Bear Grylls – a name that springs excitement, adventure and daring every time you hear or say it out aloud.
Man Vs Wild became a household name in over 200 countries yet there are facts about the host, Bear Grylls, which are lesser known to the general public.
1. His real name is Edward Michael Grylls and not Bear Grylls.
Contrary to popular belief, the ‘Bear’ in Bear Grylls came only after his elder sister nicknamed him so, for being a wild sport, claims The Guardian.
2. Bear Grylls is really fond of the Indian Army.
After completing his schooling, Bear enjoyed trekking and climbing on Indian peaks.
I spent quite some time in India before I joined the army. I went out there climbing, and up in West Bengal and all around Darjeeling. I love India. We were in Calcutta for a while and then we were with the Indian Army as well. It’s a place I really love, and I’m really looking forward to getting back there for a long time.
3. Bear Grylls is a certified black belt in Karate.
A black belt in Shokobon Karate, Grylls loves martial arts training and can protect himself quite nicely thanks to the moves he learnt.
4. Bear Grylls climbed Mount Everest just 18 months after breaking his back.
A freak accident left Bear Grylls with multiple broken bones, ribs and a completely shattered back. But that didn’t stop him from fulfilling his dream.
5. Bear Grylls, on his way to Everest top, climbed the unscalable Ama Dablam peak.
Once described as unscalable by the legendary climber Sir Edmund Hillary, the Ama Dablam has claimed many lives in the past.
6. Thinking what can be more extreme? Bear Grylls once had dinner at a height of 7,600 metres.
Bear Grylls, at an open-air dinner party, shared space with Lt Cdr Alan Veal RN, setting a new record by eating dinner above 7,600 metres.
7. Bear Grylls set the Guinness World Record for longest continuous indoor freefall.
By beating the previously set world record by a few seconds, Bear Grylls, along with double amputee Al Hodgson and Freddy MacDonald, set a new Guinness record with the help of a vertical wind tunnel.
8. Bear Grylls crossed the North Atlantic ocean in an 11 metre-long boat.
According to the Maritime Journal, Bear led a team of 5 people across the Northern Atlantic ocean, that too on an open boat.
9. Bear Grylls made an exclusive Man vs Wild game for XBOX, PS3 and Wii consoles.
Bear Grylls released Man Vs Wild: The Game in association with Discovery Channel back in April, 2011.
10. Bear Grylls sports a list of horrible injuries and has close to 4,319 mosquito bites.
Pain and adventure often find each other close. Bear Grylls has suffered from multiple injuries in the past.
11. Bear Grylls created a record-setting parameter above Mount Everest.
Taking off from 4,400 metres, 8 miles south of the mountain, Bear Grylls flew above Mount Everest experiencing temperatures close to −60 °C.
12. Bear Grylls became the youngest person to summit Mount Everest in 1998, aged 23.
Despite taking 90 days to summit Mount Everest in 1998, Bear Grylls was the youngest to the historic feat. He was just 23-years-old and had suffered a major back injury just 18 months prior.
13. Bear Grylls served with the British Special Air Service (21 SAS) for 3 years.
Bear Grylls learnt evasive driving, parachuting, demolitions, trauma treatment and multiple other activities during his 3-year stint with the British Special Air Service, reported Looper.
14. Bear Grylls has written 11 books including 4 teenage fiction books.
Apart from skipping stones, jumping mountains and breaking bones for fun, Bear Grylls has also meticulously sat down to write 11-odd books. This includes four teenage fiction books about survival titled Mission Survival.
15. Man vs Wild is a global hit with more than 1.2 billion viewers across 200 countries.
Majorly known for surviving in near-death situations in his show Man Vs Wild, Bear Grylls first became popular when the show peaked across 200 countries, stated Hooch.net.
16. Bear Grylls’s first break was a deodorant advertisement.
After reaching the Everest summit, Bear Grylls was approached to star in a deodorant advert. This changed his life forever, giving him his first break.
17. Bear Grylls was appointed Chief Scout by the Scouts Association in 2009.
According to the official Scouts website, Bear Grylls became the youngest person to be selected as the Chief Scout.
18. Bear Grylls’ father was a Conservative politician.
Bear Grylls’ father, Sir Michael Grylls, was a conservative politician serving at the House of Commons as a Member of Paliament in 1970.
19. Bear Grylls’ son saved a life when he was just 7-years-old.
Bear Grylls is married and has two kids. His son saved a 3-year-old girl from drowning in a swimming pool.
20. Bear Grylls has eaten some really horrible things in the past.
From raw frozen Yak eyeballs to Camel intestine juice, Bear Grylls has eaten some really weird things in the past.
