Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:06] Speaker B: Hello, everyone. Welcome back to Mallory's Weird World Adventures, the podcast. I'm your host, Mallory. I'm here to show you just how weird this world of ours really is. And I am very, very excited here today because I have Janelle here with me, and she was a contestant this season on American Gladiators. And we've gone down the rabbit hole with. With going through and talking about American Gladiators because I really feel like it's just such a cultural phenomenon. It's something. I feel like that so 90s was such a part of all of our, like, my generation. Your generation's, like, childhood. Right. And the fact that it's back, I don't know, I just.
It says so much now about our society today, and it makes me so, so happy. And I'm assuming, Janelle, did you watch American Gladiators as a kid?
[00:00:54] Speaker A: Well, first of all, thank you for having me.
I actually did not.
I was not familiar with the show, so when I was reached out to. To be a contestant, I had to look it up and watch YouTube videos because I had no idea what it was about.
But I'm glad I did because it was a great experience.
[00:01:11] Speaker B: Yes, definitely. So they. So they reached out to you. What made them reach out to you for the show?
[00:01:17] Speaker A: So I got a LinkedIn message from a casting person just looking for normal people to compete against the gladiators, and they actually came across my Instagram. I do CrossFit here. I mean, I dabble in CrossFit. And they just said I looked interesting, and they asked if I was interested in casting. So that's pretty much what landed me on the show.
[00:01:37] Speaker B: That's amazing. Do you. Do you remember, like, hearing about it at the 90s? In the 90s, or are you totally off guard?
[00:01:43] Speaker A: I want to say I feel like I've heard of it, but I just did not. It wasn't something that I was interested in. I mean, I was born in the early 90s, but it just wasn't something that, you know, I guess came across the TV that I was watching.
[00:01:56] Speaker B: Right.
I feel like it was. I don't know, I think my dad. I feel like you had to have a parent or someone in your sphere that wanted to watch it, so you would have to know about it, because I was like, you know, four when it was on tv, and my dad was, I think, the one that was like, oh, it's coming on. We have to watch it. And then you get into it because you're four, and then it's like, oh, I'm going to ask for this show all the time. Yeah.
[00:02:18] Speaker A: And it was like, it was random because I would ask people to be like, oh, yeah, I know that show. I'm like, oh, okay. Because I didn't.
[00:02:24] Speaker B: So funny.
Yeah. I guess you either know it or you don't. And it's very intense and it has such a personality to it. So it might have been really. Was it. Was it very weird for you? I guess, kind of walking into that arena for the first time because you had. You hadn't seen the show before.
[00:02:41] Speaker A: The whole experience was weird because that was just way out of my, I guess, normal everyday. Even just going to France because that's where it was filmed at. Oh, wow. Well, I was born in Germany, so, you know, I've been outside the United States, but as far as going to France, I'd never been there. So that was a whole weird experience too because there's no air conditioning and the hotel rooms there, they're small.
So that was weird.
I'm sorry, what'd you say?
[00:03:08] Speaker B: Was it the summertime? Does it like extra.
[00:03:10] Speaker A: Yes. So it was actually filmed last summer.
So we went and we went for two weeks.
They filmed two seasons. We were the first season and just. But yeah, the whole experience was weird, you know, just meeting people all over. The gladiators contenders. I.
I don't regret it at all. But yeah, it was a super weird experience for me.
[00:03:31] Speaker B: You'll get to say I did this thing one time and it was really bizarre. Forever now.
[00:03:36] Speaker A: Yeah. Even like people at work, they're like, Janelle, you know, you're on like tv. And I was like, no, I don't know what you're talking about. Like, that wasn't me.
But no, it was. It was crazy.
[00:03:49] Speaker B: Where in Germany were you born?
[00:03:51] Speaker A: So I was born in Landstuhl, Germany, and we lived in Frankfurt. So my mom was in the army for about 20 years. Yeah. So, I mean, it's the youngest of seven. We all lived over there and then we moved to Pennsylvania when I was six.
[00:04:06] Speaker B: Okay. Yeah. I love Germany. I have to ask because I work with the German tourism board a lot. We filmed a couple episodes of my TV show there and I just, I love it. And Frankfurt is usually like a hub. I think they did. They have their big tourism convention.
[00:04:20] Speaker A: They do.
[00:04:21] Speaker B: Which we were at last year in Frankfurt. So fun.
