St. Louis native and professional soccer player Dida Armstrong is stepping outside the comfort of the pitch – and straight into the reboot of one of TV’s most notorious challenge shows. The 21-year-old is among the 14 contestants braving “Fear Factor: House of Fear.” The show premieres on January 14 on Fox and phobias, grit and sheer willpower matter far more than athletic skill.
Photos courtesy of FOX
This season, MTV staple Johnny Knoxville hosts contestants in a remote Canadian location, leading through a gauntlet of fear-inducing, nerve-wracking challenges – all for a shot at a $200,000 grand prize.
Currently playing for Sporting JAX in Jacksonville, Florida, Armstrong describes himself as extremely competitive, but also a team player. “Soccer kinda ran in the family,” he said. “I didn’t start taking it seriously until 14.” Now he’s building a career doing what he loves.
He’s spent years sharpening his athleticism, but quickly learned on “Fear Factor” that physical ability is only the baseline. “It was pretty equal all around,” Armstrong said. “They made the challenges where athleticism didn’t really count. It was more about putting your will forward and overcoming your fears.”
Armstrong admits he’s afraid of both heights and deep water. “I had some instances as a child – fell out of a couple of trees – and it came to near-death experiences,” said Armstrong. “Same with water. I had an instance where I probably would have drowned if people weren’t watching over me.” The fear of the unknown also contributes to his fear of deep water. “We only know 12% of the ocean, and I’d rather not find out any other percentage on my own,” Armstrong said with a laugh.
“Fear Factor” became legendary in the early 2000s for pushing contestants to their limits – from wading through insects to climbing suspended structure. Armstrong only caught glimpses of the original. “It was before my time, so I didn’t get to experience it when it came out,” Armstrong said. “But I saw a little bit and thought, ‘What am I getting myself into?”
He didn’t do much preparation, he “just went for it.” “I went in with an open mind,” Armstrong said. “But It’s ‘Fear Factor’,’ so I tried not to add any more anxiety than I already had.
When challenges got rough, Armstrong leaned on the two tattoos behind his ears. “Kaizen means to get one percent better each day,” he said. “On the show, I wanted to overcome fears and take steps as they came.” “Carpe Diem means seize the day,” he continued. “So when I faced difficult moments, I remembered why I got that tattoo.”
Focusing on those concepts helped him push through. “After the show, I went to see if I could swim in an open body of water and not get scared – so that’s a plus.”
Living with strangers added another layer to the experience. “It was weird at first,” Armstrong said. “But over time you create these relationships from all the challenges you go through. You build an unbreakable bond that only the 14 people in that house will understand.”
Contestants are sworn to secrecy during filming, with limited phone access and no contact with home. “I didn’t get to tell my family and friends much,” Armstrong said. “I called my mom for the first time and told her I made it out. I told her it was pretty crazy. When you see it, you’ll understand.”
Cheer on another St. Louis local as he uncovers hidden depths and soars to new heights on the inaugural season of “Fear Factor: House of Fear.” The show premieres at 8 p.m. CST Wed., January 14 on the FOX network. Check local listings for channels.
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