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A Fort McMurray firefighter hopes to encourage individuals throughout Canada as he competes on a CBC present that turns the nation right into a nation-wide impediment course. Christian Oberegger, 37, mentioned in an interview that he loved each minute of the gruelling and difficult expertise.

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“If I can encourage individuals to make change for the nice and convey the nation collectively by laughing at my expense, that’s one thing that’s cool,” mentioned Oberegger, who’s one in every of 24 opponents on the CBC present Canada’s Final Problem. “My mission was to unfold pleasure and encourage at the least one individual to raised themselves.”

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Oberegger has been with the Fort McMurray Fireplace Division since April 2016 and has been a firefighter since 2014. The present options 24 individuals divided into six groups which might be assigned an expert athlete to be coach. Oberegger’s workforce had Gilmore Junio, a three-time Olympic speedskater. Different coaches included Olympians Donovan Bailey, Waneek Horn-Miller, Clara Hughes, Jen Kish, and Tremendous Bowl champion Luke Willson.

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The tagline of the eight-episode collection is that it “turns your entire nation into an enormous impediment course.” The six groups are thrown by a gauntlet of bodily demanding challenges from coast-to-coast. This contains every little thing from rafting on the Athabasca River to making a bridge over a canyon in Whitehorse.

As a former soccer participant who attended a coaching camp with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Oberegger’s greatest hurdles weren’t bodily. Planning for a soccer recreation can final days and by his personal admission, he’s a routine-oriented individual. This event made Oberegger improvise and suppose on his ft. Teamwork was important to make it to the tip of the day.

“The entire dynamic is just not understanding what you’re doing,” he mentioned. “A whole lot of the challenges had been out of my wheelhouse.”

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Oberegger joined the present after he was contacted by Kwame Osei, a former bodily training trainer at Holy Trinity Excessive College. Osei additionally performed soccer with Obregger at St. Francis Xavier College and competed on The Wonderful Race Canada throughout 2019 season. Producers requested Osei if he knew anybody who could be a superb match for the present and he talked about Oberegger.

At first, Oberegger hesitated as a result of he was not excited about being within the highlight. However when he learn the present is heavy on teamwork and displaying management, Oberegger despatched an audition tape. His mom was going by well being points when he was interviewed by producers, however after the interview one producer informed Oberegger to name his mother and inform her he could be on the present.

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Lots of the challenges concerned heights and had been unnerving. He describes himself as a “wear-your-heart-on-your-sleeve sort of man” and had a passionate outlook on the occasion. At occasions he was allowed to offer pep-talks to the remainder of the workforce.

However he additionally noticed Canada’s magnificence as a competitor. Challenges within the Yukon and Squamish, B.C. had been favourites, he mentioned. Quebec Metropolis was simply as lovely as he remembered when he final visited as a toddler. Oberegger can not give any spoilers, however says the expertise was unimaginable. He has nothing however reward for the opposite opponents, who he says grew to become like a household on the finish.

“On a private degree, I used to be very pleased with how I competed,” mentioned Oberegger. “I used to be very blessed with the workforce that was given to me.”

Canada’s Final Problem airs Thursdays on CBC and CBC Gem.

vmcdermott@postmedia.com

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