[00:04:25] Speaker A: I know. I wish we would have had more time to kind of explore. But we were there for two weeks. I mean, we both took vacation time from work to go, so we didn't have a whole lot of time to visit anything. So we only went to go see the Eiffel Tower like one day. That was it.
[00:04:40] Speaker B: Were you. So were you near Paris then or.
[00:04:42] Speaker A: Yes. So the filming was outside of Paris. It was at a place Aaron I. Something like that.
And Paris was probably 25, 30 ish minutes from the filming location.
[00:04:55] Speaker B: Okay.
So kind of near. Near or at least the same distance away from Disneyland Paris.
[00:05:04] Speaker A: Oh, that's funny.
[00:05:07] Speaker B: So. So what was it like, I guess, going in seeing the Gladiators for the first time and being like, oh, I have to compete with these people.
[00:05:15] Speaker A: So what's actually like, weird and funny about it is we didn't get to see the Gladiators. So like the first week was just interviews, like how that. That was it. And then like as soon as it was go time, like, they would have their lawyers there and tell you what game you'd be doing, then you would go out on the floor. That's when filming started, that's when the game started, and that's when you got to meet the Gladiator during the game.
So that was weird.
[00:05:41] Speaker B: I'm sure that's to add the level of intimidation. Right. They're. They're big and scary and it's like if you become friendly with them beforehand, then they won't be as scary. So let's make it as intimidating as possible for people.
[00:05:52] Speaker A: That's exactly what I did. I was like, let me kill a bit kindness. Maybe they'll, you know, take it easy on me.
But they were all great. I mean, even stuff you see on TV of them being like this big, crazy, mean. They're really not. They were all very, very sweet.
Yeah. Very professional. They are just amazing athletes and I actually appreciate it.
[00:06:16] Speaker B: I don't remember if the old show is like this, but for the new show, they did seem very supportive of contestants. Like, after the games were over, everyone would support each other and say, good game and lift each other up. And I'm like, well, this is great that it's like competitive, but it still has that. That good game aspect to it.
[00:06:31] Speaker A: Yes, but that was not always the case. There were some banter back and forth, some of the stuff that it show, but I'm glad I got to experience that. I mean, it's not that, you know, memories that we Gladiators contenders will always have that we'll know. Oh, that's not really, you know. Oh, they didn't, they didn't air that part. You know, just little, little things like that. That's what makes it. It's the greatest thing. Experience.
[00:06:54] Speaker B: Yeah, I do. See, I think they, they did a. A bit of a dirty for you. And they kept saying you're just an average secretary, a normal person. Because to be competing there with those people and to be able to. To live up to all those physical expectations, that's definitely more than normal and pretty amazing.
[00:07:12] Speaker A: Yeah, that was wild.
I consider myself pretty average.
I mean, I go to work every day, just normal in the office. I mean, I wear heels to work, for goodness sakes. And then I go out there and, you know, it was fun. It was hard.
It was nerve wracking from the crowd and all the cameras. I had never done anything like that before, so. Just like the nerves.
But no, it was crazy. It was absolutely insane. That's all I could say. Yeah.
[00:07:42] Speaker B: What was the hardest part for you, physically?
[00:07:48] Speaker A: I would say the hardest part was probably an eliminator.
The hardest part for me was probably the cargo net because it was just like swinging and going on. I'm just like, oh, my gosh. And I've done cargo nets because I've done, you know, obstacle course racing. But that cargo net was nothing like, like at an obstacle course.
That was probably the hardest part.
Yeah, I watched that with my husband
[00:08:12] Speaker B: and he was like, that is a really loose net. And with someone else playing, pulling on it, it's. You're just like getting yo yo'd around.
[00:08:19] Speaker A: Yeah, that was probably the hardest part. And then like, even the games against the Gladiators, you can't like practice them against the Gladiators because that wouldn't be fair to all the contenders. So I guess another thing would just be only getting that one chance. I mean, that makes it hard too. You don't get to like redo. Like for me on the wall, my foot slipped and I was so excited to rock climb because I was like, oh, yeah, this isn't too physical. And then my foot slipped. I'm like, darn it. Well, you only get one chance. So. Yeah, that was hard.
[00:08:52] Speaker B: Yeah, the stake, the stakes are high and like, you can't learn from the mistakes and repeat it. It's just one and done. Did it all happen very fast?
