to Industree Group Stadium in Gosford to participate in “HurtCamp”. Applicants were put through gruelling trials, out of which just four contestants were selected for the series.
The four chosen contestants then trained with leading health and fitness experts over a six month period to prepare them for a series of challenges, including;
- Chase the Sun
- HYROX
- Obstacle Enduro
- Xterra
- Beach Obstacle Racing
- Turf Games
- Powerlifting Competition, and
- A Backyard Ultra.
What to Expect in the New Series of Search4Hurt?
The 2024 season of Search4Hurt will be hosted by legendary obstacle course athlete and specialist coach, Matt Moore, and co-hosted by Steve “Commando” Willis.
The original version of Search4Hurt was cofounded by executive producer Adam McDonald and professional triathlete and obstacle race champion, Matt Murphy, “Matt originally approached me to invest in a different concept, but it led to us workshopping what would end up being Search4Hurt. I shelved it when I got sick in 2017, but last year I was asked if I would consider bringing it back, and I couldn’t think of anything more awesome to do.”, said Adam.
Adam is a cancer survivor and passionate health advocate within the greater community. With filming wrapping up last week, we had the opportunity to throw some questions at Adam about what to expect in Search4Hurt 2024.
“The beautiful thing about a do-over in life is you get a chance to do all the things you would have done the first time around, with hindsight, so this time around, we are splitting the original series in two”, said Adam.
Search4Hurt “The Fittest” is airing on August 10, and aims to find the fittest everyday Aussies and create a team that competes in the toughest events and challenges on offer. Search4Hurt PreSeason offers a different perspective, testing that “everyday fitness” against elite teams and athletes to see how it stacks up, while showcasing what professional athletes do Monday to Friday, in order to deliver the performance we see on the weekends.. ‘We used to touch on both in the past three seasons, but it didn’t dive deep enough in my opinion, so I get to make a change this time around”, said Adam.
Viewers will see Team S4H compete in gruelling events that will test them both physically and also mentally. “They are all pretty brutal, but the heat during the Backyard Ultra added an extra element over and above running a 6.7km lap every hour, on the hour” added Adam. “Our trip to Western Australia saw the team attempt three separate events in 24 hours, then catch the redeye home… that was pretty rough too.”
Our Fast Five Questions with Search4Hurt Producer, Adam McDonald
What was the biggest challenge for the production team?
Adam: The biggest challenge from a production perspective is keeping up with the athletes while carrying cameras (they are fast!)
How do you ensure the safety and wellbeing of the contestants while pushing them to their limits?
Adam: The best we can do is support them with whatever they need to be the best version of themselves. That includes giving them mentors and training programs for each event they do, plus any physical therapy, nutrition, sports psychologists etc.
What has been the most rewarding part of producing the show?
Adam: For me, it’s the people I get to work with, from Steve who I have wanted to do a project with for a while, to Matt Moore, who is a legendary trainer when it comes to the events we do on the show, and also the athletes, who just amaze me every single time we get together. I live vicariously through them (well, my inner athlete does at least).
Has working on Search4Hurt impacted you or your perspective on pushing personal limits?
Ironically, while doing the show the first time and inspiring others to be the best version of themselves, I became the worst version of myself health wise and ended up with cancer, (which is why I shelved the show). It took some major lifestyle adjustments before I considered doing ‘Version 2’ of my entrepreneurial journey, so I will ensure that this time around I will use all the good things we do to stay focused on health.
What do you hope viewers will take away from watching Search4Hurt?
Adam: Mostly, I want people watching it to get inspired to do epic shit, and even book an event or two to give them something to train for.
A refreshing change for Australian reality television
Reality TV is a tried and tested formula on Aussie screens, and remains popular with viewers. What we love about Search4Hurt is that it’s a welcome change from the shows that capitalise on conflict between contestants and negative relationships. Let’s face it, the majority of reality TV in Australia only makes us feel good because we aren’t as messed up as the people in it.
Search4Hurt is all about showcasing the best in human qualities such as perseverance, mental toughness, and striving to be the a better version of yourself. Bring on that positive energy!
We’re also looking forward to seeing Commando Steve back in our loungerooms after his hiatus from the screen. “I used to watch the show back in the day and loved it, and used to bump into Adam and Matt at events from time to time, so when Adam called me to say there was a chance to bring Search4Hurt back, I couldn’t wait to get involved.” said Steve.
“I have a pretty minor role in this first series, as scheduling was hard around things I had already planned for the year. Co-host would be the best description of my role, while helping Adam plan out Season 5 to make it even better than this year.”
Did you pick up on that clue? Start training now if you’re thinking of auditioning for next year!
Where to watch Search4Hurt 2024
The original series of Search4Hurt ran for three seasons from 2013 and aired on ESPN. This time around, we can tune in to watch the action on 7Mate and 7Plus as well as it airing on Sky News NZ and Outdoor Channel Asia.
Kicking off on August 10, kick back, get your popcorn ready, and get inspired to take on a new challenge!
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