It was almost like an exorcism. It's like puking and my head is spinning.

Gus Kenworthy opens up about the terrifying medical emergency that caused his abrupt exit from Special Forces: The World's Toughest Challenge.

The Fox reality series featured Kenworthy, a former freestyle skier who appeared to be at his best. He won the helicopter extraction challenge and was clearly in the best of his class. Kenworthy, however, forgot his armband and was "punished" by jumping in a small pool and then rolling in the desert sand. After repeating the task several times, Kenworthy was instructed to wait for 30 minutes before he could rinse himself off.

After a short wait, Kenworthy began to cough and choke. He was taken to the hospital, where he went into anaphylactic shock. The 31-year old was taken to the hospital immediately and forced to leave the show.

Kenworthy spoke out about his medical scare and shared what triggered it. Even though it was a life-threatening emergency, Kenworthy seems to have a great sense of humor, laughing about it and jokingly comparing anaphylaxis with "an exorcism."

The Olympic silver medalist explained why the show was not what he had expected and which physical challenges he found most challenging. He also revealed the names of his two female "badass", co-stars, who surprised him with how well they did in challenges.

Watch the video interview above and continue reading for the complete Q&A.

Let's begin by discussing your shocking exit from the program. As punishment for not wearing your armband during the helicopter extract challenge, you were required to get wet from head-to-toe. Then, you had to roll in the sand for 30 minutes. What was the time it took to realise something wasn't right. It felt like it happened almost instantly.

To be honest, I don't remember everything. Yes, I know the punishment. I had to get in and out the water and roll in the sand so that I was always wet and covered in sand. I was able to watch the clip again after being sent it. It happened much faster than I remember. After I had jumped in several times, I felt a tightness in my throat and couldn't catch my breath. When I started coughing, I looked at the water and realized that it was water from before the first day. Everyone had to get in the water and jump in, and some had to do it multiple times. It had been there for 120 degrees every day. It was likely that some very nasty bacteria was growing in the water. One time I got in the tub, I accidentally swallowed some of it. This triggered an allergic reaction. ... I have never experienced an allergic reaction like this.

I wasn't sure what was going on. It started with a tight feeling in my chest and it kept getting worse. The doctors called me back and told me to go to the medical office. But, when I got there, it was really bad and I couldn't even breathe. That's when I realized that panicking was my real problem. Jamie, the doctor, was incredible and had such an amazing bedside manner... He also told me that calmer people are more likely to be more worried and more serious. He was also very calm so it was kind of scary.

He was trying to calm me down. He said that he knew right away that it was serious.

Did you go into anaphylactic shock?

Yeah.

It was horrifying to watch as a spectator. Was that what was going through your mind at the time?

To be truthful, I mean that I don't really know. In the beginning I didn't understand what was happening. It's difficult to breathe. But, I wasn't thinking, "I'm about dying, I'm going to die." I don't know what that means. It was just me being kind of like, "I have a hard time breathing." He could hear me saying it. As I sat there, I felt my chest tightening. It was so bad that I couldn't breath and he almost stabbed me with adrenaline. I was terrified for the last few seconds. Although I knew I was there for him, I started to panic.

The way epinephrine works, is that it starts to work within 30 seconds after you receive the adrenaline shot. The effects subsided and I was able breathe normally again. Within a few minutes, or two or three minutes, my feeling was normal. When I got back in the ambulance, I felt completely normal. I wasn't feeling any pain and I didn't have any difficulty breathing. I wanted to get back in the show. I said, "I'm fine now." They were basically like "No, you must go to the hospital to have it observed because you can enter repeat anaphylaxis, and yes, we can't risk that."

It's amazing how quickly you feel back to normal in just a few moments.

It was quite, very bizarre. I was fine within minutes of the epinephrine working as it was supposed to. I was ready to talk to the paramedics before I got in. It's okay. Sorry to be dramatic. They're like "No, you must go to the hospital." I was like, "I really swear I'm fine." They said, "We cannot risk it." We don't even know the cause of your allergy so we cannot risk it happening again. They made me leave.

How did you react when you realized that you wouldn't be able return to your original selection?

It was frustrating. It was frustrating. It was because I am so competitive, it felt like I was losing. However, I felt like I was actually just bummed that I couldn't go back to see everyone again. Even though I was unable to say goodbye to some of my friends who were still there, with many other people's departures, it was possible. It was sad. But it was also so fast that everything happened so quickly that I felt kind of shocked.

