Meet the "Out of the Wild" Volunteers

TRISH BULINSKY

AGE: 36
LOCATION: Middletown, NJ
OCCUPATION: School Bus Driver
MARITAL STATUS: Married, 3 children

Trish, a New Jersey native, was searching online for things to do in Anchorage in preparation for an upcoming trip to visit a childhood friend when she found herself on Discovery Channel’s Web site.  She saw the show application and decided to fill it out for fun.  A few weeks later, she was in Los Angeles meeting with producers. 

Trish was raised by her single mother.  The time she did spend with her father was filled with hunting, fishing and camping, helping to shape her love of the outdoors.

Trish has associate degrees in criminal justice, education and French, as well as a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts.  To subsidize her income while going to school, Trish drove a school bus for nearly 10 years. She is a fun-loving mother of three with a great sense of humor who loves her job and family. In her youth, she left her family and traveled to Europe with “merely pocket change,” believing that she needed to go outside of her comfort zone to truly experience life. She wants to set an example for her children and others to show them that life should be full of adventure. Trish knows Alaska will push her to the limits, something her small-town life doesn’t afford her. It’s something she feels like she desperately needs to do.

 

Strengths:

·  Was an avid hunter at age 8, already knowing rifles and shotguns

·  Knows how to be resourceful and stretch her resources

·  Grew up playing rough sports with her brothers; was a tomboy in her youth

Challenges:

·  Very little backpacking experience, only general camping experience

·  Biggest fear is having to jump from a plane (extreme heights)

 

JAKE NODAR

AGE: 30
LOCATION: Darnestown, MD
OCCUPATION: Horse Trainer
MARITAL STATUS: In a relationship

Jake Nodar, a Baltimore native, is constantly searching for adventure.  He came across the application for the series while searching online for expeditions to Mongolia.  He applied on a whim and was flown to Los Angeles for a final interview three weeks later.  Two weeks after that, he was on a plane headed for Alaska.

Jake has always loved animals, particularly horses.  He grew up with pythons, iguanas, goats and even a pig – in Baltimore City.  At 17, Jake bought his first horse and by 20 was involved in horse rescue, rehabbing and adopting out abused and neglected horses.  Not long after, he moved to Parachute, Colo., where he went through an intensive horse-training certification program.  He later returned to Maryland and started his own horse-training business.

When not training horses, Jake loves hiking and camping.  His travels have taken him to the Tetons, Yellowstone and Banff National Park, as well as several places in Central America, Europe and Africa.

Jake is a member of the Atlantic States Gay Rodeo Association and has competed in several events, including bull riding, barrel racing and steer wrestling.

Jake is also an avid photographer, who focuses on shooting wildlife.

Strengths:

·  Trains and tames wild horses and steer

·  Extensive hiking in several national parks

·  Traveled to Africa, Europe, and Central America

·  Has been fly fishing

Challenges:

·  No hunting experience

·  Expects his fellow travelers to have preconceived notions about his sexuality

·  No wilderness survival training

 

DAN RAC

AGE: 24
LOCATION: Brick, NJ
OCCUPATION: Police Office/Lifeguard
MARITAL STATUS: Single

Dan, a New Jersey police officer and lifeguard, learned about Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment from his girlfriend, who works in the media industry.  His girlfriend read about a casting call in an email and thought the series would be right up Dan’s alley.  Despite believing his odds of being chosen were slim to none, he decided to audition. He is still shocked about being chosen as one of the final nine cast members. 

Throughout his life, Dan has believed in the importance of staying physically active and fit.  He has kept in shape by running, biking, body building, and playing baseball and football. Dan has very little camping, hiking and hunting experience, and hopes he can solely rely on his peak physical shape to survive in Alaska. 

Dan enjoys playing with his dog and lifeguarding in the summer at Point Pleasant Beach, N.J. 

Strengths:

· Police Officer and Lifeguard (CPR and emergency responder training)

· Body Builder – very STRONG and fit

· Strong swimmer, runner, bicyclist

· Deep sea fishing experience

· Hard working/confident

· Really wants to experience life with out the things he takes for granted (showers, toilets, eater, food stores, etc.)

