Why 'Survivor' Fans Are Talking About Jonathan Young’s Guinness World Record Again

Former Survivor star, Jonthan Young, can now add world record holder to his title. The Alabama beach service owner arrived in Fiji with the outdoor skills of someone who had basically trained for the island his whole life. Jonathan became one of Survivor 42’s biggest physical forces. He helped carry the Taku tribe through brutal water challenges, provided food at camp, and quickly earned the “challenge beast” label.

Jonathan is a castaway from Alabama who lived in Gulf Shores and owned a beach service company. In an interview with Parade, Jonathan said his love for competition started when he appeared on the reality series Endurance as a teenager. He called the show a “dumbed-down version” of Survivor.

Outside of reality television, Jonathan also takes fitness seriously. He broke a world record and secured a spot in the Guinness World Records.

Jonathan broke the Guinness World Record for the most pull-ups with 100 pounds on his back. According to KESQ, Jonathan completed 15 chin-ups in one minute while wearing a 100-pound pack at Orange Beach Fitness Center. Officials recorded the attempt with four cameras. They filmed the process from the initial weigh-in through the reps and the final weigh-in so reviewers could verify the attempt.

The reality star had previously held the world record for 100-pound weighted pull-ups, which use an overhand grip. His October 2021 attempt focused on chin-ups, which use a different grip.

“If I get any sort of fame from things that are coming up or from this, I want to pay it forward and help other people realize their talents so they can, in turn, keep paying it forward,” Jonathan said. “That’s what Young Strength is all about. It’s about being everything you can be and then giving it … paying it forward … giving it to the less fortunate.”

However, the current Guinness World Records page for most pull-ups in one minute with a 100-pound pack now lists Liu Weiqiang of China with 25 pull-ups, achieved in March 2023. For the most chin-ups carrying a 100-pound pack in one minute, Guinness currently lists Ruslan Fatakhov of Kazakhstan with 19 reps, achieved in April 2021. Ruslan also holds the Guinness record for most chin-ups carrying a 60-pound pack in one minute with 29 reps, achieved in Kazakhstan on April 9, 2021. Guinness said he trained doing chin-ups for two hours, twice a week, using different weights.

Jonathan did not win Survivor 42, but he came close. He reached the final four before losing the fire-making challenge to Mike Turner. That loss sent Jonathan to the jury instead of the final three.

Maryanne Oketch won the season in a 7-1-0 jury vote over Mike Turner and Romeo Escobar. During the final Tribal Council, Maryanne impressed the jury after revealing she still held a hidden immunity idol and explaining her strategic move against Omar Zaheer.

Mike received the only other jury vote, and that vote came from Jonathan. Jonathan later explained why he supported Mike in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

“Because I thought he deserved a million dollars,” he said. “I was with Mike for the entire time after the merge and I saw that he did some things that deserved the million dollars.”