Every day, millions
of hardworking Americans
roll up their sleeves
and get their hands dirty
to make an honest day's living.
Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!
The people who really
keep this country running.
Welcome to Tough As Nails...
A competition about
America's toughest workers,
who wear the calluses on their
hands as a badge of honor.
Sweating on factory floors
instead of gym floors,
and wearing work boots
instead of workout shoes.
I traveled into the heartland
of America,
a coast-to-coast tour
to find people who are tough
from their everyday lives.
Nice to see you this morning.
Good morning, St. Louis!
Good morning, New York City.
A chance to redefine
what it means to be tough...
Has anybody ever told you
you look like Santa Claus?
Yes, sir, I play Santa
every year.
At work, I'm one of, like,
two percent females.
It doesn't scare me
to compete against males.
...and prove that America's
toughest come
in all shapes and sizes.
- I'm a welder.
- I'm an electrician.
- Factory maintenance worker.
- Cement mason.
-A lineman.
-A roofer.
-Pipe welder.
Then I take on my second job,
which is being a mom full-time.
- Come on!
- This is a stress test.
Thousands threw their hat
in the ring
for the chance of a lifetime...
How tough are you?
- ...facing up
to the brutal truth.
I feel pretty confident.
- I'm not the one puking
in the bushes.
After an exhaustive search...
...12 contestants made the cut.
I'm doing this for my union,
as well as my family.
I'm representing the veterans.
Just because you
no longer serve doesn't mean
that you can't still kick a*s.
To be the sole breadwinner
is extremely hard.
I do everything for my children.
I definitely want to give
back to my parents.
They sacrificed a lot
to come to this country.
This is the chance
for you to see
what you've all got.
You guys are going to work.
The best of the best
in their chosen trade.
Built more brick walls
than I can count.
Skilled men and women,
who will compete
against each other
in a battle of strength...
...endurance...
- Get it, girl, come on!
- ...life skills...
We have to fix
that wooden post now!
It's not even at all!
...and most importantly...
...mental toughness.
This is a massive mistake.
Those who know
how to work smarter...
- That's a smart move.
- ...not harder.
Oh!
America's toughest workers
will battle each other
at real job sites.
All I want you to do
is find one of these...
An alternator.
- Come on, baby!
- Come on!
- Push!
- Let's go!
Let's get this money!
In the end...
...only one will be crowned
Tough As Nails champion
and win $200,000.
-Real people.
-Come on!
-Let's go!
- We can do it! Let's work!
- Real life.
You do not know
when to shut your mouth.
Do you feel respected
in this group?
No.
Real tough.
This man knows how to work!
Here's to redefining toughness.
This is Tough As Nails!
All right, good to see you guys.
- Hi!
- Welcome to sunny California.
- You know why people
often come here?
Why?
For vacation.
- But you're not here
for a vacation.
- Oh, no.
- You're all here
to do hard work.
That's right.
So, listen, there's no doubt
that you're all tough.
But we are here to find out
who is the toughest of them all.
And so while you are here
on Tough As Nails,
you will be competing
in an individual competition,
going head-to-head
against each other.
Only one of you
will be crowned
the Tough As Nails champion.
And that person will win
- $200,000 and...
- Yeah, baby!
And a 2020 Ford
Super Duty truck.
There's one thing I know about
all of you... you're used
to working on teams.
- Right, right.
- Because you all know
what team is.
And teamwork is what makes
Tough As Nails different.
Even if you lose your shot
at the individual title,
nobody is going home.
Because you will also
be competing
in a team competition.
There's lots of cash to be won.
Yeah, we ready, we ready!
So take a good look
at the people around you.
Because one day
they could be your most
feared competitor.
Lee, you might be
going up against Murph,
and you're fighting it out
to stay
in that individual competition,
and then the next day,
you guys are working together
as teammates.
- Right?
- Right, right.
Being in this position
to win so much money,
I am definitely putting
everything out on the line.
I am raising the bar
and going as far
as my body and mind can take me.
So why don't you tell America
what you do for a living?
I'm a drywaller and I, uh,
hang and finish all
the Sheetrock inside houses.
My job gave me these.
But my kids gave me this.
I'm a forestry tech and a,
and a wildland firefighter
for the U.S. Forest Service.
I'm a third-generation farmer.
My husband's
a third-generation farmer.
And I'm a proud Ohio farmer.
I am a deputy sheriff
in the jail.
So I work... in corrections.
And, Tara, tell us how you
ended up becoming a rod buster.
My husband's an ironworker.
Took him years
to talk me into it,
but... it was definitely
worth the career change.
I actually spent
ten years in dentistry.
And now people say, like,
"A female your size cannot be
an ironworker."
But you can't judge
any book by its cover here.
I retired from the Marine Corps.
I spent
- Thank you for your service,
Murph.
- Thank you.
Linnett, you're welding,
you're putting things together?
I melt metal together.
I make sure that people
can use their machinery.
And we keep the world going.
I build scaffolds
in the New York area.
I'm the one hanging up
in the air,
strapped up to a harness.
Callie, you're out there in the
high seas, months at a time.
That's tough out there.
No shower.
Um, yeah, all the seafood.
I'm excited to see
what people like Michelle
bring, you know?
She's five-foot-nothing.
And Luis, he looks like he
belongs on the cover of GQ.
He looks prettier
than he is tough.
But, uh, we'll see.
Lee, how many roofs do you think
you've put on
over your lifetime?
- 10,000.
- 10,000 roofs?
At least 10,000 roofs.
I'm a firefighter.
I actually bust down
all the drywall he builds
and bust up all the roofs
that he makes.
-Job security, I love it.
-Exactly.
-Right.
I'm looking at all
the different contestants.
Everyone looks
like a silent k*ller.
I'm a gate agent, ticket agent
at Cincinnati Airport.
I lift a lot of bags.
Michelle definitely
catches my eye as well.
She has a smile...
it's a little scary to me.
Good things come
in small packages!
She's like a little pit bull
pretty much.
She is a k*ller, too.
Why do I keep calling
everyone a k*ller?
First thing you're gonna do
is you're gonna pick
two teams of six.
You'll be in those teams
all the way to the end.
Once you're in your team,
loyalty will be key.
You'll be part of a family
and need to be a good teammate.
Your teammates could help
you win thousands of dollars.
Nice!
Cash money!
Now to pick those two teams,
you're gonna be competing in
two challenges
that you see behind me.
For the first challenge,
you'll be using
that classic builder's tool,
the wheelbarrow.
When you hear
the work whistle blow,
use your wheelbarrow
to move 24 bags of Spec Mix
across these narrow pathways
to these pallets.
There's only four pathways.
How many people? 12, right?
So there's gonna be a lot
of strategy involved.
Then for the second challenge,
it's bricklaying time.
Because being tough is not
just about strength.
This will test your life skills,
attention to detail
and mental toughness.
The winner of each challenge
gets to build a team.
Giving them the best opportunity
to control their fate and win
the most cash
in the team competitions.
This is a chance for you
to see what you've all got.
Are you tough as nails?
- Yes!
- Time to go to work!
This is a job you see
on construction sites
all across the country.
Oh, we've got some
driving challenges going on!
-Damn!
-And already,
forestry tech Myles
has lost control
of his wheelbarrow.
Man, this joker is heavy.
Drywaller Danny is
the first on the planks!
Balancing on these narrow boards
is extremely challenging,
especially going
around the corners.
I'm okay... I'm okay.
Scaffolder Luis losing control.
Luis, just leave the bag
and head back to the start.
And look at that,
Danny gets the first bag down.
I've always felt like
I've had to prove myself
because I'm five foot six,
I'm vertically challenged,
and I love being the best.
I mean, if me and another person
are driving to lunch, I want
to be first... I don't know why.
I'm actually
a third-generation drywaller.
My grandpa did it,
my dad did it.
So drywall is
definitely in my blood,
coursing through every vein.
My wife was
my high school sweetheart.
And I have four
amazing children.
I have this huge responsibility
to be a provider.
And I love every second
of being a dad.
It's my number one job.
Come on, Melissa.
I'm going my pace.
They can carry more
than one bag if they want to.
I want to win so badly.
It's an opportunity
to prove to myself that
I truly am tough.
Come on, baby...
And I think the mental toughness
from being a deputy sheriff
jailer is really helping me
in this competition right now.
And now Myles
has lost his balance
on the planks.
You got to grab some new bags
from the start, Myles.
I'm a forestry tech
and a wildland firefighter.
I'm definitely out
of my element in this.
And I think it's really
slowing me down at this point.
Age not slowing down
our roofer Lee.
This man knows how to work.
Two bags.
We have a leader right here.
Pushing a wheelbarrow feel like
just another day at the office.
