Stranded on a desert island – on purpose

Huenu Solsona

You could call it the real survivor without the glitz of Hollywood.

On 1 April 2010, nine people from all over the world and I, will be boarding a boat and heading to a deserted island in South East Asia.  There are no behind-the-scenes camera crews or the chance to win rewards or having to vote someone out.

What we are doing however, is trying to raise money for charity… I have personally chosen The Water Project, a charity that provides potable, drinking water to areas in Africa and other parts of the world where it is most needed. For years, this was my father’s job and I have seen what his work has done to help thousands of people who previously died from water born diseases or had to travel many kilometers every day just to get enough water to live. Still today, more than half the world’s population fetches their water – all you and I do is turn on the tap.

For our 30 day adventure, we will each have a 5 litre bag with essential tools such as knives, lighters and torches, but not much can fit in these bags and we will have no external help whatsoever. With these contents and whatever we can find on the island, we will have to survive for a full month in complete isolation in what will undoubtedly be the endurance test of a lifetime.

We will have to feed off the land and the sea and learn to live with nothing more than nature has provided, away from society and the comforts we are used to. We will experience starvation, sleep deprivation, extreme heat and humidity, wild animals and insects and above all, we’ll have to interact and survive with nine strangers, all with our own opinions and habits.

It’s the final countdown until complete isolation for Life 2 The Limit adventurers

There are less than 30 days left until 10 adventurers from South Africa, Norway and Canada leave for a deserted island in South East Asia to spend 30 days in complete isolation. Life 2 The Limit (www.life2thelimit.co.za) will not only challenge their physical ability, but their mental stability too and at the same time raise funds for charity.

The focus is on physical and mental preparation. Who will have what it takes to last 30 days with almost no comforts from home and only what they can fit into a five-litre dry bag? This is the real ‘Survivor’ without the glitz of Hollywood. There are no behind-the-scenes camera crews, the chance to win rewards or having to vote someone out.

Fund raised are calculated on a ‘per day’ basis and shared equally between the adventurers and their chosen charities (such as The Water Project chosen by Huenu Solsona) and the group charity. Adventurers are able to leave the island at any stage but it will mean having to deal with ultimate self-defeat, having not survived the full term. Also, all funds collected will move over to the charity from the date the adventurer leaves the island.

Life 2 The Limit promises to be a fascinating study in just how well modern man is able to deal with life totally stripped of modern comforts. The adventurers will face sleep deprivation, starvation, extreme heat and humidity, wild animals and insects. They will also have to interact and survive with nine other strangers, all with their own opinions and habits.

The brainchild of Life 2 The Limit is Huenu Solsona, the founder of the hugely successful outdoor fitness programme for women, Adventure Boot Camp. The idea first came a while back, when Solsona wondered what would happen should she be stripped of all her modern comforts. How would she survive? This led to the challenge of taking on the island escape.

To read more about the adventurers, follow their diary entries and watch their video blogs; or sponsor an adventurer and donate funds to their charity, please go to www.life2thelimit.co.za.