We Talked with ALONE Contestant Kielyn Marrone, and Learned What Pushed Her Out of Her Comfort Zone
History.ca got to speak with Alone contestant Kielyn Marrone about her time on the intense HISTORY reality competition, where participants get dropped in The Arctic for 100 days, and must use their expert survival skills for the chance at winning $1,000,000. Did we mention on this season the stakes are up – each contestant must survive 100 days. No shelter. No crew. All alone. Yikes!
This interview has been condensed for clarity.
Q: Can you speak to how The Arctic winter is different from our northern Ontario winters? Is there any difference?
A: Well, we weren’t quite in the Arctic, we were in the subarctic. Which basically means, we still had trees. We were very close to being above the treeline, but I think it would be a different ballgame if there were no trees. So, in that respect, it is different because over there the winter comes quicker, and lasts longer. The daylight hours are much shorter. And this means that you have less time to prepare for winter, and when you get dropped off their in mid-September
it doesn’t leave you a lot of time to get prepared for the cold.
Q: Being in The Arctic on this season of Alone, how far were you pushed out of your comfort zone?
A: I felt pretty comfortable out there, in that I was happy with my shelter and I was happy with the air that I was in. But it was more about my mental limits were being stretched over and over and over. And I really missed my family, and I didn’t want to be alone. I wanted to give hugs, and to share the highs and the lows with someone, particularly my husband. Even though I knew I was signing up for this experience, and this show titled “Alone”, so I knew going in that this would be one of my biggest weaknesses was just to be alone. I’m a very family-oriented person. That is what pushed me out of my comfort zone for sure.
Q: Out of the list of 10 items you could take to The Arctic, which item came to be the most useful tool for
you?
A: I keep calling my ax my “MVT” which stands for “most valuable tool”. It was there to cut firewood, and do any of my clearing, and so I definitely took care of it as my “MVT”. But actually all the tools were live-saving, and there wasn’t a single item that I didn’t require. Maybe in hindsight I may have changed one item, but at the same time because of your area you just never know what is going to be presented to you and what elements you are going to face.
Q: Since you’ve already revealed that you didn’t regret taking any times, was there an item you wished you could magic-up in the moment?
A: Do you mean if I could bring in a contraband item? (Laughs) Hmm.. I would have loved to make appear a wood-stove oven with a nice long chimney. Constructing a shelter and keeping a small fire is not the easiest to manage.
Q: We’ve touched on how being alone in The Arctic was a challenge for you, but were the any positives about being alone?
A: I think just having that ability to clear your mind, there were no distractions there and your senses are so heightened. You are truly at peace with yourself. You are your own sense of entertainment, comfort, and so you really get to know yourself and what limits you are willing to push, which ones you aren’t willing to push, and how to get through these challenges on your own. This was a really great lesson for me, and I was able to bring this home with me and be a better partner for my husband, for my family. You get a very good glimpse of yourself out there, and hopefully you like what you see.
Q: If you had the chance to do Alone all over again, would you?
A: To be honest, I don’t need to be alone again. I would love to have this intense and immersive experience again, but I would love to do this Dave (my husband), and in a partner sencario. So if the show brought in a partner season, then we would crush it (laughs).
Watch Kielyn bare the elements of The Arctic, in a brand new season of Alone. Premieres June 11 10EP.
You can now watch your favourite HISTORY shows on the GLOBAL TV APP. Stream anywhere.