Just do it a little faster.
That's all it feel like.
I'm a roofer
out of St. Louis, Missouri.
On a daily basis,
I'm probably lifting anywhere
from three to five thousand
pounds a day.
Do you see those hands?
Those are hands that have done
a lot of work in their life.
I love what I do.
It's like getting
a free gym membership
and getting paid to do it.
So, that's-that's why
I love my job.
Winning would prove to my wife,
my daughter, my friends,
you can do anything your mind
s... it's never too late in life.
Anything is possible.
Lee, this guy
who's over 60 years old,
just crushing it.
So, I have to pick it up
and just grab two bags.
Damn.
Used to dousing things
with water, right, Young?
This is really frustrating.
The wheel doesn't turn,
and somehow, you have
to maneuver it, and I don't know
what's going on,
but I just can't figure it out.
I've got this.
I put the bags
on the front of my wheelbarrow,
over the tire, to make the back
of the wheelbarrow as light
and as easy to maneuver
as possible,
to help with the steering.
We have a traffic jam.
Danny is now blocked
behind scaffolder Luis,
who's taking his time.
I don't think he wants
to get that hat dirty.
And Michelle, controlled and
steady with two bags on board.
This is the hard part,
getting up and over.
Ooh, look at that.
Linda just took out Luis.
Come on.
Got to start
all over again, Luis.
This is the hard part,
getting up and over.
Linda just took out Luis.
Come on.
Linda bumped into me
and I'm, like, really mad,
but I got to keep it together.
Luis has to go back to the start
to get more bags, and that's
gonna put him way behind.
Remember, the first
to shift-stack all 24 bags
of Spec Mix gets to pick a team.
And here's roofer Lee.
Roofer Lee coming through
with another two bags.
This guy is not mucking around.
We have a clear leader here.
And gate agent Michelle crushing
it with her first two bags.
Myles, Luis, Callie
and Young, yet to get
any Spec Mix on their pallets.
Young, leaving Linnett
at a standstill.
- How about that?
- Come on, Young.
Let's go!
Okay.
Deputy Sheriff Linda
has two this time.
And that's five for Danny.
Couple there. Keep going.
But look at Lee.
He's got six on his pallet.
This prize money
would change my life,
but I'm a commercial fisherman.
The amount of wheelbarrows we
use on boats in Alaska is zero.
Drywaller Danny coming back
with two, catching up to Lee.
Come on, Lee,
let's go, let's go.
Oh, Young just goes over.
So, I got one down,
now I figured, "Let's try two."
I despise that corner.
It is kicking my... behind.
Murph is just slow and steady,
but is getting it done.
Michelle got three on there now.
Farmer Melissa coming back.
- That two you got
in there, Melissa?
- Yes, sir!
Country strong.
We use a wheelbarrow often
on the farm.
I feel confident
in my wheelbarrow skills
and I'm not scared to get dirty.
- Come on, baby.
- And there's Linda
right behind Danny and Lee.
Stamina, stamina.
Got to beat nine.
Competing against men
doesn't deter me,
it motivates me.
I'm a deputy sheriff jailer,
and fights break out on a daily
basis inside the jail.
Sometimes it's inmates
fighting against inmates,
sometimes inmates
will attack staff.
So you pretty much
have to be ready for anything
at any given time.
Everybody, behave yourself.
There's a sheriff
in town right now.
It's tough sometimes,
but working
with the inmate population,
it's an amazing feeling
when you can connect
with someone
that is struggling through life.
And when they leave,
they can prosper in life
and have a new start.
It's been very motivating.
Apart from myself, I'm
competing to show anybody else
out there that feels weak
and that, like,
they don't have a voice,
and to show them
that you get up every day,
you put one foot forward
and you keep going
when everything around you
is telling you to stop.
Don't you guys sleep
on our retired Marine.
That's 12 bags for Murph, and
he's taken the lead from Lee,
who's right behind him with ten.
Lee, how you feeling?
I'm feeling good, baby,
I'm feeling good.
- Yeah?
Lee is tough.
I mean, he's just focused.
He looks real focused.
Definitely intimidating, Lee.
Let's work it.
This is very different from
moving luggage around, Michelle,
- but you're looking good.
- You got it.
Who will be the first
to get all 24 bags
on their pallet?
And here's Linnett the welder,
with her tenth bag.
I am a single mother
of four beautiful children.
And I'm motivated to show them
that there is no such thing
as failure unless you stop.
Danny, Murph and Lee
all within one bag
of each other.
I really want to win today
because I want
to choose my team and control
the majority
of my fate from here.
- How you feeling, Danny?
- Feeling like I can keep going!
I'm a die hard.
Ain't no quitting in me.
Ain't no giving up. I may give
out, but I ain't gonna give up.
You got it, Michelle.
Drywaller Danny, 21 bags down.
Only three to go.
But Lee's ahead.
He only needs two more bags
for a victory.
I got Lee, who is on my butt.
I can decide to take three bags
and make this my last trip,
but I don't want to fall
in the mud or tip over
my wheelbarrow,
so it's a gamble.
You're sweating, Young.
How you feeling?
- Great.
- Don't you give up.
- Everybody's looking
to see what you got.
- Yep.
- Yeah.
- What you're made of.
Look at that. Danny,
pushing through the deep stuff.
He needs three.
Lee needs two.
Wow, Danny.
How many did you bring over?
Did you bring over three?
- Going for the win!
- Are you gonna finish
this thing?
Is this Danny's first win?
There we have it.
Danny wins
and gets to pick a team.
I'm a little guy, and I think
right out of the gate,
I showed people
that I'm not one to mess with.
And for the rest of you,
don't give up.
Danny's picking a team,
and he's looking
- for who he wants,
so finish the job.
Danny k*lled it, man.
I'm actually surprised.
Once again, it's just an example
of not judging a book
by its cover.
And look at this.
Roofer Lee, everybody.
- Check that out.
- Lee, come on over.
I think that because of my age,
some other competitors think
I'm gonna be the easy prey,
so I'm here
to prove them different.
I'm proving them...
Hey, I'm here to wake them up
and give them a nightmare.
What are you thinking right now
as you look out, Danny,
in terms of people
that might be a good teammate?
It's gonna be tough.
There's a lot of people
who haven't stopped.
I mean, they just keep going.
And that's important.
Let's pick it up, everyone.
You got to get the job done.
One small battle for the w*r.
Come on.
Murph is working.
His final load.
That'll bring him to the end.
There you go.
- Nice job, Murph!
- Thank you, sir.
Seeing the job done
is very important to me.
In the Marine Corps,
the consequence
of not finishing a job
could be life or death.
I mean, there's no choice.
You have to get
the mission done.
- Way to go, Linda!
- Linda,
let's go! Bring it over.
I'm the first woman to finish,
and I'm stoked.
I never messed up once.
I didn't fall off the plank.
I might be fourth place,
but I'm the first female,
and that speaks volumes.
You're finished, Luis.
Come on over here.
- Nice job.
- Good job, Luis.
I am not happy
about Linda beating me.
At the same time,
I'm upset with myself,
'cause I know I'd rush in,
thinking,
"Oh, I've got this,"
being real confident and c*ck,
and my competitors
really humble me.
Nice work. Beautiful.
- Good job, Ohio!
-Thanks, thanks.
- Ohio!
I feel like
I should have bumped it up
to two bags earlier,
and I feel like it cost me
a lot of time.
Good job, Linnett. Bring it in.
I just wanted to make sure I had
all 24 bags, and I did.
Real proud of you, Linnett.
Really proud of you.
I know that I did my best,
and I'm very excited about it.
Was something motivating you
as you were doing this?
I don't want to show my children
that I'm a quitter.
- Yeah.
- No matter how hard it hurts
or how bad it seems,
just keep pushing
and keep fighting,
and eventually, you will finish.
In 2017,
I end up being homeless.
I feel like
I let my children down,
and I feel like
I had to start over.
But I found me.
I found my strength.
I didn't give up.
I worked harder,
and I found what I need to do.
I come here with the idea that
I will make my children proud,
and I will do anything
and everything to protect them,
to provide for them
and to show them
that they're loved.
And being a welder
gave me the opportunity
to go from being homeless
to a homeowner within a year.
It was a great accomplishment
to bring my children
to that house.
We are living a dream.
There you go.
Myles gets the job done.
What's up?
- Good job.
-I love that.
All right, everybody,
let's get it done!
Check out Michelle right now.
She does not want to stop.
There you go!
Good job, Michelle!
I've never sweat that much,
even on a fire.
I'm frustrated,
but we'll go on
to the next challenge.
- Come on, Michelle.
- Come on, Michelle!
I am re... I'm so proud of you.
