The writers of the hit Netflix actuality collection Million Dollar Secret might by no means have scripted a extra twisted plot than what Kyle Wimberley confronted upon his return to actuality.
After the South Louisiana native was eradicated from the collection, it was straight to work for the chiseled Cajun—a 14-hour, in a single day marathon drive from Louisiana to the Texas oil fields that will have been his most unwinnable problem. Low ranges of sleep, excessive warmth, and a grueling day within the Lone Star solar, together with the psychological crash from the adrenaline-fueled streaming expertise led to emotions of light-headedness and dizziness.
These signs worsened, with extreme nausea and an unsettling sensation of paralysis. Wimberley’s workmates rushed him to the closest hospital—10 miles away—the place docs stated the fact star suffered from dehydration and kidney harm.
If there was ever a time for the Million Greenback Secret contestant to ponder “what might have been” if he had gained the present’s grand prize and never have been eradicated, it will actually have been whereas he was hooked as much as medical machines. “If I had gained that million {dollars}, this will by no means have occurred,” Kyle Wimberley joked. “As a result of I in all probability wouldn’t have been at work.”
Fortuitously, the 27-year-old is working his means again to 100% well being—at each his water-well drilling job and within the fitness center. Viewers who caught a glimpse of his unassumingly ripped physique on the Netflix collection can attest to the essential function health has performed within the fast restoration of this former highschool working again.
Whereas he’s nonetheless enjoys his easy life on his job drilling, the success of the present has inspired Wimberley to maintain pushing for a actuality present repeat. It’s why getting again to a weightroom routine and getting his physique proper is important. Outdoors of labor, his passions preserve him busy. Wimberley immerses himself in actions akin to health, pictures, duck looking, and crawfish cooking.
Moreover, Kyle co-founded an area mud racing occasion in Louisiana with a buddy, which caught the eye of representatives from the Discovery Channel. This opportunity encounter opened the door to a facet gig on TV and in the end led to his participation in Million Greenback Secret.
Kyle Wimberley’s Journey From Mud Racing to Actuality TV
So how did a Louisiana-born Cajun, who watches little to no tv, discover himself on a actuality collection watched by thousands and thousands? Mud racing, in fact.
Wimberley, an avid mud racing fanatic, together with a buddy, hosted a number of native mud using occasions by which followers and individuals would deliver out their ATVs and four-wheelers and experience by means of the mud. Afterwards, everybody indulges in an all-day crawfish cookout.
Based on Wimberley, these occasions caught the eye of producers from the Discovery Channel. Whereas that undertaking continues to be within the works, casting brokers started reaching out to him for separate alternatives. Considered one of which was to take part in Million Greenback Secret, the present by which the premise was having 12 contestants have interaction in a high-stakes recreation of predator and prey.
Over eight episodes, the much less lucky opponents needed to strategize to seek out and remove the “millionaire” whereas continuously shifting alliances to place themselves in a greater place to win. Casting brokers believed his sharp and low-key southern demeanor can be an ideal match. Wimberley, flattered at first, wasn’t completely optimistic of issues figuring out.
“I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t have tremendous excessive hopes, simply because so many reveals didn’t occur previously for no matter purpose,” he says. “However I stored going by means of the casting course of, and subsequent factor I knew, I used to be on a flight to Canada.”
Previous to his keep on the present’s location—the ultra-luxurious Stag Resort in British Columbia—the one time Wimberley ever left the states was for a relative’s wedding ceremony south of the U.S. border. “I’ve by no means gone in a foreign country, apart from to Mexico after I was, like, 8.”
Wimberley made it to Episode 7 earlier than his eventual elimination. Not dangerous for a participant who went in to the collection unaware of the scenario he was getting himself into. “I simply confirmed up with no prep in any respect,” he says. “I wished every part to be new to me,” he defined.
His confidence all through the present didn’t at all times shine by means of. Regardless of being surrounded with next-level lodging, nerves and tradition shock caught up with him, inflicting him to lose 10 kilos. There have been instances when he would share his meals with fellow castmates, akin to Sydnee Falkner, earlier than he grew to become snug in his environment.
“I went out of your common man from South Louisiana working a traditional job to having 50 cameras in entrance of my face,” he says. “However by in regards to the week-and-a-half mark, I actually bought used to it.”
For the fitness-focused outdoorsman who prides himself on his Cajun cooking expertise discovered from his mom, prime delicacies shortly grew to become a luxurious he got here to understand: “That they had an in-house chef, and his meals was wonderful,” he says. “They gave us three meals a day and snacks, and it was all actually wholesome, clear, single-ingredient meals. It was insane.”
Amid the changes, one among his solely escapes was making an attempt to slot in a exercise. As he grew to become used to his new environment, he made do with no matter exercise he might handle. The scenic property balcony grew to become his fitness center. “I’d get my suitcases, pack my garments and different stuff, and simply begin curling my suitcase on the balcony,” he recollects. “Or I’d do tricep dips on some patio furnishings. That sort of stuff.”
Apparently, it by no means dawned on Wimberley that the resort may need exercise gear obtainable for him. “One of many employees members noticed me curling my suitcase,” he admits. “She stated that they’ve dumbbells right here. She got here and introduced me some dumbbells, and I used to be good to go after that.”