It was probably the right time. Everyone leaves when it's right for them, whether it's because they can't handle it anymore, or some other reason. It was a tough job, but I came in with a competitive mindset and a desire to win. I learned a lot throughout the experience that it's not a lose-lose situation. It pushes everyone to their limits and tests them in new ways. You're ultimately trying to discover something about yourself. That's what I felt I did. I also feel that I learned it partly from my early departure, which is something I need to accept. Being competitive, I don’t know if that would have been the same reaction or feeling if I had won. I believe... I think I went when the universe wanted me to. It was only one day before everyone else so it was okay.

You dominated the helicopter rescue challenge before your medical emergency. Did you feel satisfied that this was your last challenge? It was a good way to end on a high note in terms of challenges.

Yes, it is there, but I haven’t yet seen it. ... It was a difficult task, and I remember doing well. The DS did not hesitate to give you a slap on the back. When I got into the helicopter, we flew out "Big Blue Eyes", which was what we called him. I don't know his name, so I didn't recognize it. Billy. He did give me a pat on the back and said, "Brilliant.
And I was like "Oh wow! Okay, thanks!"

You must rewatch. You will be proud of yourself.

I'm excited. We don't really get to see anything ahead of time, so that's why we are excited. They did send me the anaphylaxis video, which was my allergic reaction. That was the only clip I had seen from the entire series.

They didn't hesitate at all to show everything. It was shocking and absolutely horrible to see.

It was almost like an exorcism. It's like I'm puking and my head is spinning.

Was there something that initially motivated you to create this show? Did it turn out as you expected?

It wasn't exactly what I expected. It was a competition and I did really believe it to be so I wanted to win. We were told in advance that these challenges would be physical and that it would really push us to the limits. Then they said, "Would this be okay?" ... It was like jumping out of a helicopter. I thought it was great. It sounds like fun. It wasn't. These were all challenges. But there was more. These were so exhausting and not only were they difficult but also very tiring. We were constantly on edge. Because you never knew what you would be called upon, you never had the chance to truly relax. It was stressful but it was an enjoyable experience. It was an enjoyable experience, I am glad that I did it. I also made new friends and learned a lot about myself.

Which task would you consider the most difficult? After the chemical warfare challenge, you mentioned that you have never felt pain like this before.

Yes, it is true. But I was really saying that I have never experienced pain likethat. It was not that it was more painful than any other pain I have ever experienced. It was just an entirely different kind of pain. It was terrible. I mean, it felt so unnatural. It's chemical, but chemical warfare. It felt so toxic. You can feel it in your lungs, and your stomach. I felt it in my head, like "This is not something you should ever feel." This is not normal. It was very painful. It was like my eyes were burning and my lungs felt like they were on fire each time I breathed in. It was just that, it was terrible.

The most difficult challenge was the one that took the longest. The wind was a breeze and you felt better. The hardest part was pushing the car through the desert. It moved an inch when we began pushing it. We had to push it for a mile because the sand was barely under our feet. It was barely moving, and we then had to transport all the equipment. It was 120 degrees. It was crazy, but it was true.

Did you notice any recruits who were able to surprise you by their performance in challenging situations?

Hannah Brown was truly amazing throughout this whole experience. She is a total badass. She is a tough woman. She has a positive outlook. She was definitely an unexpected surprise and she delivered. Kenya Moore was also a surprise to me. Although I thought she was going to be a badass on "Housewives", I wasn't sure if I believed it. But, I do not think you think of Miss USA [as] people that will be taking on these dangerous challenges, jumping from helicopters, and jumping base off of skyscrapers. And they did. Both were so badass.

Last question: At one point, everyone was discussing foods they miss from home. You shared that you missed ice cream and said you eat it every night. What was your first meal after you returned home? Was ice cream your first choice?

Yes, it is. Although I don't eat it as often, I still enjoy it. I love sweet cereal and ice cream. My mom was a total health freak as a child, so we didn't get sweets. It's almost like someone who doesn't drink alcohol until they are 21 and then becomes a meth addict. I eat cereal and ice cream.

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Title: Gus Kenworthy Details 'Scary' Medical Emergency That Led to Shocking Special Forces Exit (Exclusive)
Sourced From: toofab.com/2023/02/16/gus-kenworthy-medical-emergency-special-forces-exit-exclusive/
Published Date: Thu, 16 Feb 2023 17:00:59 +0000

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