World-Class Athletes Compete in Adrenalin-Charged Global Cultural Competitions in Last One Standing, Premiering Jan. 4 on Discovery HD (Jan. 16 on Discovery Channel)

In the thrilling new Discovery Channel series Last One Standing, six athletes – three American and three British – are immersed in the most remote tribes in the world, where they live alongside and train with indigenous tribesmen representing their host tribe in raw and intense competition. From death-defying Zulu stick fighting in South Africa to an arduous foot race in the Mexican mountains – wearing only handmade sandals – these men push their physical and mental limits to see who really is the last warrior standing. Discovery HD presents the Canadian Premiere of this bold 12-part series on Fri., Jan. 4 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The series bows on Discovery Channel two weeks later, beginning Wed., Jan. 16 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.


The diverse group of athletes are at the top of their game – there is a BMX rider, a strongman competitor, an Oxford University sportsman, a hiker and endurance athlete, a kickboxer and a British all-rounder. Together they compete in an array of tribal games and rite-of-passage ceremonies, where competition is frequently a metaphor for war. Completely immersed in a tribal culture, the adventurers live among the village warriors to train and prepare for the battle that lies ahead – no concessions are made. Will the sprinter be able to keep up in the long-distance running competitions held by the remote Tarahumara Indians across punishing terrain in northern Mexico? Will the Florida BMX’er stand a chance against the fierce Kalapalo wrestlers in Brazil? Will any of the six make a showing during an endurance canoeing challenge in Papua, New Guinea?

The Last One Standing competitors are:
Rajko, 29 – British All-Rounder and Ex-World Record Holder
Jason, 21 – Florida State BMX 2006 Champion
Richard, 21 – Oxford University Sportsman (Cricket, Rugby and Croquet)
Brad, 28 – American Pro Lightweight Strongman
Mark, 26 – British Salsa Dancer and Kickboxer
Corey, 22 – Hiker and Endurance Athlete

The six athletes are from dramatically different regions and cultures themselves and, while forced to compete against each other, they also formed an unlikely brotherhood. Not only were the athletes expected to compete in a sport they only just learned, but they were also faced with language barriers, health issues and culture shock.

Highlights from the first 4 episodes include:

Last One Standing: “Kalapalo Wrestling”
Fri., Jan. 4 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery HD
(Wed., Jan. 16 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Discovery Channel)
The competitors venture to the Brazilian jungle on a quest to wrestle with Kalapalo warriors at the Festival of Death. Wrestlers compete for their village’s honour. But first they have to prove themselves worthy to compete – an ordeal that involves being scored with razor-sharp piranha teeth. These athletes are trained to take part, but only a select few will secure a place on the village team.

Last One Standing: “Zulu Stick Fighting”
Fri., Jan. 11 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery HD
(Wed., Jan. 23 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Discovery Channel)
In South Africa, the six men live in the traditional village of Nqekwane and take on the Zulus in the deadly sport of stick fighting, an event where bloodshed and death are never far away. The athletes have to go through initiation ceremonies and take magic potions to find the skill and courage to fight at a Zulu royal wedding.

Last One Standing: “Tarahumara Endurance Race”
Fri., Jan. 18 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery HD
(Wed., Jan. 30 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Discovery Channel)
The competitors are put to the test, trekking high into the Copper Canyon region of northwest Mexico to run a marathon-length race against Tarahumara Indians, some of the greatest natural endurance runners in the world. And if running at high altitude weren’t tough enough, they discover that to compete they also have to wear local sandals and learn to kick a small wooden ball over a snake-infested canyon course.

Last One Standing: “Sumi Kick Fighting”
Fri., Jan. 25 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery HD
(Wed., Feb. 6 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Discovery Channel)
The competitors take on the Sumi, a tribe of former headhunters in Nagaland – a remote area of northeast India. Their goal is to become Aki Kiti fighters, a vicious martial art where the soles of the feet are the only weapons… and the only defence. The athletes prove themselves worthy adversaries for the locals in an intervillage competition.

In future episodes, the competitors travel to Mongolia (wrestling); Trobriand Islands (tribal cricket); Senegal (wrestling); Papua, New Guinea (canoe racing); Brazil (Kraha log racing); Peru (glacial challenge); Java (martial arts); and Vanuatu (canoe racing).