[00:09:01] Speaker A: Yes, it was so quick.
I wish I could do it again. That the whole experience was quick.
But then like going to it, it's like you don't know what to expect. Expect. And I had no idea because that was all new for me.
So, yeah, it was. It was a pretty quick experience.
[00:09:18] Speaker B: Did you go back and watch any of the old shows? After you knew you were going to be on it or did you kind of go in blind?
[00:09:25] Speaker A: I actually did go back and watch some because on Amazon, you can go watch the older ones. You can watch the ones that. It was Hulk Hogan. That was.
So you can go watch those now. That one had a lot of water, so we didn't have any water in ours, which was awesome.
That would have been super weird, but no. Yeah. Other than that, I did go back and watch, like, you know, Powerball. So we were trying to, like, practice things now. I didn't get to do Powerball because we didn't get to choose the games that we got to do. They told us what we did, but, yeah, just kind of watch to see. See what we. I'd expect.
[00:10:03] Speaker B: Right.
And I. I did notice we went back and watched the 2008 one, because I didn't even know it existed. And then after we watch season, I'm like, I feel like I need more of this. So I went and found the 2008, and I'm like, there. This is all water. Why is the whole thing water?
[00:10:17] Speaker A: It was kind of neat, though. I mean, interesting. I mean, that. I mean, falling in water, I don't know. I'd have to plug my nose. I fell. Like, the padding was good, like, when you fell off joust or, you know, whatever that was. It was a hard hit. It was a hard fall. But, I mean, it was. The padding was phenomenal.
[00:10:36] Speaker B: And there are still, I feel like, a lot of injuries. There were several times where all of a sudden, oh, we have someone else stepping in because this person got a concussion or this person's gone. So there's still that. That level of danger that's there because people keep getting hurt.
[00:10:50] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, we did sign that. You know, this is what we were signing up for. So we all knew that.
But, yeah, there were several injuries. Even myself. I mean, I. When I made up the travelator that. That first time, I was shocked. So when I grabbed the rope to swing through the paper barrier, I landed on my ankle. So I was like, you know, laying there the best, like, you okay? Okay, Janelle. You know, it was just like, absolutely wild. But, yeah, bruises galore. I mean, there was a lot of. A lot of injuries.
Mine. Mine wasn't as bad as, you know, some people did. But, yeah, that's just what you sign up for. And that's in any sport, even, you know, obstacle course racing. You can, you know, pull an acl, tear something. Right. It just comes with it.
[00:11:34] Speaker B: What do you Think surprised you the most when you got there for filming?
[00:11:40] Speaker A: See, I didn't know what to expect because it was just weird.
But I don't know, I guess just how they just rush you into things and it's like, okay, go time. Okay, here you go. Here, here, change into this. Or here, we're going to do this.
But it was very, like, organized. Like, the producers had everything. They. They knew what they were supposed to do. So, yeah, I didn't know what to be surprised about because I didn't know what to expect.
[00:12:07] Speaker B: Was it very hurry up and wait? Like, you're waiting a lot, and then it's go, go, go, go. And then you're waiting a lot.
[00:12:12] Speaker A: Exactly. So we're in all the contenders. We were all in the same locker room and actually took our phone, so we. We couldn't have our phones at the beginning.
Yeah. So we were just learning about other people's stories. Like, it's crazy just sitting with the contenders, learning about them. They're all amazing.
And then all of a sudden it was like, hey, go here. Hey, you, you and you. You're doing this game, you know, because all the games weren't filmed, you know, in order.
So, yeah, that's basically what it was. You just waited and waited, and then boom.
[00:12:44] Speaker B: How many. How many days were you there for filming the games? And was it like everyone for the season, was it blocks of people? People?
[00:12:52] Speaker A: So the first season was two weeks, and then the second season was two weeks. So, like, the first full week was mainly, like, interviews and going over stuff like that. And then the last week would have been the games, building the sets because, like, the day of the Eliminator, that took one full day because of just the build time to build these games.
It's not. It's not quick.
So, yeah, it was probably about a week to film all that.
[00:13:22] Speaker B: You got to get really close with all the contenders.
[00:13:24] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, we're to group text.
We're talking about beating up everybody. I just love all of them. They're all great people.
Oh, that's so cool. Even the Gladiators, they were all great, too. I love them.
[00:13:38] Speaker B: So when you went back and watched some of the older shows, was there a game you were excited to be a part of?
