Brown County Man Takes on Extreme Survival Challenge in Cave for Six Days – on new Discovery Channel Show entitled “Darkness”
Written by Amanda Coers – Jeff Tucker seeks to war with giants, in the dark. The former Fort Worth firefighter is well known for his considerable contributions to the CrossFit community as the Director of CrossFit Gymnastics. His list of accomplishments elicits, at the very least, a raised eyebrow. Tucker was a competitive gymnast in the 70’s, worked as the TCU Gymnastic and Cheer Coach for seven years, is the founder and CEO of GSX Athletics & GSX CrossFit, and author of Breaking Parallel. He currently works on his ranch near May, Texas, in addition to his continued involvement with the CrossFit community.
Tucker has a personal commitment to push the envelope in every area of his life. A verse from Edmond Rostand’s “Cyrano de Bergerac,” has become a sort of mantra for the rhythm of his life:
“I am going to be a storm-a flame-
I need to fight whole armies alone;
I have ten hearts; I have a hundred arms;
I feel too strong to war with mortals-
BRING ME GIANTS!”
― Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac
His latest adventure has led him to face utter darkness in the Discovery Channel’s latest reality survival show “Darkness.” Jeff Tucker survived six days without any light in a cave, with no food, and very little water as part of the network’s newest series.
Discovery Channel, considered a pioneer of the survival genre, announced in March it had ordered “Darkness,” an all-new series featuring a grueling test of mental and physical survival. The idea for the series was inspired by extreme training scenarios conducted by the U.S. Military, Department of Defense, and NASA. Three strangers found on each episode are said to push themselves to their absolute limits in complete darkness – enduring days buried underground while navigating prehistoric cave systems, ancient subterranean cities and centuries-old abandoned mines.
Jeff Tucker is seen entering the cave in the latest trailer for the new series “Darkness”
A surprising development of Tucker’s time in the dark was not what he was able to survive without, but what he discovered within.
“I have, like many first responders, grappled with PTSD from my old profession,” Tucker said, of his twenty years as a firefighter in Fort Worth, Texas. “So much of what I did within the fire department when going into structure fires involved literally feeling around in the dark.” Finding himself again reaching into the darkness caused his thoughts to turn inward.
“Mentally, it was like there old ghosts were emerging when alone with one’s thoughts under stress during the dark challenge, and they’re up and awake again it seems,” he said. Though he entered the cave with little, he emerged with a wealth of new appreciation for life and things taken for granted daily.
“For me, this whole thing was therapeutic,” Tucker explained. “I’ve gotten more out of this than I bargained for, in great ways. I’m grateful for everything I come in contact with. I’m grateful for this survival experience in full, and grateful to be alive to even be tested. Life, with its experiences is a gift we too often take for granted”
The episode of “Darkness” featuring Jeff Tucker will air on the Discovery Channel on August 2nd. Tucker is hoping the show will convey what his group went through during their six days in the cave.
“When people watch the show – I want people to understand what we actually went through and that it was extremely challenging,” he said. “I want people to know that this wasn’t a gimmick, it was the real deal. We signed up for something and it wasn’t easy but mostly that if you set your mind to something, you can overcome obstacles.”
