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X-Treme Warrior: TV reality series tapes in Bellaire |
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BY Kris School |
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Move over ‘Survivor'. Here comes the ‘X-Treme Warrior', a fitness-based television reality series, which recently taped at Shanty Creek Resort in Bellaire.
A Farmington Hills-based company, Omar's Planet, the creators of X-Treme Warrior, held the shoot last Tuesday through Thursday. Ten Michigan women were chosen to compete for three days and two nights of intense physical activity, which was both mentally and physically grueling.
 They trained with world military boxing champion, Omar Akl, who is originally from Lebanon , but moved to the United States in 2000. Between 1997 and 2000, he fought for and trained the Lebanese Army boxing, kickboxing and Muay Thai teams. For seven years, from 1993 to 2000, he also held three championship titles. In 1996, he won the WAKO European kickboxing championship in Yugoslavia and in 1998, he won the world military boxing championship in North Carolina .
One competitor from each of the 12 episodes will be required to compete in the season finale for a jackpot of up to $25,000. The winner will be chosen by her teammates to represent them in the finale episode and for a chance to share in the jackpot.
According to Leona Larson, executive producer of the show, X-Treme Warrior is not just another reality series.
“It is a multi-media motivational experience that challenges not only contestants,” she said, “but also challenges viewers to get off their couch and go from passive observers to active participants in their own health and wellness.”
Already under production, the show is “real reality,” Akl added. “There's no script,” he said, “everything is realistic. It's not like Fear Factor. Nobody rappels from tall buildings or eats worms.”
Akl said the concept is motivational and original.
“The contestants on X-Treme Warrior do realistic challenges in amazing ways,” he said.
One of the participants, Dawn Keene, who is from the Detroit area, said she was “definitely” ready to quit early on.
“But my teammate, Brandy, grabbed my hand and encouraged me to keep going,” Keene said. “And Omar kept questioning me, asking me why I wanted to quit, and I finally decided (after a lot of encouragement and support) I wanted to keep going. I wanted to do this.”
Joelle Beaudoin of Elk Rapids, a certified athletic trainer with the Northern Michigan Sports Center , assisted on scene last week, providing minor medical care and treatment. According to Beaudoin, Shanty Creek referred the production company to her to see if she'd be interested in helping out.
Beaudoin said that when she first heard about the reality show, she thought it was a “really cool thing” to get involved in.
“But I really wasn't sure what to expect,” she said. “This is my first time ever doing something like this. It's been encouraging to watch these ladies work so hard to achieve their goals.”
Larson said one of the producers with the company is friends with an employee of Shanty Creek and that's how they found out about Bellaire.
“Plus, we wanted to highlight different parts of our state,” she said.
Larson said Omar's Planet started shooting the series at the beginning of June and will finish in October. The show will be aired on Comcast Local in November.
For more information on the series or to apply to be a contestant on the show, download an application on the website at www.xtremewarrior.com. People can also call Leona Larson at (248) 894-1286 for more information. There will be two additional casting calls in August. |
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