[00:13:45] Speaker A: I wanted to do Powerball because I felt like that was not as, like. Well, I mean, I knew it was physical.
This season was really physical, but I guess just powerball, the rock climbing, I knew I could do the wall. I was excited about that.
Kind of upsetting my performance on that One, but what was the other one? Oh, the rings I thought I would be okay with because, you know, I kind of do that at the gym too. But yeah, that was not fun.
[00:14:20] Speaker B: Those are hard. I have to say. I have a four year old and she's like wanting to do the monkey bars now. And I'm thinking, I can do these. This is so easy. And I'm like, wow, I can't do these at all.
[00:14:30] Speaker A: Yeah, just grip strength, that's the main thing you got to have with those rings. And I unfortunately didn't have that.
[00:14:40] Speaker B: I have to ask you too, about the travelator. I. I went down a rabbit hole on the travelator. I will, I will say embarrassingly so where we, we watched this one and, and this season it was like the women were all having trouble with the travelator. The men just went right up it
[00:14:56] Speaker A: and there was no problem.
[00:14:57] Speaker B: But then if you go back the previous show with Hulk Hogan, it's the men that have trouble because it's like more inclined and they put a rope on it and the women are all just letting you run up to the rope and get up and the men are like trying to dive at it and then they're just stuck. So it was funny to me. I'm like, you know that the elevation being changed actually affects like, the men are better at this one and the women are better at this one.
[00:15:21] Speaker A: And it's so it's crazy to look at it though, because I guess just in real time, I didn't think about it that way, just the way it was filmed, but it was quite hard.
I mean, I was out of breath by the time I got to it.
But yeah, it was just. They say keep your chest up and just run. That's literally what they say. Because if you just kind of, you know, you just fall. So yeah, it was just kind of hit or miss, depending on how out of breath you were.
[00:15:50] Speaker B: There were most. Most of the female contenders would get there, I think, not think it was as hard as it was and just fall short and have to do it so many times and you just nailed it. And I was very impressed.
[00:16:02] Speaker A: I was surprised on that first one.
But then again, some of like, even though some of them had missed it, but some of them did get it eventually. So they didn't like air that part, right? I wish they did, but I guess they, you know, then the seasons would be extra long or the episodes would be extra long.
But yeah, that was crazy. I actually surprised myself on that first one. That was. That was insane.
[00:16:25] Speaker B: You killed It. You had such a comeback, and the girl you were competing with, she face planted on it so hard, and I
[00:16:32] Speaker A: was so worried for her. I. Yes. Poor Sierra. She's phenomenal. I love Sierra. And when I watched it on tv, I was like, oh, my gosh. I didn't realize that she had hit so hard, but, yeah, that. But she did end up making it up. And you. You know, the crowd is just cheering you on. Even, like, on. Did you watch the semi finals? Did you watch all the episodes?
[00:16:54] Speaker B: I did.
[00:16:55] Speaker A: So on the semi final one, that took me a couple tries, too, to get that. Sometimes you just. You just face plant. I mean, that's life.
[00:17:04] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:17:05] Speaker A: You always can't get it the first time, but, yeah, that was definitely harder than I was expecting.
[00:17:10] Speaker B: And they put it at a place where you're already exhausted. Right. So it's like, this is probably one of the hardest things, and it's right at the end and you are so exhausted and. Yeah, for everyone trying to have to do that.
[00:17:22] Speaker A: Yeah. And the zip line, too, because I'm kind of scared of heights too. So you're shaky up there. So that was definitely because your heart's, like, racing because you just were like, here, grab this and go land on the mattress. I was like, okay, It's a mattress
[00:17:39] Speaker B: to catch your fall.
[00:17:41] Speaker A: That's crazy. Crazy.
[00:17:44] Speaker B: That reminds me. I went. I went ziplining over a cavern in the mountains in Mexico. I mean, like, you're just going over, like, the valley, and it was terrifying. And it's Mexico, so I'm glad I didn't know this until after I was already, like, on the zip line en route. And then you get to see the end, and it's just a guy there to stop you with, like, a little pulley. And if. In case the fail safe is a mat, there's just a mattress against a tree. And I was like, well, this is terrifying.
[00:18:14] Speaker A: Oh, my gosh. Well, if y' all like ziplining in Georgia, a place called. It's in Whitesburg. It's called Banning Mills.
Me and my husband have been there a couple times.
