Mandy on Naked and Afraid. Photo:
warner bros./discovery
Naked and Afraid kicks off its latest season on March 9, taking a groundbreaking turn in a major way amid the Discovery show’s 12-year run.
Viewers will witness history as the first-ever double amputee survivor, Mandy Horvath, takes on the brutal wilderness of Belize’s dense and unforgiving jungles — a challenge that goes beyond the wild, serving as a testament to sheer willpower, determination and resilience.
“Tell me that I can’t and I’ll show you that I can,” reads Mandy’s tattoo, which, as it turns out, isn’t just her motto — she’s proven it, step by step, in one of the harshest environments on earth.
Mandy was in a tragic accident that severed both of her legs, but she still managed to become the first female bilateral amputee to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Today, she’s making history once again as the first female double amputee to take on this brutal survival challenge.
“Ten years ago, my life was changed forever,” Mandy says at the beginning of the episode, as she officially surrenders herself to the wild. “I was struck by a locomotive, severing my limbs from my body. I have died three times and came back from that.”
As the sun set on the Belize rainforest, Mandy found herself not just fighting for survival, but grappling with a deeper, more profound personal battle — one that many could never truly understand.
It’s one thing to sign up for a brutal survival challenge, and it’s another to sign up without two limbs. This, along with the excruciating challenges of being in the wild, meant Mandy’s journey would test every ounce of her strength and resilience.
“This position does come with a lot of pressure, but I do take it very seriously. It’s deeply personal to me,” Mandy tells PEOPLE exclusively when asked how it feels to be breaking these phenomenal barriers and being such an inspiration in the process.
Mandy on Naked and Afraid. warner bros./discovery
“I got to do a little video for a 14-year-old paraplegic girl last week just saying ‘Hey’ and thanking her for her support. It’s important to me that young women that find themselves in these traumatic situations have something to hold onto.”
Having that sense of direction, or a ‘North Star,’ if you will, was especially elusive for Mandy. She recalls “struggling without any kind of roadmap” after her accident. “People repeatedly told me to look at [Paralympic medalist] Amy Purdy and all the things that she’s doing,” she says.
While Mandy believes Purdy is “talented in her own right,” she was “more interested in the outdoors — growing up hunting, foraging and fishing.”
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“I didn’t have anybody telling me, ‘You can still go out there, it’s [just] going to be a little different,'” she says.
It’s no secret that venturing off into a remote jungle for 21 days is daunting, but there were moments in the premiere that truly showcased the rigorous efforts that go into this survival challenge. Watching the episode, you’ll understand why Mandy referred to it as “her Everest.”
From the swarming mosquitoes to the exhaustion and nausea from the lack of calories, you’ll be surprised to discover her motivation.
Mandy on Naked and Afraid. warner bros./discovery
She and “one of the crew members had a brief interaction” while she was “completely covered in bugs,” during which he recalled how some of the “bigger legends on the show” constantly complained about the bugs and how he considered them “p—-es” for “bitching about it.”
“I looked at him and I was like, were you just in a roundabout way calling me a p—y?” Something about this “set her back on track,” she says with a laugh when asked what the light at the end of the tunnel was for her. “For me, it was just one more day and repeating that until I was done.”
You would think surviving the Belize jungle as a double amputee would be enough of a challenge, but as a woman navigating the forest in those conditions, there were additional hurdles.
With no legs, Mandy also faced a higher risk of infection and other medical complications, including potential gynecological issues, making every step of the journey even more difficult. “I didn’t actually have any issues with that; production allowed me to use wipes [to avoid] bacterial infections and UTIs,” she recalls. “I also used tampons throughout the challenge to make sure there wasn’t dirt and debris,” which she says was “actually very effective.”
“Every climb that I’ve ever done, I use tampons when I’m climbing. I learned on my first ascent of Pike’s Peak that it’s a necessity, actually,” she adds.
This makes her journey all the more inspiring, especially as a woman, but it still wasn’t easy. When asked if there was anything specific she endured that viewers won’t get to see, she revealed what turned out to be the start of her journey, considering it happened upon meeting her partner, Jonny.
“Before Jonny picked me up, I got bit right by my butthole by a massive leaf cutter ant and it broke skin,” she reveals. “So, two minutes after meeting my partner, I’m like, oh my God, this hurts. Can you check it?”
To say this challenge required putting her ego aside would be an understatement.
jonny and Mandy outside shelter Naked and Afraid. warner bros./discovery
The silver lining? The teamwork and camaraderie between her and Jonny were truly heartfelt. Given Mandy’s tragic experience, the idea of trust was something she naturally struggles with as openly discussed in the episode.
“They could not have put me with somebody better,” she says. “I was terrified of meeting him for months because I am a very strong-willed personality, and if somebody had been negative towards me, I would’ve not been so pleasant to work with.”
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Despite his lack of skills in primitive bushcraft, Mandy admitted to learning a lot from her partner. “I learned to have more trust in myself, but also, I learned a great deal about working as a team and conflict resolution from Jonny. I think that those two together combined are the key to our entire relationship.”
“Jonny and I are really good friends,” she says when asked if their innate connection in Belize was the same off-camera. “We’ve met up several times since the challenge. Every time I go back home, we meet up. So that was very natural.”
Leaning on someone in the middle of the jungle is certainly an advantage, but Mandy and Jonny’s mutual synergy and respect are undeniable. “I don’t think that either of us would’ve been successful without each other. I needed him and he needed me, and we certainly leaned on each other in times of stress and need,” she says.
When asked if she would do it all again, Mandy’s answer might surprise you. But with her strength and sheer willpower, it’s not hard to believe she says “Yes” without hesitation. “Watch with an open mind,” she adds, “and maybe don’t judge a book by its cover.”
Mandy’s journey is one of adversity and triumph, a testament to the strength of the human spirit. Her resilience and determination aren’t defined by the limitations others may see, but by the unstoppable drive that fuels her every step of the way.
Naked and Afraid premieres Sunday, March 9, at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery Channel with two new episodes. It will also be available to stream the next day on Max and Discovery+.