Challenges:

· No hunting experience

· No wilderness/survival training

· Very little hiking/camping experience

· Fear of heights

· Slight asthma, controlled with inhaler (as needed, not daily)

 

CAROLYN YAMAZAKI

AGE: 26
LOCATION: Chicago, IL
OCCUPATION: Lawyer
MARITAL STATUS: Single

Carolyn is a 26-year-old attorney who stumbled across the show audition line while walking down the street with her sister in Chicago.  She never dreamed she would get past the first round, since she describes learning everything she knows about the outdoors from Girl Scouts in elementary school.

Originally from Los Angeles, Carolyn attended the University of Southern California for undergrad, where she graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts and the USC Marshall School of Business.  She then headed to Southwestern University for law school, where she graduated in 2007.

Carolyn has a passion for photography and travel.  Her extensive list of destinations includes: Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania (where she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro), Kenya, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Russia, Mongolia, Japan, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Belize and Honduras.

Strengths:

· Climbed Mt. Fuji and Mt. Kilimanjaro

· Backpacked in almost 20 countries

· Fishing, snowboarding and scuba diving

Challenges:

· Gives herself a 3 – 4 for fitness level on a scale of 1 – 5

· Admits she can be a bit bossy at times

 

FREDRIC BIRT

AGE: 47
LOCATION: Chicago, IL
OCCUPATION: Customer Service Rep
MARITAL STATUS: Single, 1 child

Fredric’s “home boys” from the west side of Chicago think he is crazy because of his love for outdoor adventure. He has been passionately in love with outdoor adventure for as long as he can remember. When he read about the series in a local newspaper, he could not resist the idea of an excursion to the “Great White North.”  Thinking his chances were pretty good thanks to his extensive travel experience and physical fitness, Fredric applied, and shortly afterward he found himself departing for Alaska.

After first climbing Mount Mitchell in North Carolina more than 20 years ago, Fredric realized traveling and nature were the perfect combination for him.  His next stop was Costa Rica, where he immediately fell in love with the country. Fredric has traveled throughout North and South America. He is also planning trips to Ecuador, Thailand and Antarctica later this year. 

Fredric works as a customer service representative in Chicago, but his true passion is leading extreme eco-tours to Costa Rica and Central America.  He organizes zip-line, deep-sea fishing and camping activities.  Fredric also hopes to one day use his experiences to educate inner-city youth about the importance of nature. 

Strengths:

·  Camping and hiking in North and South America

·  Deep sea fishing

·  Extreme sports

Challenges:

· Has never hunted but is excited to try

· Most of his adventures are in warmer, more tropical climates

 

JOE HARNER

AGE: 26
LOCATION: Ashland, WI
OCCUPATION: Fishing Outfitter
MARITAL STATUS: Engaged

Joe isn’t ilke most guys his age. At 6’4” tall and 26 years old, he’s an intelligent, self-described Type-A personality who lives in a 100-year-old cabin in the Wisconsin mountains. “Its still too close to people,” he says. Having worked in a factory as a commercial smelter, Joe is happy he moved to Wisconsin to be in the great outdoors.

Joe was watching the first annual Alaska Week on Discovery Channel, when he realized his lifestyle made him a perfect fit for a show like Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment. With encouragement from his fiancée, he decided to email Discovery Channel expressing his interest in being cast in the series.  He thought his chances of being chosen were one in a million, and was so shocked to find his email answered that he called the sender asking if it was a hoax.

Joe’s passion for the outdoors and the environment inspired him to move to Ashland, Wis., a small town on Lake Superior, where he could live almost entirely off the land.  Luckily for Joe, his fiancée is supportive about his passion for the great outdoors.  With her support, Joe pushed back his wedding -- which was originally planned for the day he left for Alaska --  until this September.   

Depending on the season, Joe spends his free time ice-fishing on Lake Superior, hunting at deer camps and hiking. 

Strengths:

·  Lots of experience hunting, fishing and hiking

·  Lives in a cabin with few amenities

·  Member of several sportsmen clubs and occasional bear tour guide

Challenges

·  Isn’t used to working and traveling with groups

·  Afraid of extreme heights

·  Has not experienced a wilderness winter

 

PENNY JO JOHNSON

AGE: 45
LOCATION: Burnside, KY
OCCUPATION: Bodypiercer/Landlord
MARITAL STATUS: Married – one adult child and three “grandbabies”

Penny Jo Johnson, a grandma at the age of 45, is a one-of-a-kind, feisty, country girl. She stumbled across an application for the series online and was immediately drawn to the idea of the show.  She loved that it was a documentary-based challenge and that she’d have the opportunity to work with a group to survive.  On an impulse, she decided to apply and was flabbergasted when she was chosen to be part of the final cast.

