My Superhuman Experience
I've lost count the amount of times I've seen programs on TV where
participants have remarked how they only did the show "for a dare"
or that they were "put forward by a friend" or family member. Somewhere,
woven into my subconscious, was the assumption that such predictable
responses were either rehearsed soundbites or readable templates
from an auto cue for those playing out their proverbial 15 minutes
of fame. Now I know different, because, in true clichéd fashion,
I was actually put forward by a friend.
Perhaps it's just as well becausem having spent several years as
the front person in a few bands, I now prefer being behind the scenes.
That's why, under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have considered
appearing in front of the cameras for a reality base TV mini series,
let alone one with the title Superhuman.
So, when I received a phone call from one of the show's researchers
explaining that someone had given them my name, my reaction was
one more of amusement than scepticism. Very soon I was going through
a succession of telephone and Internet interviews before finally
being interviewed in person. I later learned that I was the very
last person interviewed on the final day of interviews.
By the time I had finished meeting the production team it was obvious
that I had made some sort of impression, but I was still taking
the idea of appearing on some pseudo scientific TV program with
a pinch of salt. It's only when I was chosen as one of the 10 contestants
that I began to feel flattered and realised this would be both a
tremendous honour and opportunity to pit my wits against some apparently
like-minded and gifted individuals. Apart from looking forward to
enjoying the experience, I decided to prepare for this challenge
with one goal in mind, to make sure I was not among the first to
be eliminated.
All in all it involved 5-6 weeks of filming, during which time
I found myself in scenarios I was never likely to encounter, as
well as placed in situations I wasn't prepared for. Of course the
same could be said of the others, but despite my spontaneous nature
and priding myself on being adaptable, as a rule I don't like surprises.
I try to avoid areas or projects I don't know too much about, which
has become an increasingly familiar characteristic the longer I
have been in business.
Once the filming started I soon realised how much research and
preparation had to be done beforehand to make the tests possible.
It was well thought out with a lot of attention gone into trying
to make the tests equally challenging for all the contestants.
I'm sure I speak for the others when I say this was really appreciated,
however, I was still going into every test blind and unaware of
what to expect next. Some, like the Navigation or Memory test, we
were told what to do next while the cameras were rolling. Others,
like the Emotional Intelligence, we were told something completely
different to what we were expecting to happen.
I began to wonder whether footage of me struggling to do a test
I wasn't prepared for was necessarily how I wanted to be portrayed
on TV. As a result, I became increasing self-conscious of the cameras,
yet at the same time still trying to keep my true persona. To be
honest this dichotomy made the filming process an emotional rollercoaster.
By the time I had completed my fifth week of filming it was apparent
to most of the production crew that perhaps I had reached my peak
of enthusiasm a week or two earlier. Nevertheless, this does not
mean I didn't enjoy myself, because I did have a lot of fun and
met some very interesting people.
The underlying thing that stood out for me was - expect the unexpected.
Besides, I had fulfilled my goal of not being the first eliminated.
On reflection, although I probably didn't do myself justice, I did
the best that I could do at the time based on the headspace I was
in. I feel richer for the experience. Undeniably it was a once in
a lifetime adventure and I'm convinced the show will go on to be
a great national and international success. Maybe then others will
discover for themselves the standard needed to fulfil the criteria
Superhuman.
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