Danny might have won this one,
but I'm gonna
win the next one
and the next one
and the next one.
First up, Danny, epic victory.
Congratulations.
So, here's the deal, guys.
I traveled from coast to coast
across America
to try to find the toughest
Americans that I could find,
and in the end,
I found you guys.
Lee, I've seen
your hands. I've seen
those calluses on your hands.
- I work hard.
- Hold up your hands
like this, everybody.
Is there anybody here who hasn't
got calluses on their hands?
I'm looking.
Everybody's got calluses
on their hands.
Melissa, I've heard you say,
if you don't go to work,
America doesn't eat.
We don't farm, y'all don't eat.
These were not made
in the gym, guys.
These were made on the farm.
These calluses are real.
Growing up on a farm,
the manual labor side of it...
It can be pretty intense.
Honestly, we start our days
around 4:00 in the morning,
sometimes 3:00,
and we go until we're done.
It's definitely made me
tough as nails.
It's nonstop.
It's like organized chaos.
We are always moving bales,
concrete blocks.
It can be exhausting,
but the reward is
beyond rewarding,
and the hard work is...
There is nothing
that compares to it.
You know what I'm interested in
is, I'm interested
in what you all think
the definition of "toughest" is.
We can talk about our hands
and physical strength all day,
but I think it's right here
and right here.
Growing up with parents who are
in prison and who are addicts
was pretty tough.
Um, I know something that
my grandma's always told me is,
"No matter what,
you will be a statistic,
but be the statistic
that succeeds."
And so, I've worked my hardest
to be able to earn everything
that I've ever had.
In my day-to-day job,
we hire guys in their 20s, 30s.
And it's not overexaggerated.
The average guy on my job lasts
anywhere from four hours
to one day before he quits.
So you... If you're not
mentally prepared,
ain't no sense even applying
for that job.
I would say the ability
to accomplish any task,
no matter how uncomfortable
you get.
You just focus on what you need
to do to get the job done.
As a Marine, I led many teams,
as small as three to four,
as big as 210,
throughout the world.
I did two deployments
when I was younger
in the Marine Corps.
And then,
my last two deployments,
I had kids, so it was definitely
a different dynamic.
Saying goodbye
to your wife is hard,
but then,
saying goodbye to your wife
and children, especially
for the second deployment,
was a lot harder.
It's just hard,
because you don't want to cry,
like, in front of them.
You want to be strong for them.
But, you know, trying
to peel them off your legs
so you could say goodbye...
I mean, it was...
it was really hard.
I knew that if I stayed in,
I'd be deploying again,
so I made the decision
to retire,
because I wanted
to watch my kids grow up.
And now, I'm the director
of the Military
and Veterans Success Center
at the University
of Central Missouri.
My youngest daughter...
She just joined
the United States Navy.
Obviously, as a dad, I'm...
I'm gonna miss the hell
out of her.
I'm...
I'm-I'm very proud of her.
Very proud.
Now remember,
you're gonna be competing
in two competitions
on Tough As Nails.
An individual competition,
going head-to-head
against each other, and then,
there's the team competition.
Two teams of six going up
against each other
for a whole lot of cash.
And today is all about picking
those two teams.
Danny won the first challenge,
and earned the right
to pick one team of six.
And now we're looking
for another winner...
- All right.
- Who will pick the second team.
There is no doubt
that you are all tough.
The question is,
who is the toughest of them all,
sitting here right now?
I mean, we're all here
for a reason, so...
Murph, you haven't got
your hand up.
I just assumed everybody knew.
Yeah, may be, but
are you tougher than these guys?
It's time to lay some brick.
All right, guys. Anybody ever
done any bricklaying before?
- No.
- Ah.
Because we want you guys
to do this properly, we have
called in some reinforcements.
This is Spec Mix Bricklayer 500
world champion Matt Cash,
along with 11
professional masons.
- Like they mean business.
- Don't they look bad?
-Yes. -Yeah. -Yes, they do.
Matt Cash, why don't you
- show us how it's done?
- All right.
- Do it right.
- Oh, you got to step back.
I got to step back.
Step back.
When you're picking up a trowel
full of mud, it's just like
you'd set a piece
of pie on a plate.
You slide the trowel out
from under it,
and the pie still looks
like a pie.
Well, pick up the brick,
and I put on head joints,
set the brick to the line.
Everything I do needs to be
within a quarter inch.
A quarter inch.
Now you think about that.
I've splattered some
spackle on a hole
in the wall before,
but nothing...
nothing like this.
Look at that.
It's-it's like a surgeon
- with a scalpel.
- Damn.
He makes it look so easy
when I know it's not gonna be.
Lee, I see you eyeing this up.
I'm trying to get every detail,
every move he make.
I'm gonna try to duplicate that
in my mind.
Being a roofer,
all I have is seen 'em.
I have never laid a brick
in my life.
All right, Danny, since you won
the wheelbarrow challenge
and earned the right
to pick a team,
you are gonna get
to sit this one out. That means
that you're gonna get a chance
to see how everybody else works.
You guys want to give this a go?
All right.
All right, go choose a wall.
Hi. Tara. Nice to meet you.
I am an ironworker,
and to be precise
is very important in my job.
And I'm not afraid
to get my hands dirty, but
I've never touched a brick
in my life.
You have one hour
to build a brick wall.
Make 'em right. Quarter inch.
- Got it.
- Ready.
Time to lay some brick.
All right. Ah.
Right now, laying the mud,
just like pie, just like pie.
Pie, pie, pie. All day pie.
I don't like pie.
When you're finished,
Matt and his team will be
judging your wall.
And for each mistake, one brick
will be cut from your total.
It's a lot harder than it looks,
that's for sure.
We have one hour to lay
as many bricks as you can.
However, um, there's certain
criteria you have to meet.
It's not just about building
the wall up high.
It's about building the wall
up high properly.
Uh-oh.
They're gonna judge
if it's level, if it's plumb,
how many gaps that you have.
So not only are you laying
these bricks
as fast as you can,
but they have to be accurate
at the end of the challenge.
If I don't get it right,
I get penalties.
And I got
to get that spacing right,
because by the time I get
to the end, I got to make sure
I didn't leave too big of a gap.
I'm trying not to mess it up,
and it's already happening.
So...
The wheelbarrow challenge
was a test of your strength
and endurance.
But being tough as nails is not
always about working harder.
It's also about working smarter.
That's why you're laying brick.
A chance to test
your attention to detail,
precision and mental toughness.
Getting concrete
on my fishing boots.
So what are you looking for
in a teammate, Danny?
What do you want?
Someone who's good with their
hands, and this is definitely
one of those challenges
that shows
that they got hand-eye
coordination.
Ooh!
They got some finesse,
'cause finesse is huge.
Yup. You ever done
- any bricklaying before?
- No, sir.
I've taken a chimney down,
though.
I'm secretly hoping that some
people finish in the middle,
because I got my eye
on some certain people,
and if they win,
there are no chances
of them being on my team,
and that would suck.
- It's looking beautiful to me.
- Linda,
ever, uh,
built a brick wall before?
- Just on these arms.
- Yeah.
- Callie, how you feeling
with this?
- I'm feeling good.
Wow. You're getting up
a good pace here.
I've never laid
any brick before, but
I mend the net in Alaska.
You don't catch fish
without a good net, so,
a lot of commercial fishing
is precision.
This is way more fun
than wheelbarrows.
You ever done anything
like this before?
Uh, not like this.
I do scaffolding work, so I'm up
in the air in a suspended
scaffold 40 floors up.
I can't do that.
I love to do what I do,
'cause most of the time,
I'm on, like, the 30th floor,
40 floors up in the air.
I hate to be sitting down
behind a cubicle
and doing paperwork.
I was not born for that.
The United States,
for me, means, like,
it's the land of opportunity,
like, literally.
Like, it literally
changed my life.
I was born
in the Dominican Republic.
My mother migrated
to the United States
to look for a better life.
You've seen the test already.
- You intimidated?
- Absolutely not.
We came to the Bronx, New York,
six of us, and we was living
in a one-bedroom apartment, so,
that's what made me tough,
that's what
mold me into the person
I am today.
To be here means the world to me
because I want to show my mom
that her son is willing
to do whatever it takes
to make sure
the hard sacrifices pay off.
Time check, everybody.
Taking our time. This is an art.
This is a craft.
I'm doing the best...
I can do.
- Now Myles is taking his time.
- Trying to
pace myself
and get it right the first time.
- Tell ya.
- Uh...
It looks good.
In my career in forestry,
we have to be able to analyze
and make strategy
for the long-term,
so I'm trying
to place every brick perfectly.
And I'm just a kick-a*s person
in general, so...
Linda, Myles, looks like Murph...
