[Warning: The below contains spoilers for Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test Season 3 Episode 6, “Terror and Brotherhood.”]
This season, the grueling Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test has already claimed half the recruits. With eight remaining going into Wednesday’s (January 29) episode, the Directing Staff (DS) took the famous faces even further out of their comfort zones with a focus on duty and resilience. The fourth week began with a search and hostage rescue course. During the simulated mission, their job was to save innocent civilians in mortal danger.
From there, the recruits faced a high-wire traverse followed by a dead hand over a 300-foot drop. Just when the exhausted group thought they were done for the day, the DS weren’t done. They endured a “bee sting” punishment after Christy Carlson Romano failed to maintain weight within her Burgen backpack earlier in the day. They were called into a muddy and wet obstacle course that ended with the shocking elimination of Carey Hart. The motocross legend was medically withdrawn from injuries to his ankle and wrist suffered during a fall.
The favorite wasn’t the only one who went home. During Day 8, a three-stage endurance test in mountainous terrain pushed actress Kyla Pratt to her breaking point. Fellow Disney Channel alum Romano followed not long after when it was decided she couldn’t keep up.
Here Hart opens up about what he got out of the experience, what his wife Pink thought of his efforts, and more.
Pete Dadds / Fox
How frustrating was it for you to have been through all the other challenges and done so well, but then be taken out by that one obstacle course at the compound?
Carey Hart: It was definitely frustrating, but truthfully it was my own fault. You really have to pay attention to the details and information the DS gives you. As the show and challenges were going on, they got a little more complicated. I think a good example of that was the gas mask situation with Cam Newton. You think you’re going in this situation with this mask on, then throw you a curveball. Mask is off and you still have to complete your challenge. Where I screwed up and got hurt was the second or third circuit we had to do because it was the quickest eliminated.
Typically we would do two laps on that square around the compound and go back to the square. This time DS said for us to run it back again around the compound and back into the square, I didn’t pay attention that it was one lap. Me and most of the other people did two laps. Had I paid attention, I wouldn’t have been in that situation.
You talked about on the show how physically drained you were at this point. Do you think you would have been able to make it to the end had the injury not taken place?
Truthfully, I’m pretty stubborn. I have a pretty high suffering rate. I think, again I wasn’t in the moment, but I think I would have had it to make it to the end. Had it just been my wrist, because I tweaked my wrist when I hit the ground, and not the ankle? If it was just the wrist, I could have taped it up and moved on. As grueling as that whole program is, especially with the old ankle I have that is getting fused next year, I had to be smart and tap out.
What were those next days after like as you looked back?
Going into the show, I have so many injuries and issues with my body. And it’s all self-inflicted, so I don’t complain about it. I went there to take it day by day. Literally, there were five things that could have happened in the first two days that could have taken me out of the whole situation. I could have rolled an ankle on a rock hiking through one of the challenges. I was happy, but also obviously disappointed because I was so close to the end. I think it was like 48 hours left. I was really happy with my showing and how I held up through the whole program. I definitely left with my head held high.
How did your wife respond after you spoke to her following the medical withdrawal?
There was initially no communication, but she knew the length of the time of the show. I’m sure for her, in the back of her mind, if she heard from me any time before the tenth day, there would probably be an injury. I got injured about midnight that night. By the time I got back to my phone, it was like 2 or 3 a.m. I got her on FaceTime, her eyes are wide and face is kind of pale because she was waiting for me to tell her I have a bone sticking out. I let her off pretty easily as it was just a couple of sprains.
So she was more, “What? Just a few sprains. You can go back out there!”
She knows me. Normally, I would have pushed through, but in that situation, there was no way I could get through with an ankle injury.
How would you describe the dynamic of the group from your perspective? Anyone you are particularly close to now?
Honestly, it’s great. I think Cam Newton said it best that this was a trauma bond, especially with the last eight of us. We were really a solid group and created that trauma bond. We still have a group chat going. We all individually talk quite a bit. I would say I really connected well with Cam, Golden [Tate], Kyla, Kayla [Nicole], everybody. Actually, Brody [Jenner] is coming up tomorrow to ride some motocross with me at the house. I’m definitely keeping up with everybody.
Pete Dadds / Fox
This seems like such a physical and emotionally impactful show to be on. What do you think you got from this experience?
I think it was just how I can challenge myself. I didn’t have some romantic idea where I was searching for myself through this show. No disrespect to those who were doing those things for that reason. For me at age 48 and the professional career I’ve had, which isn’t your average career, I just wanted to feel that endorphin dump again. I wanted to feel that rush. For me, I accomplished what I wanted. Every day I was there was an accomplishment. I left with my head held high. It was a great experience.
What would you say was the hardest part of this, the mental or physical?
It was 100 percent mental. It wasn’t just so much in the challenges we had to do. The most mentally draining part for me was you just don’t know when the day is over. You can be completely soak and wet at 10 at night with your kit sitting at the edge of your bunk. You don’t know if you can put on dry clothes or if you’re going to get called back out again. That element of not knowing, you’re always idling at eight and willing to jump at 10.
Is there someone in mind from your circle you think would be good to go through this?
I can think of 50 people, but it would be hard to say one person. I think it would be good for someone who wants to compare themselves to that world of people. You are kind of control your own life and control your own career path. A lot of times you have someone work with you or for you. To relinquish all your power and name where you’re just a number, to have to just fall in and give a hundred percent no matter what, it’s a pretty humbling and eye-opening experience. There are a lot of benefits that can come up from this.
What’s next for you now that you’ve had this experience? Are you looking to tackle any more reality TV?
For me, that was truly for the experience. When I was younger, I dipped a toe into the reality TV world with the show about my tattoo shop and some other things. I saw this as just the challenge to test my old body. I still compete. I still do motocross. I still do freestyle motocross at a very old age, but still do it and build these Indian motorcycles I have. This is going to be a great experience for me because now when I go to rallies and press things, it will give people something new to talk about versus my first backflip and old stuff from my motocross career.
What is the future of this sport in your eyes?
I think the sky’s the limit. I think the athletes are getting that much better and much more intense. I think the promotions are really good. I think what is being done in Supercross is awesome. The sky’s the limit. I hope to see it continue to grow. It’s a machine heavily dependent on sponsor dollars, but I think with the viewership the races are getting now, I hope the sport grows. It’s fun. I just took my family to Anaheim too for Supercross over the weekend. It’s fun being a fan again and not a team owner.
Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, Wednesdays, 8/7c, Fox