Mansch on Montana: Josh Morin survives, thrives

Josh Morin had it all.

Good health. A college wrestling scholarship at Arizona State. A solid relationship with his girlfriend. And a thriving, money-making business on the side.

Then suddenly he had nothing.

“I was at the point in my life where I was super lost,” the Great Falls High graduate said.

How does one survive in this world? Josh, 23, says he was rescued by some soul-searching. And it started when the former superstar Bison wrestling champion was in an unfamiliar position – flat on his back.

Four back surgeries during his freshman year of college ended his wrestling career. He figured it was time to start over.

“I was making good money in network marketing, but without wrestling I was really lost,” Josh said. “I’d been doing it since I was 4 years old. All of a sudden that was taken away and I was like, ‘Who am I anymore?’ Because it was my life. So I decided to step away from school and take on a journey of living life however the heck I want to live it.

“And it’s been one helluva ride since.”

JOSH IS NOW A TV star, a cast member of the fledgling reality series “The Wheel.” The premiere was Jan. 13. The second episode aired Jan. 20. Subsequent shows on the Discovery Channel are slated for the next six Fridays.

Josh was selected with five others over a list of applicants that numbered 25,000. They are charged with surviving the harsh conditions in various South America locales. All by themselves.

“We’re just average, everyday outdoor enthusiasts,” Josh said. “We’re not survivalist experts. Just people looking for challenges. I’ve never been in a survival situation before. It was intriguing to me because it offered an opportunity to test myself like I hadn’t been challenged before. Being removed from wrestling I missed that challenge. That’s why I decided to take on ‘The Wheel.’”

The goal?

“The purpose is to survive,” Josh said. “That’s it. You’re out there by yourself and equipped only with a few essentials: machete, tarps, nothing super crazy. Just a small bag of items that are supposed to last you 60 days. You’re given three days of food rations. That’s not much food for 60 days.”

The taping occurred last fall. There are six more 60-minute episodes. Members of the group had access to an SOS beacon and could quit anytime. Josh said he cannot divulge details, but he made it successfully through the first two episodes, which included frigid conditions in the mountainous region of Patagonia and the South America tundra.

“To me it was much more than a survival show,” Josh said. “At first I wanted to show everybody how tough I was, being a wrestler from Montana. Then as days went by I was humbled in many ways. It became more of a journey and a growth. I was shedding the layers of a lot of things in my life because I didn’t have any distractions out there.

“It was pretty wild. In the first episode they weren’t able to show a lot of the struggle. It was cold. I struggled and there were a lot of mistakes I made that weren’t put on TV. Being malnourished and cold definitely offers its struggles.”

AT LEAST, Josh gets to keep his clothes on.

“No, it’s not ‘Naked And Afraid,’” he chuckled, referring to another popular Discovery series. “Probably ‘Clothed and Afraid’ is more like it.”

Will he have to deal with snakes or eat lizards or anything?

“I’ll leave that to the viewers,” he said. “But no, nothing super crazy.”

To some, it might seem a little nuts that Josh left the comfort of Arizona State. Indeed, a year ago he was living and making money in Hawaii. But then the relationship with his girlfriend fell apart.

More soul-searching.

“I spent a handful of years chasing the dollar and the limelight in the material world, and recently I’ve taken a step back to figure out what makes me most happy,” he said. “And that’s traveling, meeting new people, seeing the world and spending a lot of time in nature.”

Including the wilds of South America.

“I feel nature has given me a new perspective on life,” Josh said. “It’s refreshing to be outside and be away from the chaos. Away from our phones and technology. When you disconnect with the world you can connect with who you are. That’s something I’ve done frequently and plan to do more and more as the years go on.”

Call him crazy, Josh said, but he said more folks should try it.

“There’s something about being away from the chaos,” he said. “It feels really good. (Technology) keeps us in a state of anxiety and being overwhelmed. When you get away from it you tap into what we’re really supposed to be. And that’s to be filled with love.”

THE TRICK, of course, is to have a few bucks in your pocket.

“Obviously that’s right,” Josh laughed. “I’m also an entrepreneur so I’m finding a few ways to make money to fuel my journey. I’m not looking for millions but just enough to fuel my journey. My way of travel and living life is super small. I pretty much can live out of a backpack. That gives me an opportunity where you don’t have to spend a bunch of money to have a cool life.”