They're focused on precision,
going with a slow
and steady approach.
My bricklaying experience
consists of
nothing.
Oh, we don't even have masons
in the Marine Corps.
Nobody's building a wall,
far as I know.
Not out of bricks anyway.
The winner of
this competition will get to
pick the next team.
I'd want to be that person,
because I'm used to
being in charge.
Don't rush the job!
Remember... those bricks have got
to be only a quarter of an inch
apart.
I'm not worried about
the competition on this one.
This one needs skill.
I got skill.
I'm here to prove
women with experience matter,
and they have talent.
I'm 62 years old,
and I'm a gate agent
at Cincinnati Airport.
You have to have
the energy and the strength
to handle the physical,
but the mental is constant,
because if you can't make
a passenger happy,
they're gonna have a bad day.
My husband is a Vietnam vet,
and he's gone through
several different rounds
of cancer treatment.
And he's made it back... Sorry.
He's made it back to...
...a healthy, coping lifestyle.
Now it's, "Let's live life.
Let's enjoy life."
over a hundred burpees.
Michelle, we're proud of you.
I got endurance.
I got spunk.
And I am strong
and strong-willed.
Is there something you've done
in your life
that has given you the skills
to deal with this?
I got an old house,
over 154 years old, so...
I do know if you ain't plumb,
you can't count
on that wall being strong.
Oh, man.
I was, like, rushing.
I realized
I can't be more
than quarter of an inch
apart from each brick.
I can't make a lot of mistakes,
'cause the more mistakes I make,
the more points
I'm gonna be deducted.
Lee, how you getting on?
Made a mistake on the wall.
Got to do
the whole wall over again.
- And it's gonna throw me behind.
- Now, remember,
- it's not just about how high
you build the wall.
- Right.
- Right? It's about getting
the job done right.
- Right. Right.
And without deductions.
It's a pain in the a*s
when you got to readjust
these things.
Melissa's getting onto
her fourth level.
And so are Michelle and Tara.
All right,
ten minutes, everybody.
Oh, snap. Here we go.
Have to pick up the pace.
Few minutes to go. You're
almost there. How we feeling?
-Good. -Great. -Yeah?
- Starting to slop it around.
- Now, we've got
some other contenders. I mean,
there's some other walls.
Luis in the back.
- He just came out of nowhere.
- Right?
- Luis just started
picking up the pace.
Yeah.
And you've got Michelle,
whose wall
- is rising fast.
- Short stuff getting her done.
And Myles and Michelle
are k*lling it right now.
Lots to choose
for your team here, Danny.
It's gonna be a tough selection.
I know I got the quality.
I don't know about the numbers.
Never stop.
If you're not good at it,
keep trying till you are.
My goal is
to win this
so I can pick my teammates,
and so I want to make sure I go
as fast as possible
and that I don't have
- a whole bunch of mistakes.
- All right.
Finish up your work.
Make it look good.
Ten seconds. Nine,
eight, seven,
six, five,
four, three,
two, one.
Trowels down.
- Pretty level.
- Thanks.
- Nice work.
- I think I did my best,
and that's all that matters.
Man, if I hadn't made that
mistake... I made the error, man.
I was like, "Golly."
When I started making
a second layer,
I realized I had made a mistake.
And by making a mistake,
that cost me,
'cause I had to tear
my whole wall down and redo it.
Cost me too much time.
In this game, time is precious.
I thought you were gonna
need a stepladder, Michelle,
you were going so high
over there.
- I was gonna start laying bricks
to stand on.
You know, I'm looking
at Michelle right now,
and she is about three levels
above me.
But then the crazier thing is
I look behind her,
and I see Luis.
I mean, he's building
New York City again.
It was a little frustrating.
So, Matt and his team
are now counting bricks.
They're looking for who's laid
the most number of bricks.
They've got to be only
a quarter of an inch apart,
otherwise you will have
deductions.
It's kind of nerve-racking,
right, guys?
Yeah.
Has a nice distressed look
about it.
- It does.
- Thank you!
People pay high dollar
for things like that.
It's very impressive.
I could work with this.
I could train him up to be...
At the beginning, I was kind of
rushing a little bit.
- You laid a lot of brick.
- I tried.
Remember, it's not how high
the wall is,
it's how well it's made.
Linda, that's great,
that's great.
I mean, that's really good.
- Michelle, you did a great job.
You hear that,
Michelle?
I think my wall
looks pretty damn good.
I want that power
to pick my team,
'cause that's gonna impact
every team challenge we have.
Matt, I know you went around,
you spoke with all the 'tenders,
and you got some scores
to share.
- Interesting.
- Yes, it is.
Very interesting,
as a matter of fact.
Somebody here had
a perfect wall.
Not one mistake.
Not a single deduction.
Who would that be?
- Michelle.
- Yeah.
- Linda.
- Me?
You didn't lay the most
number of bricks correctly,
but every brick that you laid
was perfect.
Congratulations on that.
I was completely shocked,
'cause I really had no idea
what I was doing,
wasn't sure if what
I was doing was right,
if I should keep doing
what I'm doing,
and I pulled through
with that one.
It's a pretty great feeling
to build a perfect wall.
All right, our winner today,
with a total score of 119
beautifully laid bricks...
Luis.
Good job, Luis. Good job.
- Good job, good job.
- Congratulations.
Beautiful.
And you know what that means,
right, Luis?
What does that mean?
That means that you and Danny
will be picking a team.
I mean, I like Danny,
so that's a bummer, you know?
Danny, were you thinking about
having Luis on your team?
He was up there.
He was definitely a top spot.
I'm super excited.
I'm stoked, man.
That's what I was hoping for.
I was praying to God that I
actually won this competition,
because I want to be in charge
of my destiny.
Interesting to note
that apart from Luis,
the women absolutely
destroyed the men
- when it comes to
building a wall.
Congratulations again,
but, Danny and Luis,
it's time for you to pick teams.
All right, all right.
- Good luck, everybody.
- Thanks.
- We can talk now.
- Good job, buddy. Good job.
Time to pick our
two teams of six.
I'm kind of hoping I'm on
Luis's team because scaffolders
and ironworkers work
hand in hand
very well together on the job.
Okay, so, Danny,
who's your first pick?
The stakes are high.
We got a lot of
great talent here.
Trying to pick through
that talent...
Oh, it's gonna be teeth-pulling,
nail-pulling, man.
It doesn't matter
whose team I'm on,
those are two good competitors.
So whoever they choose,
I'm more than willing
to bring something to the table,
bring them something extra
that they can use so we can be
on the winning team.
This person k*lled it
in today's first challenge.
And he showed me that
age is just a number.
So, Lee.
- Oh, great.
- All right, Lee.
- That feel good, Lee?
- Feels good, baby!
Feels good.
I picked Lee because
he's strong,
he's got great endurance, and he
gave me a run for the money
in the wheelbarrow challenge;
I had to pick him.
Slap your name on that bag.
Luis, you missed out on Lee,
but who have you picked?
Oh, Murph, man.
He showed mental strength,
and he's a monster,
he's a beast, so...
I like big Murph's demeanor.
He means business.
I need people like that who are
willing to give their all
for this competition.
So, Murph, you feel good
about the pick?
Absolutely.
I won't let him down.
All right, Danny,
you got another pick here.
- Callie.
- There you go, Callie.
I pick Linnett.
She showed tremendous
determination
during the wheelbarrow
competition.
Danny, your pick.
Uh, my next pick...
Melissa.
When Danny calls my name,
I am so relieved
because I wanted to be
with him from the beginning.
We're gonna kick some a*s.
-I pick Young.
-Word.
-Let's go, Young.
Help us out, man.
When you're a firefighter,
it's all about teamwork.
Young runs into
burning buildings.
You have to make sure
that all your guys
come out of that building safe.
Myles.
- Yeah.
- That's what I'm talking about.
- I pick Tara. Let's do this.
- Thank you.
All right, well, we're getting
right to it; last picks.
Michelle and Linda.
Two people who are tenacious.
Will not give up.
So, Danny, who's your pick?
My final pick is, uh...
I gotta give it to Linda.
Yeah, baby!
She k*lled the wheelbarrow
challenge,
and then the perfect wall...
are you kidding me?
When it comes to these
challenges,
we're gonna just run away
with them.
And you know what that means.
I pick Michelle because
she showed determination...
Sorry, guys, we're gonna
beat you.
I'm last.
I don't think they're
intimidated by me.
But it's okay.
I got skills they don't have.
So that's my secret.
I'm gonna show 'em I'm tough,
and nobody's gonna deny it
after they see me.
Well, we can see who
your picks are, Luis.
- You feel good about 'em?
- I have respect for
each one of these individuals,
but I think my team got this.