There’s No Wealth with out Having Your Well being
Technically talking, by hitting the fitness center earlier than spending eight-plus hours beneath the sweltering solar warmth serving to drill water wells for oil fields, Kyle Wimberley has change into accustomed to placing in two-a-days of coaching. His experience confirms that there’s nothing comparable between the 2 kinds of “exercises.”
“It’s totally different,” he says. “In a fitness center exercise, you have got managed actions by which you’re hitting sure physique elements. Right here, you’re slinging pipe all day. You’re carrying it in your shoulder, pulling it out of the bottom. You’re simply cranking on that pipe all day. So, it’s fairly intense and undoubtedly totally different from the fitness center.”
Wimberley’s workday begins round 3:45 a.m., permitting him loads of time to get that first exercise in. He says it provides him an energizing increase earlier than arriving on the job web site by 6:45. Relying on the day, he might be out within the fields for hours or within the workplace ending up some tedious administrative work.
The unpredictability of his every day schedule forces Wimberley to remain on level along with his diet and hydration—particularly in excessive warmth circumstances. Nonetheless, on this present day, following his return from Million Greenback Secret, one thing went unpredictably mistaken.
“This was 100% uncommon as a result of I’m at all times making an attempt to eat clear,” he says. “I make it very obvious to at all times keep hydrated. I’ll drink water, salt, potassium—Powerade-type stuff. However I suppose it simply wasn’t sufficient.”
Exhausted from the lengthy drive, he felt the results of sleep deprivation. However like every athletic and hard-working 20-something, he selected to struggle by means of it. He relied on his usually in-sync health ranges to get him by means of this grueling 12-hour workday. Nonetheless, the mixture of the warmth and admittedly not consuming as a lot as he usually does took a toll. It’s not at all times straightforward to eat within the fields, so he often packs two or three protein bars as a backup for lunch, however this present day wasn’t typical.
His situation quickly deteriorated. Extreme nausea and vomiting whereas at the back of the drilling rig set off alarm bells for him and his coworkers. When he sat within the truck to chill down, a terrifying sensation swept over him: his fingers and toes started to go numb.
Rushed to the hospital by his colleagues, Kyle underwent a difficult night time of evaluation and therapy. Medical doctors knowledgeable him that his kidneys had been in critical hazard of failure—an alarming revelation given his in any other case wholesome life-style. He left the hospital after 9 hours. Later assessments confirmed no main harm, however the ordeal left Wimberley with a heavy life lesson about how shut his kidneys had been to being within the “failing vary.” He now not takes his health as a right.
“The primary factor I used to be fascinated about within the hospital was that I used to be terrified,” he says. “I didn’t know what was occurring or if I used to be gonna have everlasting harm. I often deal with my physique like a temple for probably the most half, so this was scary.”
From Taking Pics to Staying Match for in Entrance of the Cameras
Together with his well being now in verify, Kyle Wimberley is again to his regular routine of coaching and outside. Through the years he’s additionally developed a eager curiosity in taking photos. “Images has been a extremely huge pastime of mine for just a few years now,” he says. “I primarily bought into it to {photograph} my hunts, however now I additionally do fitness center pictures. I’ve even executed engagement photographs as properly.”
His optimistic takeaway from his expertise on Million Greenback Secret has inspired him to pursue a profession, this time in entrance of the cameras. Did the momentary comforts of luxurious dwelling gasoline this new ardour? Probably. However the problem of breaking out of his every day routine has impressed him to hunt new alternatives.
“I had a decision to get out of my consolation zone, and I’m nonetheless wanting to do this,” he explains. “I’d completely do one other present or tackle extra initiatives that not solely push me out of my consolation zone but in addition permit me to find new issues.”
Shifting ahead, Wimberley should preserve a give attention to his well being as he recovers from a latest well being setback. A month previous to his kidney incident, he was on a path to get shredded. For this he says he consumed about 2,200 energy a day. “It appears like rather a lot for a minimize, however with the bodily labor concerned, it balances out,” he says.
Wimberley has been coaching since highschool. Earlier than trying to outsmart his MDS opponents, he was outrunning defenders as a working again. “I used to be fairly quick in highschool,” he recollects. “I ran a 4.4 40.”
Nowadays, the chiseled Cajun trains for each efficiency and aesthetics. He says he follows a muscle-group-specific coaching plan that he adjusts each 9 to 12 weeks. A typical week for Wimberley consists of again and biceps on Monday, chest and triceps on Tuesday. He’ll full the three-day break up on Wednesday with legday, earlier than repeating the cycle for the remainder of the week.
His routine isn’t flashy; it’s a tried-and-true formulation that he says appears to be efficient. “It’s onerous to maintain it attention-grabbing generally, as we are likely to do the identical factor time and again. However it will get outcomes,” he notes.
In terms of cardio, Wimberley finds a diversified routine works finest for him. Swimming reigns supreme, offering a full-body exercise whereas providing a much-needed cooldown from the Southern warmth. He additionally incorporates biking, high-incline treadmill exercises, and even the StairMaster.
Like many features of his life today, cardio could be a difficult however fulfilling mix of various actions and pursuits. “Mixing it up is vital,” he says.
