I Tried a Survivor Challenge - It Was Harder Than It Looks on TV

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Stephanie Petit, a senior news editor at PEOPLE, had the opportunity to participate in a rehearsal of the first immunity challenge for Survivor's 50th season while on a press trip to Fiji. She describes the challenge as 'muddy, exhilarating and so much harder than it looks on TV', tackling obstacles like a rope bridge, crawling through mud, moving heavy crates of coconuts, scaling a wall, and completing a 50-piece puzzle. Survivor challenge producer John Kirhoffer shared that his favorite part was seeing the team come together to help get everyone over the wall, even those who weren't as physically capable.

Why it matters

Petit's firsthand experience provides unique insight into just how grueling and physically demanding the Survivor challenges are for the contestants, who have to endure them while also dealing with the stresses of being isolated and deprived of basic comforts. Her story gives readers a newfound appreciation for the athleticism and teamwork required to succeed on the show.

The details

Petit was invited to participate in a rehearsal of the first immunity challenge for Survivor's 50th season while on a press trip to Fiji. The challenge involved obstacles like a rope bridge, crawling through mud, moving heavy crates of coconuts, scaling a wall, and completing a 50-piece puzzle. Petit volunteered to take on the puzzle portion, even though she doesn't typically do puzzles, and ended up leading her team to victory. Survivor challenge producer John Kirhoffer said his favorite part was seeing the team come together to help get everyone over the wall, even those who weren't as physically capable.

• Petit participated in the rehearsal a few days before the tribes competed in the first immunity challenge of Survivor's 50th season.
• The actual immunity challenge was filmed during Petit's time in Fiji covering the show's milestone 50th season.

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