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The Beast Games finale came to a close on February 13, 2025, during which Player 831, Jeff, was declared the winner. On February 15, 2025, Courtney Ferris, or Player 424 appeared on a new episode of the Respectfully Inspired YouTube podcast hosted by Aussie (Player 435) to share her thoughts on the show.
Courtney, during her interview, also spoke about other aspects of her life outside of Beast Games that impacted her life, such as a near-death moment that changed her perception of her life entirely.
"I'm not like heavily affected by my near-death experiences anymore—like, I am in a way, but they've changed me to be this person forever," she stated.
She described how she got caught in powerful ocean waves, fought to stay afloat, and ultimately lost consciousness. Despite being pulled under by the current, she later found herself safely back on land.
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Surviving a near-death experience before Beast Games
Courtney described how she had been ankle-deep in the water at Waimea Bay in Hawaii when a big wave swept her out into deep water. The weather had been rough, and the waves had become huge, making it dangerous. She had not been going to swim but got swept away by the power of the ocean.
She struggled to stay afloat as the waves pulled her under, swallowing seawater each time she tried to breathe. She called for help, but the waves drowned out her voice.
Her friends onshore saw her but couldn't reach her. With no lifeguards or surfers around, exhaustion took over, and she could no longer fight the current.
"When that happened, I had like an out-of-body experience underwater where I was just kind of like looking at myself. I was still pretty much here on Earth—like, I didn’t enter into heaven or anything like that," she said.
At that moment, she blacked out. She later woke up on the shore, surrounded by her friends, who had pulled her to safety. She vomited up seawater and processed what had happened. She noted that the waves, which had been dragging her out, had somehow carried her back to land. Courtney saw this experience as a turning point.
Courtney reflected on finding a new perspective
Following the incident, the Beast Games star took time to think about what had happened and what it meant for her. She explained that she had always been a spiritual person but had not deeply explored her faith.
She spoke about how the event changed the way she saw life, making her more aware of moments when she felt guided or protected.
Courtney also mentioned that this was not her only near-death experience. She had previously suffered from idiopathic anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction with no known cause.
"I had idiopathic anaphylaxis, which is a lethal allergic reaction, but idiopathic just means we don't know what I'm allergic to. So I was driving and I just had an anaphylactic reaction and um, had to call the paramedics and they helped me out the second time," she explained.
She concluded that while Beast Games was an important experience for her, it was these life-or-death moments that had the biggest impact on her perspective.
Watch all the episodes of Beast Games currently streaming on Prime Video.
