LONDON, Ont. - He's a skier, snowboarder, scuba diver and black-belt martial artist. He has jumped out of an airplane, photographed grizzly bears in the wild and swam with beluga whales. He's also an auxiliary police officer, a psychiatric social worker and an experienced travel journalist.
But that's not enough for Chris Ellison.
Because now the Londoner wants to become the first Canadian contestant on Survivor.
"All the experiences I've had over the years have led to this," says the 44-year-old London man. "I'm very fit and ready. I want to push myself to the limit."
Quick -- somebody grab a torch and vote this guy onto the island.
A longtime fan (along with his wife and three kids) of the popular reality-TV show, Ellison recently submitted a clever video application to the show that showed him displaying his various qualifications by peeling off layers of clothing.
To his delight, online viewers ranked his video the 13th most popular out of about 2,100 applications.
There's one catch, though: According to the rules, Survivor contestants must be a resident of the United States.
But Ellison is determined to overcome that hurdle.
"I hate when people tell me I can't do something," he says. "It just makes me want to do it all the more."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJwnHelrbOo
Ellison has talked with several Survivor officials, and started an online petition in an attempt to convince them to allow a Canadian to compete on the popular show, which places contestants in an isolated environment and then pits them against each other in a series of physical challenges and elimination votes.
Ellison argues that Canadians have appeared on other reality-TV shows, such as The Bachelor and The Apprentice, and that a Canadian on Survivor would boost ratings here.
"I just want to wave our flag, so to speak, and say, 'Hey look, we're here and we want to be involved,'" says Ellison, who in his spare-time helps run a multi-media travel resource called Canadian Destinations.
In addition to his physical skills, Ellison says his experience as a social worker will help him navigate the show's Machiavellian politics.
So far, Ellison's online petition has attracted about 600 supporters. But he says he ultimately hopes to collect about 10,000 votes of support.
If enthusiasm were the only requirement, Ellison would be a shoo-in.
"It's the ultimate experience," he says. "You're on an island, it's a battle of wits, a battle of fitness. I think it would be a blast."
He admits some people have tried to dissuade him by arguing that Survivor is a showcase for backbiting and mean-spirited behaviour, while others have expressed concerns about the show's physical demands.
"But I think I'm tough as nails," he says. "When I start getting tired, I kick into turbo."
Maybe -- with the help of London voters -- Ellison can add some Canadian content to this exotic contest.
"But the time I die, I want to have done everything I could possibly do," he says. "Life is worth living. And you've got to live it."
Entertainment Plaza - TV, Movies, Sports, Music
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99
Babe Of The Month
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99/babeofthemonth.html
Hunk Of The Month
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99/babeofthemonthman.html
No comments:
Post a Comment