Penny grew up in a small town in Kentucky, and she has lived there her entire life. With the Daniel Boone National Forest nearby, she has over 750,000 acres to track and hunt during hunting season.  She also likes to stay in shape by hiking, swimming and keeping up with her three grandchildren. 

Penny has always been adventurous, from riding her Harley-Davidson across the United States, to snowmobiling in 20 degree-below weather in Alaska. A self-described hill-climbing country girl, Penny loves people and loves to smile.  She worked in the restaurant industry for 24 years, before becoming a body piercer at the tattoo parlor where her husband works. 

Strengths:

·  Avid deer hunter/butcher/cook

·  Raised in the mountains of Kentucky

·  Harley-riding grandma adventurer

·  Learned from “Indians” how to preserve meat

·  Loves a challenge, loves to get dirty

·  Excellent physical/mental health

·  Tenacious spirit

Challenges:

·  May be too tough for her own good

·  Would miss her family dearly

·  Always travels with her husband and/or daughter – never travels alone

·  Not a big fan of the cold

·  Never started a fire “from thin air”

 

JOHN ULMER

AGE: 38
LOCATION: Bronx, NY
OCCUPATION: Assistant Director of Housing
MARITAL STATUS: Single

John is your typical loud, arrogant New Yorker. He thinks he’s a tough guy and can handle anything. He was inspired by the story of Chris McCandless, which awoke his inner desire to experience a more primitive life.  After watching Discovery Channel’s Alaska Experiment, he realized that if he could be cast on the series, it would be the perfect opportunity to experience a simpler life.  John emailed Discovery Channel via its Web site and inquired if there would be a second season… the next thing he knew, he was on his way to Alaska.  

John is currently studying economics at New York University.  He will receive his bachelor’s degree in 2009 and will begin his MBA in spring 2010.  John tries to mirror his life on the phrase carpe diem, which appears to be more than accurate since his life is full of constant motion, attending school, working a full-and part-time job, and spending time with his family. 

John has a type A personality and considers himself a leader who can tend to be a bit headstrong and stubborn.  He loves spending time outdoors and being physically active.  He enjoys hiking, rock climbing, running, biking, skydiving and other extreme sports.  John has always been interested in traveling and learning about new cultures, but he is extremely passionate about his New York roots. He hopes to prove New Yorkers are the toughest people in the world.

Strengths:

·  Played football in high school and college

·  Avid fisherman

·  Enjoys hiking

Challenges:

·  No hunting experience

·  Describes his life as “complacent”

·  Says he needs to show the world how tough he is

 

KIMBERLY WISE

AGE: 25
LOCATION: Chula Vista, CA
OCCUPATION: Personal Trainer
MARITAL STATUS: Single

Kimberly is a personal trainer and a competitive athlete who stumbled upon an online posting that advertised the show.  The brutality of living off the land in one of the most inclement environments in the world attracted Kimberly to the challenge immediately.  

Fitness and athletics have always been important to Kimberly.  She grew up competing in gymnastics and later a student/athlete at Eastern Michigan University where she studied Exercise Physiology and competed in Track & Field as a polevaulter.  After college, Kimberly moved to San Diego, where she competes nationally in fitness shows and runs her personal training business.

As a kid Kimberly enjoyed hunting deer, pheasants and turkeys.  Today, she loves rock climbing, competing in fitness shows, and helping others create a more positive lifestyle for themselves via exercise and lifestyle change.  She also recently won Miss Bikini of Southern California, but considers herself a Tomboy at heart.  Kimberly is a risk taker and trusts that her life experiences have prepared her to survive in Alaska. 

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Strengths:

·  Some hunting and fishing experience

·  Physically fit and strong

·  Motivating and encouraging to others

Challenges:

·  Doesn’t hunt as much as she used to since moving to San Diego

·  Doesn’t have extensive hiking experience

·  Not used to excessive cold