Day 1 – Ambushes

Flying into Winnipeg. So much unknown for me; so much uncertainty. Never done anything like this before. Is my wardrobe OK?! Will I remember my key lines?

Meet the rest of the crew. Holy cow – it takes a lot of folks to make a show! Two camera men, two sound guys, an assistant camera dude, the director, and the director’s assistant. Several production assistants driving us around.

We set up outside the church where Louise is singing. Hot and sunny; we hide behind a tree near the parking lot. I feel confident. Suddenly the director yells “OK, we’re live, she’s coming…wearing red… no, black… she’ll be here in twenty seconds, fifteen…”

And then my heart begins pounding like a sledgehammer, each beat shaking my chest.

It all comes down to me now… and a lot of folks have gambled a lot that I can do this. A twelve person crew has flown in for the day. There can be no retakes. This is all about spontaneity. One chance to nail the magic.

I step out from behind my cover, walk directly towards Louise, and hold my hand out. Her face goes white. “Holy crappolli,” are her very first words! Everything goes perfectly after that.

Quick hop to Vancouver, set up again to ambush Pasco at the YVR fire station. Everything is ready to go. We spot him… but he’s coming to the wrong door! Too late to change our positions! Sound guy dives behind the Coke machine; camera man and I press up against the wall…

PASCO! I jump out when he is almost on top of me. His face goes blank. The crew of firefighters erupts in applause! Another great ambush.

Day 2- Window Washing

Pasco and Louise are shaking as we walk them out onto the roof of Vancouver’s Bayshore Westin Hotel, stepping over power cables and safety lines, inching towards the set. Before we get going I give them the “Rules of Engagement” – essentially a run down of what will happen over next 72 hours without revealing our time targets, but teasing the Ultimate Challenge.

Window washing goes smoothly. I didn’t know what to expect in terms of the challenger’s fear levels, but they both handle this hurdle with flying colours. I begin to worry that the episode we have planned may be too easy. I need to find a way to step things up tomorrow.

Day 3 – Zip Line / Chief Rappel

Since Pasco was so confident yesterday, I decide to push him as hard as I can today.

Instead of doing any of the smaller, warm up ‘zip lines’, we head straight to Big Bertha, a 2200 foot stretch of wire spanning Fitzsimmon’s Creek. The launch is 200 feet off the deck. After a quick safety briefing, I turn to Pasco: “You’re up. Clip in. Go.” I see the first tinges of hesitation, but he makes the leap.

Louise is now red, shaking, and beginning to silently cry. I wondered if we might have some emotional moments over the summer, but I had not anticipated this, so soon. What a privilege to share such emotion, such raw fear, such a battle of will. Step by step I reassure Louise, and talk her towards the lip. Finally she goes. It is an awesome moment.

We have to do several retakes, and it is astounding to watch Pasco and Louise’s confidence grow. They go again and again, with no hesitation. Once we have what we need, I drop the bomb: “Great job guys, you rocked the zip line. But the good news is, this was just a warm up! We still have a time target to reach today, and we better get moving if we are going to do it.” Watching their faces go white, their emotions flip from hero to zero…. another astounding moment.

And then came the rappel off the top of the Chief! First, a 2000’ foot hike up. Everyone in the crew is grumbling at the parking lot, but a few hours later, when I walk out onto the summit plateau with the two challengers, I can already tell there is magic in the air. A vast panorama of mountainscape and ocean stretches before us.

This is a huge challenge for Pasco and Louise. Their fear is immense. Almost paralyzing. Louise goes down first, then Pasco. Step by step I talk them through it. Right foot down an inch. Great. Now shift your weigh back, onto your harness. Both are absolutely gripped. When we reunite on the ledge below emotions are soaring. Tears are flowing. This is our “NOW Moment” – a magic watershed I will find again and again in the episodes that follow. Afterwards, nothing is the same. Crew, challengers, host, producers… everyone has been touched by magic. We’ve witnessed a transformation.

Day 4 – Paragliding

The weather isn’t helping. Cloudy. No thermals. Threat of rain. Suddenly there is a window and we jump into the vans, blasting towards the launch site.

The key today is that no hesitation is allowed. On every previous time target the challengers could take all the time they needed to get ready. Today, when the wind is right and the pilot fills his wing, they will have to run forward towards an abyss, as fast as they can.

But I know they are up for it. The Ultimate Challenge in this episode is more of a celebration than a test.

The sun peaks out, and suddenly all four wings are in the air. Wooosh. We are gliding, together, like birds, high above the valley. I can see Pasco and Louise; can hear them hooting and hollering. New people have emerged from behind old shells.