WATCH: Steve Wilson Talks with Discovery Channel’s ‘Naked and Afraid’ Survivalist Shell Armogida

Mims Resident Survived 21 days in South Africa on 2024 Season Premiere Episode

Mims resident, Shell Armogida, a participant on the Warner Brothers/Discovery Channel TV show ‘Naked and Afraid,’ talks with the Friday Night Locker Room’s Steve Wilson at the Erdman Automotive Studio in Cocoa. She and her partner were on the 2024 season premiere having survived 21 days in South Africa.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – If you have never seen Warner Brothers/Discovery Channel’s TV show, ‘Naked and Afraid,’ you are missing out on an incredibly exciting show!

Mims resident, Shell Armogida, was the female participant on the 2024 season premiere. I recently had the opportunity to talk with her about the show and her experience in South Africa.

To start with, yes, the two participants compete in the nude. It is tactfully shown on TV and is really a minor part of the show. Two strangers, one male and one female, start the 21-day journey with no food, no water, no clothes, and only one survival item each.

Armogida is an outdoors person. She is a farmer at Farm and Forage in Mims, Florida, and is a natural for a survival type show. I asked her what her biggest challenge was, and she told me, “Sleep deprivation and dehydration.” Armogida continued, “It just makes you very, very weak. It gets to you quickly. Even after the first couple of days of just not sleeping well” it becomes a real challenge.

Often on the show, participants will “tap out,” which means they can’t go any further and they quit. I asked Armogida if things ever got so difficult that she considered “tapping out.” She responded rather quickly saying, “There was never a time!” She had committed to 21 days and decided, in advance, she was going to do whatever it took to make it to the end.

Armogida is a person of faith. She viewed this as a “spiritual journey.” She said, “I do truly believe that God strengthens our soul in order to be able to power through some of the most difficult situations in life.”

She called it, “an amazing experience.” I followed up, asking her if she would do it again. She quickly said, “Yes, I would. Given the opportunity, I would do it again.”

Well, we won’t have to wait too long! Armogida will be participating in ‘Naked and Afraid XL,’ a 40-day journey through the challenging terrain in the Colombian Badlands. The season premier will be May 12, at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery Channel.

It does not take long to realize that Shell Armogida is a very special young lady, not just because she survived the 21-day journey in South Africa, but because of the type of person she is. I don’t believe there is anything she can’t do. Don’t bet against her in Columbia!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Steve Wilson was born in DeRidder, Louisiana and grew up in both New Orleans and Macon, Georgia.  He moved to Brevard County in 1984 and retired from local government as the Community Advocate/Assistant to the City Manager with the City of Rockledge in 2018.

Among the awards and accolades Steve has received over the years are 15 + year Rockledge Little League volunteer, Brevard Public School Jefferson Award Recipient, Rockledge High School Raider Booster Award 2001, 2006, City of Rockledge Employee of the Year 2006, Rockledge Kiwanian of the Year 2006-2007, City of Rockledge Quality Public Service Award 2008, 2012, 2017, Rockledge Kiwanis Citizen of the Year 2012-2013, Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame – Sportscasting 2015, Rockledge High School Leadership and Service Award 2016, Central Florida Humanitarian Award 2017, Space Coast Inspiration Award – 2018,  Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame – Lifetime Achievement – 2020, Ecofest Achievement Award – 2022, Quality Floridian Award – 2022, presented by U.S. Congressman Bill Posey.

Wilson is especially proud of his chairing two fundraisers in support of pediatric cancer research through the St. Baldrick’s Foundation in honor of Merritt Island resident Julie Spurlock that raised over $25,000.00.

He has been a partner, along with Orville Susong, for the past 24 years with the Friday Night Locker Room, a broadcasting team that covers and reports on a wide variety of local events that are of significance to the residents of the Space Coast and beyond. Their mission is to promote youth sports, support first responders and law enforcement personnel, and showcase community and charitable events that are produced by our nonprofit partners in central Florida.

The Friday Night Locker Room has awarded hundreds of sports achievement plaques to Brevard County student-athletes over the years. They have also awarded more than $18,000 in academic scholarships to Brevard County high school seniors.

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