I'm feeling stoked.
I'm feeling great about my team.
We have an amazing
group of people
who are willing to just
give it all for the team.
-We got this.
We got this, man, we got this.
-Thank you for picking me.
Our team's definitely
gonna win because we have
a wide range of skills.
I'm good to go.
Bring it!
I got a great team.
While I definitely want us
to come together
in the team competitions,
I also know that I'm gonna be
competing head-to-head
against these people
individually as well.
We have our two teams of six.
Right out of the gate,
you're gonna be hitting it,
- and it's gonna be hard.
- We're ready for it.
I promise you
there will be blood...
sweat...
...and tears.
Emotional highs and lows.
I don't feel like a part
of this team anymore.
Epic victories
and devastating defeats.
Tempers will flare...
Look at me when I'm talking,
y'all. Come on. Respect, right?
...and relationships
will be tested.
Michelle, hold this. Hold this.
Hey! Everybody focus.
Tough As Nails
is designed to test
your different skill sets...
I don't know what else to do.
Unless this car
bursts into flames,
I-I have nothing
for y'all right now.
...your different life
experiences...
Whenever I've always moved,
the bigger, heavier items
go in first,
smaller items out front.
...and your different
backgrounds.
On the farm, we shovel about
anything you can imagine.
All on real job sites.
In the end, only one of you
will survive...
Come on, Young!
He's not gonna be able to stop.
...and win it all.
All right, everybody,
get some rest,
turn up tomorrow ready
for your first team
and individual competition.
Grab your bags and go.
Oh, and by the way, guys,
figure out a team name.
All right?
You arrived just after
the sunrise,
and now the sun is setting.
- Good day's work.
- Good day's work.
What are we gonna
- do today?
- I think,
in the first team challenge,
we're gonna have to
do everything together.
So, me and Luis
got to pick our teams.
I picked Lee
because he's strong,
he's got great endurance.
Melissa... she's a farm girl,
she knows
how to keep working long days.
These challenges...
We're gonna k*ll it.
We to to come out, though,
today, with a win,
'cause that's gonna set our
whole tone the rest...
Oh, we-we are gonna
come out with a win.
There's no doubt about that.
I'm so glad I picked you guys
on my team.
Man, you guys
don't even know, man.
You guys rather have Savage Crew
or Savage Squad?
Phil said
we had to pick a team name.
I think the "savage" part needs
to stay, though, for sure.
I agree.
As a military veteran,
you do nothing
without relying on your team
to get the job done. We have
people from all walks of life,
from steelworkers
to welders to firemen.
I feel like our attitude
is pretty savage,
and since we're a work crew,
it just made sense
to call it Savage Crew.
There's no "I" in "team,"
you know, it's "us."
What's our team name?
- Dirty Hands.
- Why?
'Cause we want that money!
Want that clean money!
Dirty hands,
clean money... that's what
the working class is all about.
We sweat, we bleed,
we get dirty,
but at the end of the day,
we've put in
a honest day's work.
Think we got
a well-rounded team.
They are dynamite.
We-we ready to explode.
Take the pop off, baby, we boom!
Morning, everybody.
Morning.
So, just to be clear:
each week we have
an individual competition.
You're all gonna
be battling each other
for the individual
Tough As Nails title
and the $200,000 prize.
But today... all about team.
- Yes.
- Yep.
There's $12,000 up for grabs
for the winning team.
That's $2,000 each.
Oh, yeah.
All right.
Everything I do
is for my family.
Being homeless
sparked something in me
to fight with everything I have.
It is a lot of money
on the table
and it'll make
a huge difference to my family.
Anybody know anything
about trains
or know any of the history?
My grandfather worked on the
railways during World w*r II.
And then I put
a train set together
around the Christmas tree
this past year, so...
Oh...
Everybody in my family is...
a blue-collar worker, somehow.
I feel very proud,
and I try to set a good example
for my children.
Work hard to earn honest money.
So you may have noticed
that there is some railway track
in front of you,
except there's no track here...
yet.
That's because you guys
have to build it.
I want to call in an expert,
somebody who knows a lot
about the railway.
Ray, do you want to come on in?
So, we are
Fillmore & Western Railroad.
We operate about, uh,
We build it, we repair it,
we maintain it.
So here's how
this is going to work.
You need to pull your caboose
from here
across the finish line,
which is down there
at the railway crossing sign.
First, you need to lay
the heavy rails in place.
Connect them
to the finished track
using the joint bars and bolts.
And lastly,
nail the rails in place
using railway spikes.
Sounds simple, but
it's a little more difficult.
Trying to line up the rails
perfectly straight
for the caboose to roll
is not so easy.
You need to strategize,
plan ahead and delegate tasks.
This will be the ultimate test
of working together as a team.
Go to your work stations
and we'll get to work.
-All right, let's do it.
-All right, let's go.
-Let's do it, guys.
Are you guys noticing
every railroad tie has got
two little spikes
that are going in it.
So I'm-a lay these in
so that you guys can
get 'em nailed in ha-hard.
Hard and fast.
I'm the little rug rat
on the team.
I'm 62 years old,
and we're maximizing on each
other's strengths, so I know
I can use my talent
to put those spikes
where they need to be.
Communication is huge and
listening is huge. And that's
the only way we're gonna
get though this competition,
- no matter what our skills are.
- We got this.
- I'm not worried.
- We got... we got this.
- I know.
- We all agree that
Linda should be
the team leader, because
she says back home she's used to
setting jobs
for, uh, the inmates.
I think she's a great pick.
I've worked with the railroad
for about a year now...
The basic understanding of where
the plates go
and where the ties go.
So we all agree
Tara's the leader of this?
- Tara's the leader.
- All right.
One, two, three.
Savage!
Time to get your hands dirty
and go to work!
To complete this challenge,
you need to carry
two tracks over
to the working point...
- And, go!
- Two, three...
...bolt it up and then
drag that caboose
135 feet.
All right.
Got to be a team player
to be an ironworker.
You're only as strong
as your weakest link.
They're going back
for the second trip.
Each ten-foot section of rail
is over 400 pounds.
- Go! Go.
- We got this!
Lay it down.
To the right.
Even start so far.
Two people on the front.
Both teams completing step one,
having moved the rails,
they now have to line them up
with the existing track.
- Ready? One, two, three, go.
- Up!
Scoot down.
Up. Right there. Lower.
Let's do the other one.
One, two, up!
Down. Come on.
As a team, our strategy is
Luis and Murphy
definitely are our muscle.
Michelle and I
are more strategic, so
we can have our tools in place
whenever we need it.
- One, two, up.
- And I have
so much confidence in Tara
as the leader.
It's a team effort.
Are they lined up with the line?
- We're moving it over.
- Uh-uh, pull it up.
- Are they in?
- Up. Pull it up.
Danny, tell us what's next.
Let's put the couplings on.
Dirty Hands working on
their joint bars.
You'll need to use
four joint bars
and the bolts to connect the new
rails to the finished track.
Move it down.
Savage Crew still
lagging behind,
struggling to get
their rails straight.
- So it needs to come out wider.
- Wider.
Linda works in a county jail.
So she's used to keeping
everything on track.
We have to pull...
Danny,
come down here and help us.
- What are we doing wrong?
- Here, what are... Help us out.
It just took some slamming.
I do feel like
I'm on the stronger team,
but I don't know everything, so
I'm constantly looking over
at Danny,
because I know
he has a lot of knowledge.
I want to make sure that I'm not
being the sole boss here,
because we are a team.
There you go, Myles.
Put these in tighter.
Come on, ti...
Hand tie it, all the way.
Get your plates in,
somebody get plates in.
Savage Crew now moving on
to the joint bars.
And Dirty Hands
placing their final joint bar.
The bolts are shaped
a certain way,
- and they're not...
- They're not going in.
...going in nicely.
- Hey, Lee, do me a favor?
- What?
Jump on this rail.
Jump, jump, jump. Jump again.
That's a new track-building
technique you got
going there, Lee...
Jumping on the track.
- I don't think they did that
back in the day, Ray.
- No.
That was a...
that was a new one.
No, that's a new one.
Okay, then we should
be all right.
- Hey, that's great, Melissa,
that's great.
We need to start
- driving in spikes, now.
- Okay.
It feels more like Linda
kind of stepped down
from being the leader
and it's more like a
collaboration. There should be
one voice directing us
on what to do
and how to do it.
So we need to start
driving the spikes on this side!
Listen, we got a big old gap.
What is up with this lip?
We can't...
This-this is too high.
It's too high.
Our track is not lining up with
the track that's already laid,
so Dirty Hands is ahead of us.
Dirty Hands have got
their tracks all laid out,
already driving in the spikes.
