Congratulations! Graham is already a seasoned survivalist, going down in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the first person to go to all the United Nations countries without flying.
And now.. he is the winner of Samsung’s SOS Island: Survival of the Smartest and has $100,000 in the bank toward his very own private island!
What was interesting about Graham’s win was that he was an excellent source of knowledge for contestants on the island, building fires without knives or flint, but had a difficult time translating those skills into challenge wins. He finished his time on the island with a modest two coconuts (wins), but then put his social media efforts into high drive. With a well received TED Talks speech and articles in the highly respected The Guardian, Graham was able to garner an incredible amount of votes, which made up 40% of the overall score, that ultimately made him the winner.
I am so proud of all the contestants and crew on SOS Island. Everyone pushed their physical limits on what could be done on a deserted island, and the results were outstanding. I won’t be cheesy and say we all walked away winners, but we definitely all walked away with a once-in-a-lifetime experience we will never forget.
Here’s a look back at my favorite episodes from SOS Island:
“Down with the Ship” – This is my favorite challenge. It was the most fun to participate in- as well as the most fun to watch!
“Food Forager” – Graham’s first, and very impressive, win on the island.
“Survival of the Smartest” – This challenge caused many injuries, greatly effecting the rest of the time on the island.
“Fish Food” – Graham’s second win. Do you sense a theme with the challenges he won?
“SOS” – This was the most difficult challenge both physically and mentally. The ending was a surprise!
“Gift From Above” – This was inspired by the Hunger Games: Catching Fire. As a huge fan of the book, it was fun to let my inner Katniss out for a day.
