‘Naked and Afraid’: Double Amputee Mandy Horvath Dishes on Her 21 Days in Jungle

Don’t ever tell Mandy Horvath she can’t do something. The 31-year-old was the first female bilateral amputee to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. Now the inspiring survivalist and public speaker is taking on another massive challenge in Naked and Afraid. As the show returns for Season 18 on March 9, viewers will get to see her face the challenge of 21 days in remote jungle without her prosthetic legs. 

Horvath, from Colorado, will be joined by Army veteran Jonny Yates as they depend on each other to make it through three weeks in the tough terrain. They face finding food for themselves, heavy rains, swarms of mosquitoes, toxic plants and more perils. 

Horvath lost her legs below her knees after being struck by a locomotive near a bar in Steele City, Nebraska, in 2014.  She believes someone slipped a date rape drug into her drink, causing her to black out. Out of loss of her lower limbs, Horvath gained a purpose. To be open about her story to give others hope in the darkest moments. 

Here the fearless first double amputee of the Discovery series opens up about her emotional journey. 

Jonny Yates and Mandy Horvath outside shelter. (Discovery Channel)

You’ve done so many incredible things already. I love how you’re calling Naked and Afraid your Mount Everest after conquering everything from Manitou Incline to Pikes Peak. Take me through your decision to do the show. How did you prepare? 

 Mandy Horvath: This was my Everest. I had six months knowing I would be on the challenge, so I was training with my bushcraft skills, working with my professors at my college. I’m about to graduate with my bachelor’s degree in English and minor in anthropology. So, primitive tool-making has been an interest of mine for years. It was an interesting experience preparing for the challenge all together. I was tanning for months. Then when I found out I was going to Belize, I was doing specific research on the ecosystems and reptiles, flora and fauna. All of it. 

Did you watch the show prior and take anything from others in terms of strategy? 

Yes, I was a big fan prior to going on. I have seen every episode. I definitely took tidbits from other episodes I’ve seen there in Belize and used the skills in my own challenge. 

You say you weren’t able to sleep going into the challenge because one of the unpredictable variables of the show is who would be your partner. You never know how you’ll mesh. What was it like to meet Jonny? 

We bonded from the commonality of being from Missouri actually. He lives just a couple of hours from my parents and their house. I can’t say too much about our relationship because I want to leave that for the episode, but I will say I couldn’t have had a better partner out there. I’m so grateful they chose Jonny to be my partner. 

How much pressure did you feel to do well here knowing how much your performance would inspire others? 

Being in my position, there is a lot more pressure for me to use all of my skills and be vulnerable to doing so. I take the position very seriously. When I was a young amputee, I didn’t really have anyone to look up to to tell me I could do those things I was interested in. I grew up hunting, foraging and fishing. The female amputees in the media weren’t doing those things. I just hope this episode reaches that young girl who had just been amputated and needed someone to tell her things are going to be okay. 

Mandy Horvath (Discovery Channel)

You’ve been featured in a lot of teasers. What has been the response so far? 

I’m massively overwhelmed, but the response has been very positive. Overwhelmingly positive. I was expecting more hate. People are just genuinely curious and excited to see it. I’m grateful for the opportunity. 

What can you tease viewers are going to see in the premiere? 

Without saying too much, I went into the challenge expecting to be partnered with someone who had more primitive skills. Discovery threw me a whammy, and I kind of became a mentor with the first challenge. I’m really interested to see how the public takes that. 

What was the one thing you were most afraid of going in? 

Deep water because they put us right on the roaring river. I’m very fearful of deep water with current because I do not swim the best anymore. I float. Current tends to drag me out, so I was really concerned about that. 

As an avid viewer, what was the most surprising part of the experience we didn’t see? 

For me, the isolation was particularly impactful. Of course, being out there you don’t have food and normal luxuries. You’re getting a lot less dopamine. Your demeanor becomes suppressed I guess. That was an odd complexity of the challenge that I was not anticipating. 

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After you went through the experience, what did you do? 

I had a whole plate of Middle Eastern food and a slice of pizza. My entire relationship with food has changed. 

Oh yeah, do you enjoy it more now? 

Yes, definitely. 

What is your goal next? 

While it is yet to be determined if I completed this challenge, I’m hopeful my story with Discovery is not over and that I will get other opportunities to take on other challenges. 

What did you take from the experience? 

To trust yourself more, and have fun doing it. 

As much as you can when you’re trying to avoid poisonous snakes and jaguars while hungry. 

Exactly!  As much as you can. 

Naked and Afraid, Season 18 premiere, March 9, 8/7c, Discovery Channel