Savage Crew is stuck on this one
particular part
on the track right now.
Guys, if the tracks
aren't straight and even,
it will be impossible
to connect your rails.
Yeah, just figuring it out
right this second.
We have to use leverage
to-to get it fixed,
so I just try to use
a leverage bar,
but our track is heavy and
Savage Crew is falling behind.
Murphy worked out
how to use the tool
to lift the other side
of the track.
He's putting everything into it.
- You guys figure it out.
- I'm working on the spikes.
We got to line up the
holes. Here's an odd block.
- Line up the holes!
- Gimme a bolt, gimme a bolt.
- There you go, there you go.
I got it.
- There you go.
- Nice job, Tara.
Spikes are getting...
Dirty Hands are just
flying ahead right now,
almost halfway through
getting their spikes in.
Savage Crew hasn't even
stared on their spikes.
Trying to get done,
beat the other team.
You can see Michelle's
just working ahead
of everybody,
getting those spikes in.
Working at the airport,
I'm so used to
using that downtime
planning ahead for the mad rush.
We need to make up time.
I can have all those spikes
in place,
straight.
I need those guys to come in
and pound 'em in
like nobody's business.
It's in, this one's in.
It's going together.
Okay, good, good.
Savage Crew finally done
with their last joint bar.
Everybody else, start spikes!
We are behind, but
I see Michelle down at the end,
putting in stakes,
and I am so happy about it.
I believe we now have a chance.
Change your angles on these.
Change your angles.
We don't want to keep tipping.
Focus on what you're doing.
Dirty Hands having some trouble
with these last spikes.
I see Lee
hammering these spikes,
sweat is dripping down his face,
but he is hitting in
these spikes crooked.
That is costing us a ton
of time right now.
We have to pull out
the crow's foot
to pick up the bent spikes
and then put in a new one.
Thanks to Michelle's
forward thinking,
putting the stakes
in place first,
looks like
Savage Crew is catching up!
- Good! Keep pushing!
- Come on, guys!
We have a race on our hands now!
Go! Just go!
I see Lee hitting in
these spikes crooked.
That is costing us
a ton of time right now.
We have a race on our hands now!
Both teams are hammering in
their spikes.
Savage Crew have been able
to catch up to Dirty Hands.
They're back in contention.
They got a shot.
Any crookeds! Any crookeds!
Dirty Hands having
some trouble
with these last spikes.
This is the final step
before you can start
pulling your caboose.
Come on!
If you're wondering why
you're sweating right now,
it's because there's $12,000
in my pocket.
It's only going to one team.
- Who's it gonna be?
- Savage Crew!
The most difficult part
of this job is
to get those stakes
through the ground.
I'm a firefighter,
but I never sweat that much,
even on a fire.
But, uh, I want to win
every team challenge, because
that's a lot of money.
Hammer time!
I'm getting tired.
Come on, Lee! You're a
powerhouse. Age is not a factor!
Good job, yeah!
It looks like, Savage Crew,
all you've got to do now is
just tighten up your crossbars,
and you're good to go!
They have come from behind.
Dirty Hands falling behind.
- Got these left right here.
- Yeah. Come on.
Push those moves!
Come on! Push, bro!
Push it!
No pain, no gain!
I am motivated
to show my children
that whatever they want
to do is possible.
All we have to do is keep
pushing, and we will succeed.
Come on, boy! Use that muscle!
- We got this.
You want this money?!
Dirty Hands trying
to make up time.
Inspection!
Final inspection.
Push it, Luis!
- Come on!
- You're good to go.
- Good to go!
- Come on, guys. Just one more.
Come on, team,
move to the front.
Wait, wait.
Let me go to the front.
Savage Crew ahead.
Real teamwork effort.
- Somebody take that!
- Pull it out slow!
- Come on, Dirty Hands.
- Don't give up on us now.
Train is rolling.
Get this money!
- Money!
- Are you Savage?
Let's go, Savage team!
Oh, guys, we are almost there.
Let's push!
Dirty Hands behind.
- Push! Push! Push!
- Savage!
Savage Crew going
for the win... $12,000.
Let's go!
Let's go!
Hook up the shackles.
Somebody hook up the shackles.
- Get the shackles, Myles.
- Luis, out of the way.
You guys did an awesome job.
Wasn't your win today,
but let's see you finish this.
We lost today.
My eight years with the inmates
is a lot easier
than coming out here
for the first time
and managing work
on the railroad.
Keep moving forward!
I'm feeling bad, 'cause
when you go into something
and you expect you're gonna win,
and them coming back
and beating us?
- Keep going. Keep going.
- Good job, yo!
- We all worked hard.
That shot a hole
in my spirit.
I'm not losing two in a row.
Congratulations to Savage Crew.
You never gave up,
and you came all the way through
to the end.
Tara, congratulations.
I understand it's your
daughter's birthday today?
And I had to miss it.
So, America,
that one's for you, baby.
Tara, why don't you
come down here?
I'm gonna give you the money.
You can divide this up
with your team.
It's $12,000.
- That's $2,000
for each team member.
- Yeah.
Today is my daughter America's
eighth birthday.
I'm married with four children.
They're my world.
I love what I do.
Seeing the-the joy
on my kids' faces
and how proud
they are to see, like, "Hey,
Mama built that bridge,
Mama helped with that tunnel,"
to me, that is just
the most rewarding thing ever,
just to see the pride
on their faces.
Also, you're gonna get
the first Badge of Honor.
The idea is to collect
as many of these
as you possibly can.
Young,
here's your self-portrait.
Dirty Hands,
I liked the way you finished.
You gave it absolutely
everything you could.
And let's not forget that
there's $12,000
every team challenge,
so there's lots
of opportunities to win.
We went into it
kind of c*ck, and
Savage Crew really showed up
today, and
they seem to be getting
so close as a team.
We need to keep our eye on them
for future challenges.
Get some rest, because tomorrow,
you're gonna compete
against each other
in the individual competition.
My biggest competition, I think,
on Savage Crew has got to be
Murph. I mean, when it comes
to competition time,
the dude kills it.
Good job never giving up,
you guys.
Tara came in just like the
leader we thought she would be.
All the heart and grit
and passion came out.
Michelle is awesome
when it comes down to details.
And I think
the women came in
and whupped a*s.
We busted our a*s
today, and we didn't get $2,000.
I think the biggest thing
about the $2,000 is how long
- it actually takes us
to make it in the real life.
- Yes.
Dude, I bust my a*s for $2,000.
You know what I'm saying? Like,
all y'all know.
So I can bring that home
to my family, man.
Hard work means
providing for my family.
That's-that's the main reason
why I get up and... every day.
I was born and raised
in San Diego, California.
I didn't know what the heck
I wanted to do
coming out of high school
and going to college.
I'm a forestry technician
for the United States
Forest Service.
There's no typical day
when you're in forestry.
I could be suppressing
a wildfire one day.
I could be counting how many
little baby trees are coming up.
There's tons of things
to learn out there,
but I love my job.
My son is driving me to win.
I want to leave
something behind...
Something
that he can leave his kids,
and future generations
can have a positive benefit.
Going into
the individual challenges,
that changes everything.
My team is no longer my team.
And now it goes back
to cutthroat.
I'm a commercial fisherman
in Alaska.
Started when I was 15 years old.
My dad has been
a commercial fisherman
for 36 years, and, uh,
now I'm definitely
my dad's favorite.
I'm the deck boss on the boat.
It can be extremely dangerous
at times.
And when things start
to get hairy up there,
it will go south extremely fast.
But I've always enjoyed
the dangerous things.
Every single dollar
you make up there,
you touch with your bare hands.
We don't have a shower.
We also don't have a bathroom.
We all share a bucket.
It's a very nice bucket.
But I do wash my face
in the ocean,
and that will give you
the most flawless skin.
That's the truth.
Yeah, good morning.
Good morning.
Make yourselves
comfortable here.
'Cause it's individual
competition day.
- Right.
- The first thing
we're gonna do is
we're gonna have you punch in.
You'll only punch in once.
because in the end,
there will be only one
Tough As Nails champion.
That champion will win $200,000,
plus,
To get started, Luis, punch in.
I'm really hoping
to get that $200,000
and that beautiful truck.
That's absolutely
life-changing, man.
I want to give my kids a house
and get 'em ready for college.
It is a really big moment,
punching in.
I'm gonna fight my way
to the end. Punch out,
to me, sounds like tap out,
and I'll never tap out.
I'm punching in my card.
I don't ever want
to touch this card again,
'cause if I do,
I'm losing my chance
at $200,000.
This can provide a better life
for my wife and my children.
I'm gonna win.
So yesterday,
it was all about
what connected America. Today,
you're gonna be doing a job
that is all about
what fuels America.
