Meet Our Expert Instructors

Learn from elite survival professionals with decades of combined field experience

Our instructors are the backbone of The Survival Games. Each brings real-world expertise from military service, search and rescue, wilderness guiding, and survival education. They don't just teach—they've lived it.

Survival Instructors

The Experts Leading the Challenges

Instructor EJ Snyder, survival instructor and veteran, in rugged field attire.

EJ Snyder

Naked & Afraid • Dual Survival

25-year Army veteran and TV survivalist known for grit and practical fieldcraft. EJ turns pressure into teachable moments you'll remember when it counts.

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Instructor Dr. Natalie Bonthius, Emergency Medicine physician and wilderness medicine educator.

Dr. Natalie Bonthius

Survival Med — Medical Director

Emergency Medicine physician and wilderness medicine educator who's trained 30,000+ students—raising the floor of safety and skills at the Games.

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Instructor Biko Wright, survival instructor from Alone S8, outdoors in the forest.

Biko Wright

Alone — Season 8 (Runner-Up)

Mountain-tough with contagious energy, Biko blends primitive skills, music, and mindset to push competitors past their comfort zones.

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Instructor Dana

Dana Anderson

Wild Mountain Man Dan

Six decades of frontier craft—from stone tools to backcountry lore—distilled into precise, memorable lessons.

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Instructor Danny Graves, Camouflage, Tracking, Hunting.

Danny Graves

Naked & Afraid - Season 12

Danny Graves is a seasoned wilderness survival expert, instructor, and former military professional known for his hands-on teaching style, tactical expertise, and ability to help others develop real-world survival skills in challenging environments.

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Instructor Sharon Ross, Afrovivalist, drawing a bow—poised and focused.

Sharon Ross

Afrovivalist

Southern Oregon-raised survivalist bringing cultural perspective, strong fundamentals, and empowering instruction to every challenge.

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Instructor Kari Lee, Camouflage, Tracking, Hunting.

Kari Lee Knokes

Alone - Season 9 (Runner-Up)

Karie Lee Knokes is a wilderness survival instructor, herbalist, and Alone Season 9 finalist known for her deep connection to nature, traditional living skills, and holistic approach to self-reliance and sustainability.

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Learn From the Best

Join us for hands-on training with these elite survival professionals.