Man Vs. Bear Grylls: Move Over Chuck Norris

Men of the world take notice: The bar has been raised.  You will never be better than second best.  EduClaytion’s Man of the Decade is officially Bear Grylls.  This guy might just challenge Billy Guerin as President of Awesomeness.  Perhaps you’ve never heard of Mr. Grylls.  Time to get acquainted. 

This guy makes Chuck Norris look like Betty Crocker.  Hey, I like Chuck Norris, but let’s see him bite the head off a live water snake for lunch before tackling a six foot alligator, “dispatching it humanely,” and lugging it through the swamp to make dinner.  By the way, you can use the gator’s leathery skin in thin strips as cord for preparing a jungle bed.  My schedule’s been tight and I have a hangnail, so I haven’t tried this yet but will report on how well it works at a later date.

For the uninitiated, Bear appears on the show of his creation, Man vs. Wild, on the Discovery Channel.  I’ve always been intrigued by nature shows but not to the point of fascination.  The Crocodile Hunter was okay, but Bear Grylls makes Steve Irwin look like H.R. Puff n Stuff.  Make it a point to watch Man vs. Wild one time.  I dare you not to be amazed.

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Grylls picked up many of his survival skills in the British Special Forces.  While serving in the Special Air Service he broke his back during in a parachute accident.  The injury healed and in 1998, at age 23, Grylls became the youngest British climber to go up and down a little hill known as Mount Everest.  The lifelong explorer spent the next decade accomplishing feats no one had ever attempted.

Over a billion viewers in 150 different countries have been hooked by the incredible communication skills of the 35 year old speaker/writer/TV host.  He’s raised millions of dollars for a variety of charities as well.  Imagine the softer side of Rambo with a sense of humor. 

Grylls’ escapades often come at a cost.  He recently recovered from a broken shoulder suffered in Antarctica.  Earlier this summer, he severed part of a finger in Vietnam while chopping bamboo. 

Bear isn’t the only tough member of the Grylls family.  His wife Shara just gave birth to their third child (all boys).  She didn’t bother with a hospital but gave birth at home.  Oh yeah, she didn’t take pain killers either.