You might have noticed,
behind you
there are some black diamonds.
That's coal right there.
When human beings figured out
that they could light
black coal,
it changed things forever.
And as much
as we're right now trying
to get renewable energy
in the world,
coal is still
a top energy source in America.
And today,
you're gonna get a chance to see
what it's like to work
in the coal industry.
Your job is to shovel
three times your body weight
from the train car
into one of these hoppers
as fast as you can.
This job is all about testing
your power-to-weight ratio.
As soon as you have shoveled
three times your body weight,
there will be a flag
that goes sh**ting up
in the air to let you know
that you have completed
your job.
You'll be going six at a time
as fast as you can.
The slowest person
from each round
will be going into overtime...
A head-to-head battle,
one last chance to stay
in the individual competition.
If you lose
that overtime challenge,
you'll be punching out.
I've randomly drawn the order
in which you're going
to be going in the two heats.
First up... Linda, Callie, Young,
Murph, Michelle and Myles.
On the boat, we shovel ice
to keep all of our fish cold.
And so, I have a little bit
of confidence,
but I'm still nervous,
because I know
that my competitors are here
to bring it.
I'm worried about overtime,
but I use shovels in my job.
So I need to try to pound it out
and get as many loads in there
as I can as quickly as possible.
Remember,
the loser of this round
and the loser of the next round
are going to overtime.
If you lose
that overtime challenge,
you'll be punching out.
Time to go to work!
The individual challenge...
it's a tough one.
If I am cutthroat
to Michelle today,
tomorrow, I have to rely
on her as a teammate,
she's not gonna trust me.
Hopefully, I can encourage
my teammates at the same time
I'm beating their a*s.
Yes!
- Look at this!
- Push it, Michelle!
- Push it!
- Wow.
Everyone must shovel
three times their body weight
- as quickly as possible...
- Go, Callie!
...to avoid overtime.
Dig deep! Make it count!
Get it all in the hopper.
Don't waste your energy!
This challenge is a test
of endurance.
- Oh, yes!
- You need to maintain
your focus and poise.
The last person
to get their scale to zero
goes into overtime.
Michelle has hardly spilled any
of her coal.
Yeah! Michelle!
Working steady away there.
I can do this. If it ain't
with brawn, it's with brains.
I don't want
to go to overtime.
- Michelle, come on.
- Look at Linda.
- Perfect every time.
- The woman
who made the perfect wall is
shoveling perfectly.
Watch where
you're throwing it, Young!
Young,
take your time! You're spilling
a lot of coal out on the ground!
I'm basically doing
a lot of no-look passes
to the bin.
No real precision.
Young, stop spilling it!
I start noticing Linda,
and glance over at her pile,
and I glanced down at mine,
and I see...
Young, be more accurate!
I'm messing up right now.
Come on, Linda!
Myles and Young are struggling,
while Linda, Michelle
and Callie going strong.
You almost got it!
I'm getting really tired.
That coal is unforgiving.
You get it everywhere.
This is a different type
of dirty than I'm used to.
Normally, I'm just stinky.
- 20 to go for Linda!
- Go, Linda!
Yeah!
I just kept a rhythm
that worked,
and had my little moment
of victory,
and then...
got to keep your mind
moving forward.
- Come on!
- Don't slow up!
'Cause whoever comes in last
is going into overtime.
Almost there, Michelle!
Oh, man.
Is this woman tough or what?
One more and she's got it.
This one is not
going to overtime.
Happy dance!
That's what you call
"girl power"
- right there.
- Come on!
- And she's done it! Wow.
- Yeah, Callie!
Murph's gonna be
the next one up.
One more shovelful.
- Oh!
- Murph!
and Myles has got 77.
This is close.
One of you going into overtime.
We know you tired!
- Keep pushing through it!
- Myles, make it count.
You got it, Myles!
You got it, baby!
- Four to go!
- One more shovel, Myles!
- One more shovel, baby!
- Oh!
- Wow!
- Go, Myles!
Here we go, baby.
It came down to seconds
between Myles and Young.
Way to fight it out
right to the end, guys.
I definitely had tunnel vision.
I should have been more aware.
That's a no-no,
'cause we got to be focused
every day for my job,
and I definitely,
you know...
I wasn't focused today.
Young, unfortunately,
you'll be going
to overtime with the loser
of the next round.
Somebody's gonna be
punching out today.
Somebody will be out
of the individual competition.
For the rest of you,
you've survived.
I definitely don't want
to be the first one out.
Everyone at work's gonna
talk about it
all day, every day, and...
I don't know. I might have
to find another department
to work for if that happens.
Became a firefighter
through my friend
I used to work with at the gym.
And he was telling me
about the whole
team aspect about the job.
So, I'm going,
"Man, this sounds like
the dream job, you know."
The job definitely takes
an emotional toll, especially if
you go on a call,
and it hits home.
My parents are immigrants
from Seoul, South Korea.
Whatever they've done
is way harder
than anything I'm gonna do
in this competition.
Go to a foreign country,
not speak the language.
They sacrificed a lot,
so, whatever I do,
I definitely owe it to them.
If I won Tough As Nails,
I want to give back
to my parents.
They're getting older,
and I want
to take my dad back to Korea
so he can
see his family,
because his dad is, uh...
It's-it's definitely been
a long time,
and he should...
he should see his, uh...
He should see his family
out there.
It's time for round two.
One of you will be going
into overtime for one last shot
at staying
in the individual competition.
You saw Linda take it out
in the first round with a time
of 3:33.
Will anyone shovel
their coal faster than Linda?
Tara, Melissa, Lee,
Danny, Linnett, Luis,
time to get your hands dirty.
You need to shovel
three times your body weight.
This job tests
your power-to-weight ratio.
Just keep shoveling
until your flag is raised.
The slowest person will compete
against Young in overtime.
- Come on, Luis!
- Let's go, Linnett!
Make it count!
The coal is not rough.
The rough part
is being in my lane,
because everybody else's
residue is coming my way, so
it's hard to shovel and have
all this smoke in your face.
Melissa's over 300.
Tara at 300.
Tara and Melissa pretty much
neck and neck right now.
Lee's being pretty accurate.
He's got 500 to go.
As a roofer,
you're lifting at least
all day long.
You're working 12 to 14 hours
a day.
I got a long wind,
and I can go a long time.
Go, Linnett!
Make sure you get it in the bin!
Linnett,
don't waste your energy.
This is definitely harder
than I thought it would be.
Being a welder,
it's more about precision
instead of speed.
I think coal miners
are badasses,
and I give them plenty
of respect.
Get it in the bin, Linnett!
Look at Melissa going.
She's pulling away from Tara.
Oh, my gosh. The heat is...
It's pretty stiff.
On the farm,
we shovel everything, from
corn out of the grain bins to
distiller's grain
from the semitrucks.
Come on, Melissa!
- Let's go!
- So, I know
the number one key
to success is making sure
every single shovel load
is aiming right into the bin.
Once again,
the women are doing well.
But, no, look...
Danny picking up speed.
Usually, in my line of work,
my size is a disadvantage,
but today,
being smaller...
It's an advantage.
I'm going fast because
I'm closer to the ground.
Danny's hit 50.
It's so close.
It's a neck and neck race.
- Go, Danny!
- Melissa, place it. Come on.
This is gonna be close!
- Yay! Yay!
- Melissa's got the win!
Melissa with the fastest time,
beating Linda
by just ten seconds.
I just had a sense of relief
go through my whole body
that I didn't have to go
to overtime,
and it just feels amazing.
That woman knows how to work!
Danny close behind for second.
- Go, Danny!
- Go, Luis!
And there goes Luis.
He's finished.
- Good job, Luis.
- We're down to three.
Lee, with 100 pounds
left to shovel,
Tara and Linnett at 80.
Don't give up now, Tara!
Definitely getting tired
at this point.
All I keep thinking is,
"Keep going
so that you're not
in the bottom."
Come on, team, let's go!
Oh, and here we are finishing
with Lee.
Only a few more shovelfuls.
- Yeah!
- Yeah!
No way.
Go, Linnett!
We're down to Linnett and Tara.
It's a neck and neck race.
Linnett, focus!
Linnett and Tara are not aiming.
Their accuracy is
completely off,
and they're both out of gas.
Do not be last,
because if you're last,
you will be going into overtime.
- Come on, Tara!
- Go, Linnett!
Linnett and Tara, one of you
will be going into overtime
against Young;
who's it gonna be?
Being in this position
to win $200,000,
I am definitely putting
everything out on the line.
Go, Tara!
Linnett, make 'em count!
Make 'em count.
Let's go, Linnett.
So close.
Both have just 15 pounds left.
Five to go.