He said “The Wheel” provided a decent income, though there’s no assurance it will continue. And, he said, he definitely earned his fee.

“You’re out there alone and you’re cold and you’re starving. Then you’re by the campfire and thinking about your family back home, 6,000 miles away,” he said with a grin.

But it truly was no laughing matter. His back flared up.

“It definitely at points had its moments,” Josh said. “I wasn’t as prepared as well for the cold and malnourishment as I thought. My back had been feeling good for the last couple of years because I’d been treating my body right, eating right and living right. But there’s definitely some times, as you will see on TV, that it was killing me.

“I lost 27 pounds total, and I’m not a very big guy anyway. I started at 147 and ended at 120. It’s a very humbling experience to see your body dissipate. That’s tough on an injury site. It was tough on my back.”

JOSH IS USED to success. In his high school wrestling career he won two state championships and finished second once. He was 44-0 as a senior for the Bison.

One day last March back in his hometown he picked up a camera and had an epiphany.

“I started to tell all my friends and buddies that I was going to be on TV,” he laughed. “I kind of had this vision that I wanted to be on some sort of TV series. I had a text message conversation with my sister (Jessie Morin) three days before I got contacted by the casting directors for the show. I remember telling her, ‘I just want to live a bad-ass life, be around the people I love and maybe be on a TV show for the Discovery Channel.’”

He laughed again.

“You know what?” he said. “Three days later I was contacted from the Discovery Channel. Pretty wild.”

An old pal from Great Falls was the conduit.

Sam Listoe had moved to Los Angeles to embark on a music career and was friends for one of the casting directors. Sam recommended Josh.

“He said, ‘I have a friend who’s crazy enough and would probably be a fit for this.’ He gave them my name and number and it led to this crazy adventure,” Josh said.

And the rest is history.

JOSH AND A FRIEND are now building a photography and cinematography career with their newly started “Fresh Bread Productions.”

“I’m just kind of dipping my feet in anything that makes me feel good,” Josh said. “Hopefully I’ll be able to go across the country filming awesome and amazing moments.”

Josh started a business called Conscious Connections several years ago. Now he’s in the process of handing off the company to his sister Jessie. Her boyfriend, Great Falls native Bryce Thompson, who is currently in culinary school in Portland, will also be involved.

The Mission Statement for Conscious Connections?

“It revolves around the triad of life,” Josh said. “The human spirit, nature and wildlife, and how each of those elements is equally as important as the next. And how it’s all connected. We, as a company, are creating projects to give back to those three areas.”

Josh and Bryce, also a former star athlete in Great Falls, have been friends a long time.

“Bryce and my sister are two great people with outstanding outlooks on life,” Josh said. “I think they’re going to take this world by storm and I’m super proud they’re in my corner as well.”

A TREASURE STATE heritage has shaped Josh Morin’s life.

“It’s a tough state,” Josh said. “Montana people are blue collar. I think we’re the last frontier. And you have to be tough to live here. A few weeks ago it was like 30 below zero, man, and we’re still going to work and still going to school, and our shelves at the grocery store are still stocked. There’s still moving parts. Our roads are plowed and people are getting up at 4 in the morning to do these things. That takes a level of toughness, and that’s been forged in our DNA. And I’m proud to call myself a Montanan.”

His plan for the coming years?

“Crazy adventures,” he laughed. “I don’t really know right now. I’m soaking this all in. Just running with the message. I just really want my story and so-called 10 seconds of fame to inspire others to do the same. I plan on taking this day and every day forward of filling my cup, man, just doing things that make me happy and not settling for what I don’t want to do. There’s not enough time in this life to be unhappy.”

Ain’t it the truth?

Josh paused for a moment.

“Even though love makes the world go around, money pays for the trip,” he said. “Obviously you’ve got to create some income but you also have to let your heart guide you. That’s what I’m doing.”

Mansch on Montana, dedicated to personalities and places that make living in the Treasure State special, appears on Mondays. Scott Mansch can be reached at 791-1481 or smansch@greatfallstribune.com