Gibsons resident Sara Agnew is within striking distance of being a human pinball, spun around in a centrifuge and sent charging through an obstacle course over mud and water.
It might not sound like the best way to spend an afternoon, but 46,000 Canadians have applied to compete on Wipeout Canada for a chance to win $50,000, and Agnew is now in the top 200.
The show features competitors of all sorts tackling absurd obstacle courses and physical challenges, earning it comparisons to some wacky Japanese game shows.
Agnew has been a fan of the American version of the show since it debuted and decided to apply as a contestant when producers advertised for Canadian auditions two months ago. She filled out the forms and shot a video with her daughters using a doll to demonstrate just how'd she handle the show's physical challenges.
"We built a miniature obstacle course on my deck and in my yard and had a Barbie doll go through it that looks like me and sent in a tape and wrote all these stories, and they called me back and said they loved the tape. They said it was right at the top of the pile," Agnew said.
Agnew, who has her own painting/dry walling business and a long history of volunteering as a coach for girls' soccer teams in Gibsons and mentoring youth on the Coast, was then called to participate in a day-long production meeting and a little showing off three weeks ago.
"We had to go up on stage in front of everybody and show our talent, which I didn't realize we had to have. I kind of got put on the spot, which ended up being OK because I had my pregnant sister-in-law with me who is expecting twins, so I said I could do squats with three people on my back and nobody believed me," she said. "Everyone was like 'no way, no way.' So I called her up on stage and put her on my back and I did 20 squats."
The physical feat and clever, quick thinking was enough to earn Agnew second place overall in the talent contest.
Now as the producers make their final decisions on who gets to be on the show, there is a chance for the public to weigh in. Wipeout Canada's Facebook page allows users to post messages supporting candidates for the show.
As for why Agnew wants to be on the show, the reasons are two-fold. If she wins the $50,000, she plans to share it with her brother, who is soon to be the father of twins and recently suffered a nasty car accident.
And there is a bigger reason - Agnew wants young girls on the Coast and watching on TV to know they're a force to be reckoned with in sports and in life.
"That's why I'm a drywaller and a painter and I play in a men's hardball league. That's another aspect of it. I want girls to know we can do anything boys can do," she said.
Agnew is now hoping to hear she will be selected as one of the top 24 candidates for the show, and she can better her chances if fans vote for her.
"I'm representing the Sunshine Coast, and I'm tough and I'm strong and I play all my sports and I coach the kids and I have a lot of little girls looking up to me right now, wanting me to do this," she said.
If selected, Agnew will spend a week in Argentina for filming in October.
