Why We Endure

By Zach Fifer

LRG Documentary Executive Assistant

I can’t decide in what situation I felt most miserable. 

Was it the heat wave that devastated everyone around me, bringing titans to their knees and smothering our morale with unbearable humidity? 

Was it the fear I felt as the cold crept in, releasing the shivering and knowing there are hours until morning?

Was it the pure psychological warfare being played, knowing everyone is against you and not knowing what is fact or fiction?

In my darkest moments playing LRGs, I don’t think the idea of quitting ever crossed my mind. There is such an opportunity for suffering with an easy solution to it all. Stop. Walk away. Quit.

Yet, I persevere. We all persevere. For what? Many of these games do not have prizes beyond the pride and honor of being crowned Sole Survivor. If there is a cash prize, it is not life changing (and if you find me an LRG with a life-changing prize, I’m signing up!). So, how do we do it? How do we endure brutal conditions physically, mentally, and emotionally, putting our bodies on the line, for something many may consider trivial?

The answer is grit. The bulk of the LRG community, those who breathe and bleed the game, share this reserve of untapped tenacity and strength rarely called on in the real world. And it’s nothing short of breath-taking to witness. These humans are my heroes. It takes courage to play these games. I am left in awe every time I host or play a game to see what goliaths emerge from ordinary people.

Whether it is a lengthy endurance challenge lasting 5 or 6 hours, or a moment when someone finally stands up to a brutal force and is honest and truthful and vulnerable, or a player hiding a broken ankle because they don’t want to be seen weak, or a treacherous thunderstorm toppling trees feet from a tribe’s camp. These moments require grit. And in these moments, we are seeing humans do extraordinary things, and putting the game aside for a brief moment, it is impossible to not be humbled by the displays of strength and tenacity on display. 

So why? Why do we do this to ourselves? (I ask myself this question all the time).

There is not a simple answer. Because we all carry our “why’s” with us. Like the flames we carry, we each have a reason and purpose burning inside. We are venturing out to release this fire and find something. The journey we embark on calls on every fiber of our beings. And without this purpose, we wouldn’t need such grit. 

So, the next time I find myself in yet another miserable situation that only I put myself into, I know I will smile and breathe deep, remembering my why and do the thing us LRG players know how to do best: persevere.