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Wednesday 25 April 2018
Tapawera ANZAC day
rugby draw
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LIFTOUT
Just stacking up the titles Page 28
Is Brad NZ’s ‘Sole Survivor’? Amy Russ Reporter
amy@waimeaweekly.co.nz
Richmond born and bred Brad Norris, has been in Thailand filming the latest season of Survivor New Zealand. Cited as one of the world’s toughest games, 18 castaways from all across New Zealand spend up to 40 days marooned on a deserted, rugged and unforgiving island in a bid to take home the title of Sole Survivor and a prize of $250,000. ‘Outwit, Outlast and Outplay’ is the object of the show. The sport orientated Health and Physical Education teacher spent his childhood in the outdoors and loves everything Survivor encompasses; challenges, competition, survival mode and, most importantly, the social game. Brad submitted an off-the-cuff video to the show while cooking in his kitchen back in September. When Brad found out he was selected he cracked a beer and celebrated with a colleague. Since filming began in January he’s been on a whirlwind adventure, testing his mettle against other kiwis in the show. “It is one of the hardest things I have ever done,” says Brad, “the nights were sometimes harder than the days. It was so cold and uncomfortable. The islands look beautiful from the aerial shots, and they are, but in reality it is such a harsh environment.” Proud
Local lad Brad Norris leads his team to a win on the first episode of ‘Survivor NZ’. Inset: Brad Norris. Photos: Scott McAulay. mum Deborah Norris says Brad went to ‘hell and back’, to which Brad replied, “yep, that’s a fair statement!” His favourite contestant from the previous Survivor NZ season, shot in Nicaragua, was Tom Paterson who was runner-up. “I like the way he played the game, and his alliance with Avi Duckor-Jones (who went on to win the game). The way they had a close alliance but played it
down. They did it well.” Brad believes that Survivor can be played and won with integrity intact. “You can have two complete ends of the spectrum in the game – normal everyday reality where you still treat people with respect, and you are a good person – to the opposite extreme where people will do and say anything to further themselves in the game.
It’s interesting to see what people will do to go that far. I think you can win and not have to be a brutal liar. It is possible to strike a balance, I think.” Survivor New Zealand’s first episode screened on TV, Sunday April 22, and yellow-buffed Brad was off to a great start, being a key player in helping his team win the show’s first reward challenge containing all-important flint, tarp and tools.
The KhangKhaw tribe maintained their momentum to also win the first immunity challenge, sending the other team to tribal council. The Orewa College teacher has already been hit up by a few of his students about the show and says there may be a de-brief each Monday with his students, but remains tight-lipped about what is coming up and how well he did.
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