Few people get excited at the prospect of being dropped into the wilderness, with few items and in total isolation for the foreseeable future.
Many more get excited watching others do it, which is why the American survivalist reality show, Alone, has become such a cult hit.
In the television show, 10 participants are spread out in a harsh environment to find food, shelter and water. Whoever lasts the longest, wins.
When an Australian iteration was announced in early 2022, 22-year-old Adelaide engineering student Jimmy Lassaline never expected to make it on the show — or get taken out with COVID-19.
Mr Lassaline's family moved from Canada to Australia when he was two, and he has spent most of his life on their property in Mil Lel, a small town on South Australia's Limestone Coast.
"I've grown up being outdoors as much as a I could. I'd go out trapping rabbits and things like that before school," Mr Lassaline said.
Born to farming parents who lived in a Canadian log cabin, his dad would take him out of school to go hunting and fishing.
"But I never really thought of myself as an expert survivalist," Mr Lassaline said.
While he had watched most of the first season of the American Alone series, he admitted he was never a big fan.
"I thought that'd be great to do myself, so I just got jealous of the people on there," Mr Lassaline said.
When applications opened last February, he figured it was worth a shot.
"You just had to write a few paragraphs about how you grew up, how you live, all your experiences hunting, fishing, things like that," Mr Lassaline said.
Applicants were required to film themselves if successful, so a few videos were also needed.
"I just … made a trap and started fires and stuff, and sent them away. I wasn't really expecting anything."
A few weeks later he was on his way to Sydney for medical and psychological testing.
"It was hard to keep that a secret, especially flying out of Mount Gambier airport. I know most of the people that work there. I didn't know what to tell them," Mr Lassaline said.
Dropped into the Tasmanian wilderness
The details of the trip were limited. Participants only knew they were going somewhere cold, wet and inland.
"[To this day] we don't even fully know where we were. They never told us," Mr Lassaline said.
By the time they were dropped to their isolated spots, the group had spent a lot of time together being briefed by the producers.
"I was mostly looking forward to just having a break from so many people around me [at that point]," Mr Lassaline said.
The excitement was short-lived.
"Once I got out there I started getting pretty dehydrated and I was feeling a bit tired, but I thought maybe [it's because] I just hadn't eaten in a while," Mr Lassaline said.
"I went to bed pretty early. It must have been four o'clock or something, and then woke up at eight. And that's crazy for me.
"That next day I just felt so sick and I was going downhill quick."
Tapping out on day two
Mr Lassaline did a Rapid Antigen Test, supplied by the producers. It was positive.
"We were told that if we [had COVID-19], we could keep going. They'll send a medic out just to make sure you're fine," he said.
"I had problems with my heart from it so they ended up taking me out."
It was his first time contracting COVID-19, and he has not contracted it since.
"That was the worst possible timing," Mr Lassaline said.
"I went through so much. It was probably four or five months of preparations since I put the application in … and then to get taken out after two days.
"I was so looking forward to going fishing and building something. There were so many things I wanted to do out there. It was just so disappointing."
Mr Lassaline said he would do it again.
"There might be another chance for another season, I don't know," Mr Lassaline said.
"I've only got to beat two days and I'd be pretty happy with that."