And Tara gets the win.
Call it a day, Tara, that's it.
The slowest on this round
was Linnett.
Linnett, you will be going
up against Young in overtime.
By the end of the day,
one of you will punch out
of the individual competition,
and one of you gets to stay
to fight another day
and compete for
the Tough As Nails
individual title.
Definitely a hard moment for me.
But the best things come out
of challenging situations,
and I'm ready.
Let's get to overtime,
everybody.
Good job, Melissa.
- Good job, dude.
- That was tough.
Welcome to overtime, everyone.
The whole situation
is nerve-wracking
to me and Young.
We're both on Savage Crew.
We're badass as a team,
and we're badass as individuals.
I respect Young.
I believe he respects me.
May the best person win.
Overtime is nothing new to me.
In the fire department,
we work 24-hour shifts.
Plus, $200,000
is a lot of money.
That'll do a lot for me
and my family.
I definitely want to give back
to my parents.
They've done so much
for my brother and I.
Linnett and Young,
since you were the last
to finish the shovel challenge,
you're going into overtime.
You're going head-to-head;
the loser is going to be
punching out.
You will not be going home.
You'll still be competing
with your team,
but you will be out
of the individual competition,
and you'll lose your shot
at the $200,000 prize.
So, there is a lot on the line.
Have you ever seen
one of the machines
- behind you before?
- Uh, in a cartoon.
A pump car?
You've seen one before, right?
They've been in
a few different movies.
Well, railway workers
have been using them
for over 150 years to help keep
the trains running.
When you hear
the work whistle blow,
run to your pump car
and make your way
down the track,
where you'll find some
of the railway tools
you used yesterday.
However, today,
you're gonna see them tied up.
You need to pick up three tools.
It's gonna be tricky
untangling those chains.
And you need to make
three trips.
The first person to get
all their tools on the rack
here at the finish line
will join the others
and stay in contention
for the individual
Tough As Nails title.
You finish the overtime last,
you'll be punching out.
Linnett. Young.
It's overtime!
Go, go, go, go, go, go!
Let's go.
Let's go, Linnett!
Going that way,
it's all downhill,
but when they turn around,
they're gonna be going uphill
and pushing into a headwind.
How do you stop it?
See how fast he's going?
He's not gonna be able to stop.
Oh, boy. Oh, boy,
oh, boy, oh, boy.
He's gone screaming past
the stop there.
I've never used a pump car,
and I'm going all out.
Next thing I know, I'm 50 feet
past the first station.
And look.
Linnett's done the same thing.
Oh, my God.
So they got to unchain
the spike maul there,
and they got to bring that back,
put it on the tool rack,
and they are neck and neck
right now.
Come on, Linnett!
The chains are kind of
crisscrossed,
so you got to take them apart;
and I'm wasting
precious seconds.
Yeah, I'm-I'm getting
frustrated right now.
$200,000
on the line, guys, let's go!
Let's go!
Young is almost done.
Come on, Linnett!
Young is free.
Come on, Young, let's go.
Come on, Linnett!
He's trying
to release the brake.
He's having trouble
getting going again.
Let's go, Linnett!
Going back is difficult.
I'm going all the way up,
and I'm
both feet in the air,
trying to just
push this thing down.
There you go.
There you go, Young.
You got to drive.
The hardest part
is to get going.
To operate the pump car,
you need to get a rhythm.
It's not about strength.
The spike maul goes on the rack.
Two more to go,
we're working overtime!
$200,000, let's do this.
Almost there!
The little engine
that could.
Young heading back out
to pick up the second tool.
My shoulder starts hurting,
and I'm having
a hard time pushing.
But I'm still gonna
finish strong,
because quitting for me
is dying.
- There you go, Linnett.
- Just get it on the rack.
Don't stop!
- Listen, you still got this.
- You still got this.
Save that energy.
Go ahead, you got it, girl!
Baby, I know you can do it!
Go! Go, go, go!
I hear Linnett.
She's firing herself up.
You got this!
Eye-hand coordination right now,
- that's what it's all about.
- That's all about.
I untie knots at work all day.
I just have to figure out
how to get it unwrapped
before Linnett does.
So Young is having some trouble
with that second chain.
She still can win.
She better
put that girl power on now.
- Yep!
- You better put
that girl power on!
Girl power.
I swear she unscrewed one chain,
and she was off.
Oh, she on that...
Look! Look at her go!
Overtaken!
Look at that.
Now Linnett is in the lead.
I'm definitely
panicking a little bit.
I have a bunch of loops that
I still have to get through.
Young has some catching up to do
if he wants any chance
of winning this overtime.
But he's gonna need to untie
those rail tongs fast.
Young has his second tool
and he's on his way back.
Come on, Linnett! Dig deep!
Young is catching up.
I definitely do want to win.
Nothing against Linnett.
We both have goals, but
I want it more than she does.
Young overtakes
Linnett once again.
Come on, Linnett, you got it!
Don't stop!
My arm is throbbing,
and I see Young is ahead.
But I have
a million-dollar mindset,
so I have to go hard.
Come on, Linnett!
Come on, Linnett!
Nice job, Young.
You have one more pickup,
and you've got the job done.
- Get it!
- Yeah!
- Linnett, let's go.
- Don't give up on us now.
Come on, Linnett, go! Go!
Don't stop!
Don't stop.
Got it! Come on!
All right, Young is down
at the last station.
He's just got to get
the track wrench and come back.
Question is,
will Linnett get this done
- and fight her way back here?
- She gonna get it done.
-I have no doubt.
She gonna get it done.
-She's a fighter.
Ooh, I'm hurt.
- I'm sore.
- You good, Linnett, just go.
Look at what
she's pushing through.
This was all about her kids.
This is when it's all
a measure of Tough As Nails.
Okay, Young just
got the wrench out.
He's on his way back.
Come on, Linnett, finish.
Push it, brah. Finish.
Oh, boy.
- Okay. Here comes Young.
- Come on, Young!
Let's go, Young!
Push it!
Way to go deep. Nice job.
Lot of heart right there.
- Yeah.
- Way to go, Young!
Good job, Young!
I won, but Linnett,
she's been proving people wrong
left and right her whole life.
So, it's definitely
a bittersweet victory.
Young the clear winner.
But Linnett, look at her.
She's determined
- to finish the job.
- Roll on back for me.
Come on!
- Come on, let's push.
- Don't, don't worry about it.
- I got it.
- You good?
All right, let's go.
Come on, push.
I was ready to quit,
but when they come by my side,
I feel like,
whatever energy they had,
I had to match it.
I'm still gonna
whup their asses...
Exactly. That's how
we're gonna do it!
That's how we're gonna do it!
Every time we get
into a team setting,
Savage Crew gives me
this feeling
that I can do anything.
- Finish this, girl, finish this.
- Come on.
Savage Crew supporting
one of their own. Teamwork.
Teamwork, man. She put
her heart and soul into that.
Come on, Linnett!
Through it all,
this is my family forever.
I believe if they wouldn't
have come down there,
I probably would have quit.
Let's get it done. Your kids are
watching you right now,
and they're very proud
of their mother.
That's how you do it!
Come on!
This was more than
just about money right now.
This is about leaving a legacy.
A legacy is way more important
to me.
If I can bring more women
into the trades,
and have them change their life
from being homeless
to a homeowner within a year,
it's-it's worth more
than a million dollars.
What we just saw right there,
that's called spirit,
that's called heart.
Your kids just watched you
get the job done,
and that's why you are good
at what you do.
You got $2,000 in your pocket,
lots of money still to be won
in the team competition.
Unfortunately, you do need
to punch out
of the individual competition.
The idea of me not winning
the money
doesn't change the idea
that my life can be grand.
It doesn't change
that I'm the badass welder.
I put my... out there,
and that was it.
Man, that's the American spirit.
That's the definition
of being tough.
Definition of
being teamwork, together.
We all us a family here.
All us together as one.
You define savage, girl.
It's been a long, tough day.
- We'll call it a night.
- Sounds good.
- Next time on Tough As Nails...
- Anybody know where they are?
- Junkyard.
- This is my second home.
You need a part for a car,
this is where you come.
My role in today's job is
- finally being able
to break something.
They're just rolling it over
by hand,
look at the power there.
Go! Find me an alternator.
Murph, you're the last one
to get a car, let's go!
Come on, Murph! You got this!
Oh, my God. This is terrible.
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01x01 & 01x02 - Redefining Toughness/Get the Job Done
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The show is hosted by Phil Keoghan and features contestants competing in challenges at job sites that test their toughness, with one participant eliminated in each episode.
The show is hosted by Phil Keoghan and features contestants competing in challenges at job sites that test their toughness, with one participant eliminated in each episode.