‘Race to Survive: New Zealand’ Recap – ‘Grit Trumps Calories’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

RACE TO SURVIVE: NEW ZEALAND -- "Grit Trumps Calories" Episode 203 -- Pictured: Tyrie Mann Merrill -- (Photo by: Daniel Allen/USA Network)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 203 of ‘Race to Survive’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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One particular hope we all harbor when we are thrust into an unfamiliar situation in life, is that we will quickly learn what we need to, in order to handle that situation. Because no one likes feeling uncomfortable, and no one likes feeling as though they’re out of control, and quickly adapting helps to shake those feelings and it gives us great confidence. For then we feel as though we’ve got it, and that we can do anything and well, that’s relevant to our discussion today because that was more or less the hope that hung over the next episode of Race to Survive: New Zealand on USA Network. Simply because, Survival Camp allowed for everyone to reflect and learn in ‘Grit Trumps Calories’, and that put that hope into their hearts.

Because these remaining eight teams were able to understand that while they had accomplished wonders they were at a loss regarding how best to handle the terrain and their circumstances. So, they used their downtime to figure out how to adapt and strategize, and that brought about, a bold search for food and attempts to trade because people were indeed adapting to the game and hoping to take advantage of every opportunity presented to them, and they of course… were all eager and ready to get back to work once the next leg of the competition got underway. Because everyone truly felt they were getting a handle on the competition and the terrain and were figuring out strategies and paths to success and well, that’s when New Zealand offered up a valuable follow up lesson.

In that, just because we want and hope to adapt quickly and become the master of a new domain, doesn’t mean that we will. Because sometimes… little surprises and mistakes will set us back in our quest and frustrate us to no end. Something that Paulina and Creighton learned quickly. Because their overconfidence and desire to be seen as leaders… put them on a tough road here. One where they overshot a critical goal with Ashley and Randi at their side, and that mistake proved costly since they handed Nikola and Kennedy a lead, and speaking of them, they quickly came to learn that trying to just will their way through this was not going to work, and they had to have food going forward. All of which spoke to how hard this competition is going to be, and how hard it is to adapt and master something this grand and sweeping.

Especially when it comes to the unexpected. Because you simply never know what will happen in the wild, and that was a hard lesson that Mikhail and Steffen learned in this story. Because despite going ten whole days without food and pacing themselves to get to the food cache in this tale, a simple injury prompted them to make a powerful decision. In that, they opted to put their health first and tap out of the competition, putting a tough end to a dream, but this was a brave decision none the less. Since so many will sacrifice their health when it is something we need to cherish, as they did here. But that was a fine example how a hard situation we know little of, can push us to our breaking point and what’s wild… is that this duo might not be the only ones going home. 

Which means those in the back end of the competition, who are struggling to adapt as quickly as they might like, might be in trouble. While others… are chugging along and barreling toward the end, but while we wait to see what the next leg of this journey looks like, we can celebrate another intense chapter in this journey. One that really did inform us that sometimes we are at the whim of the situation and likely, need to think differently to adapt instead of forcing a square peg into a round hole, and hopefully that lesson sinks in soon. Because clearly, the competition is only going to get more difficult from here on out, and it will be interesting to see who figures out how to roll with the punches that New Zealand sends their way as this incredible journey continues along. Until next time.

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