They have one's called the Screaming Eagle, and they hook it to your back and you're just, like, flying through the air. I think it's like the. It's in the Guinness World record book. I think it's one of the longest zip lines or the fastest zip lines. You have to look it up. Y' all gotta see that. It's at Banning Mills in Whitesburg, Georgia.
[00:18:41] Speaker B: I'm gonna. I'm gonna look that up because I definitely want to do that. I have, I have friends in Georgia too. I'll let you know when I come because I'm close.
We're Virginia, so we're like. I'm like eight hours. It's not terrible. I've driven farther for less.
[00:18:57] Speaker A: Okay. Yeah, you guys will definitely enjoy that.
[00:19:01] Speaker B: So how did you prepare physically for this competition?
[00:19:07] Speaker A: So I do dabble in CrossFit, so I've been doing CrossFit since 2017.
Just a lot of times I go to socialize at the gym, but we do like obstacle course racing just for fun.
We have a home gym, so, yeah, just kind of doing rope climbs at the gym, lifting more weight.
I tried to prepare as, as much as I could. Probably six months prior to us flying over there.
[00:19:36] Speaker B: Did they give you any heads up on, I guess, how to prepare or things that could help you prepare or were you going in blind?
[00:19:43] Speaker A: Just going in blind? Yeah. They didn't give us any, like, hey, do this, do that. This is what, what you're gonna do that. We didn't get any of that. It was just kind of like, keep working.
[00:19:54] Speaker B: And it seemed very, very upper body strength heavy.
[00:19:58] Speaker A: Yes. And it was. I wish I would have done more upper body stuff, but yeah, it really was a lot. I mean, there was some like leg stuff, obviously the Travelator, but yeah, a lot of upper body.
[00:20:13] Speaker B: Do you think competing against pro bodybuilders kind of changes the dynamic of the competition?
[00:20:20] Speaker A: They were, some of them were huge. I mean, crazy, but they're so, like, fit.
Yeah, they, they're just amazing, amazing athletes.
[00:20:32] Speaker B: There was. Was it crush her? Her thighs were bigger than people's heads. They were like showing that. I'm like, oh, my gosh.
[00:20:40] Speaker A: Yeah, she's awesome. So she's actually a professional crossfitter, so she, she's very familiar with kind of. I feel like that helped her out a lot. But she's just an all around, just thorough athlete. I mean, she's, she's fit.
Thick and fit.
[00:20:56] Speaker B: Yes.
What do you want people to take away watching your journey on the show? Like, what do you want people to know about you and to leave with?
[00:21:07] Speaker A: So I would just say just have fun.
You're not always going to win. You're not always going to lose.
Just have fun with it.
Be kind.
Yeah, you can do anything. If you, if you really want to do it, do it.
That's. That's my takeaway. Yeah.
[00:21:27] Speaker B: And. And what's next for you? You. You're not going to do any more crazy Weird shows or would you be down to do more?
[00:21:33] Speaker A: I don't think so. That was too weird for me.
Like I said, I work at the office. I like to be.
But no, I mean, whatever. Whatever happens, happens.
I don't. I try to do something once, you know, I don't want to say no to anything, but for now, just. Just hanging out, just chilling out, spinning in my chair, you know?
[00:21:56] Speaker B: Yeah. And I feel like you got to have a real adventure. I feel like everyday life is catered to, normalcy and the same, and you're in your box, in your comfort zone, and everything's kind of catered to keep you in the comfort zone. So when you get to do something like this, you're really stepping out of it.
[00:22:11] Speaker A: Exactly. That's exactly. Yeah. I mean, that was a crazy adventure. And even, like, my co workers are like, hey, do you want us to donate you some pto, Todd? I'm like, don't worry, I got enough time off because I never take time off.
But, yeah, that was a wild, weird, crazy adventure.
[00:22:33] Speaker B: I love that. Well, thank you so much for coming on here to talk with me about it today.
[00:22:38] Speaker A: Yeah. Thank you for having me.
[00:22:40] Speaker B: Of course. Well, again, thank you. Where can people find you on Instagram, by the way? You mentioned you had Instagram.
[00:22:46] Speaker A: Yeah. So I think mine's just. Just Janelle Shaver if you look me up or on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
[00:22:53] Speaker B: Amazing. Well, thank you so much and thank you guys for tuning in today. And until next time, everybody stay.
