Surviving in the Amazon with Ky Furneaux

Ky Furneaux spent much of her early childhood running wild in small rural towns around South Australia, having adventures and riding her horse through the bush with a freedom that only small country towns allowed. When she was 19 years old, a car accident fractured a vertebra in her spine. When she was told she would never be physically active again, a resilience emerged that she didn’t know she had. She has been using it ever since in her career as a stunt double in films and as a survivalist in the wild.

In this interview, Ky talks about the accident that changed her life and how she developed the resilience that assisted in her recovery. She also discusses some of the amazing survival challenges she has conquered as a participant on Discovery Channel’s “Naked and Afraid” series. During a 21-day, solo trip in the Amazon, Ky consumed just 1,000 total calories while burning more than 40,000. She shares her methods for overcoming these grueling physical and mental obstacles while convincing herself to keep moving forward. Ky closes the conversation with simple, practical, powerful advice for people who want to further develop their own resilience.

Ky Furneaux is an Australian outdoor guide, TV host, survival expert, professional speaker, and stunt double who has appeared in over 100 films and TV productions. She is co-author of Survive: The All-In-One Guide to Staying Alive in Extreme Conditions with Emily Sullivan. She has also written When the Grid Fails: Easy Action Steps When Facing Urban and Natural Disasters, The Superwoman's Survival Guide: Conquering the Unexpected in the Office, on the Town, or in the Great Outdoors, and Surviving the First 36 Hours: What to Do to Ensure Rescue which is scheduled to be published in August of 2023. Ky also works with young people to help them develop their confidence and resilience.

“I have this idea in my head that it’s not worth worrying about the things I cannot change. So if there is a big jaguar there, I can’t change if the jaguar is going to come and eat me. So why am I going to be scared about it. It’s either going to happen or it’s not. If it’s not happening at that moment, I am going to choose not to be scared of it.” Ky Furneaux talking about how she managed her mindset while living outdoors among dangerous animals like jaguars, caiman, and grizzly bears during her survivalist experiences.