Show Notes
Ky Furneaux is an Australian outdoor guide, TV host, author, survival expert and stunt person who has appeared in over 50 films and TV productions.
When a car accident left Australian native Ky Furneaux with limited mobility at age 19, she took what could have been a debilitating setback and turned it into a true Hollywood story. Ky’s doctor told her she would never be able to play sports or do the majority of the outdoor activities she enjoyed. But Ky was determined to prove him wrong.
After regaining her strength and her athletic ability, she took a job as an outdoor team leader with an adventure company. Her work with climbing, rappelling, high ropes, sailing, kayaking, canoeing, and hiking led her to consider a career in stunt work.
Extensive fight training in Vancouver, Canada helped her land some notable jobs, including X-Men 3, Hancock, Elektra, Agents of Shield and The Avengers. For her work in Thor as Jaimie Alexander’s stunt double, Ky was awarded the Taurus Stunt Award (the Oscars of the stunt industry) in 2012 for Best Female Stunt Performer in the world.During her extensive career Ky has doubled major stars such as Jennifer Garner, Anne Hathaway, and Sharon Stone.
Ky then returned to her survival roots producing and co-hosting Hike for Survival, an epic 100-mile trek spanning the Sierra Nevadas. Ky and her co-host carried only a pocket knife as they crossed the mountains. Other projects featuring Ky include The World Out There and MTV’s Made, in which Ky coached a teenager who wanted to learn outdoor survival skills. Ky has also been featured on the Discovery Channel’s hit show “Naked and Afraid,” which has been called “the Everest of survival shows.”
In March 2014, Ky’s first book debuted. Published by Penguin Australia, “Girl’s Own Survival Guide” is a fun read for women to help them be proactive in any situation, from a broken stiletto to foraging for food in the wilderness. The U.S. titled “The Superwoman’s Survival Guide,” was released in April 2014.
Links:
Website || Facebook || Instagram || Youtube || Twitter
Show Notes:
- Her story in Australia (3.25)
- How she broke her back (3.30)
- What Doctors said (7.10)
- How she utilized her pain (13.30)
- How did she start her carrier (15.54)
- Worked 16 years in the stunt industry (19.14)
- She won the biggest award in the Stunt industry (25.30)
- Advise she gave to herself (29.00)
- Survivals or stunt? (35.10)
- How did she keep herself mentally tough (38.00)
- Survival stuff she is doing at the moment (40.30)
- Thoughts about a strong female role model (42.00)
- Last Uncomfortable thing she did (45.40)
- Next Uncomfortable thing for her (48.00)
- Strategies for approaching Uncomfortable situations (49.25)
- Challenge for listeners this week (52.00)
