The writers of the hit Netflix actuality collection Million Greenback Secret may by no means have scripted a extra twisted plot than what Kyle Wimberley confronted upon his return to actuality.
After the South Louisiana native was eradicated from the collection, it was straight to work for the chiseled Cajun—a 14-hour, in a single day marathon drive from Louisiana to the Texas oil fields that will have been his most unwinnable problem. Low ranges of sleep, excessive warmth, and a grueling day within the Lone Star solar, together with the psychological crash from the adrenaline-fueled streaming expertise led to emotions of light-headedness and dizziness.
These signs worsened, with extreme nausea and an unsettling sensation of paralysis. Wimberley’s workmates rushed him to the closest hospital—10 miles away—the place medical doctors mentioned the truth star suffered from dehydration and kidney harm.
If there was ever a time for the Million Greenback Secret contestant to ponder “what may have been” if he had gained the present’s grand prize and never have been eradicated, it might definitely have been whereas he was hooked as much as medical machines. “If I had gained that million {dollars}, this may occasionally by no means have occurred,” Kyle Wimberley joked. “As a result of I most likely wouldn’t have been at work.”
Happily, the 27-year-old is working his manner again to 100% well being—at each his water-well drilling job and within the fitness center. Viewers who caught a glimpse of his unassumingly ripped physique on the Netflix collection can attest to the essential position health has performed within the fast restoration of this former highschool working again.
Whereas he’s nonetheless enjoys his easy life on his job drilling, the success of the present has inspired Wimberley to maintain pushing for a actuality present repeat. It’s why getting again to a weightroom routine and getting his physique proper is important. Exterior of labor, his passions maintain him busy. Wimberley immerses himself in actions resembling health, pictures, duck searching, and crawfish cooking.
Moreover, Kyle co-founded an area mud racing occasion in Louisiana with a good friend, which caught the eye of representatives from the Discovery Channel. This opportunity encounter opened the door to a facet gig on TV and in the end led to his participation in Million Greenback Secret.
Kyle Wimberley’s Journey From Mud Racing to Actuality TV
So how did a Louisiana-born Cajun, who watches little to no tv, discover himself on a actuality collection watched by hundreds of thousands? Mud racing, in fact.
Wimberley, an avid mud racing fanatic, together with a good friend, hosted a number of native mud driving occasions through which followers and individuals would convey out their ATVs and four-wheelers and trip by the mud. Afterwards, everybody indulges in an all-day crawfish cookout.
In response to Wimberley, these occasions caught the eye of producers from the Discovery Channel. Whereas that undertaking remains to be within the works, casting brokers started reaching out to him for separate alternatives. Certainly one of which was to take part in Million Greenback Secret, the present through which the premise was having 12 contestants have interaction in a high-stakes recreation of predator and prey.
Over eight episodes, the much less lucky opponents needed to strategize to search out and get rid of the “millionaire” whereas continuously shifting alliances to place themselves in a greater place to win. Casting brokers believed his sharp and low-key southern demeanor could be an ideal match. Wimberley, flattered at first, wasn’t completely optimistic of issues figuring out.
“I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t have tremendous excessive hopes, simply because so many reveals didn’t occur prior to now for no matter motive,” he says. “However I saved going by the casting course of, and subsequent factor I knew, I used to be on a flight to Canada.”
Previous to his keep on the present’s location—the ultra-luxurious Stag Resort in British Columbia—the one time Wimberley ever left the states was for a relative’s wedding ceremony south of the U.S. border. “I’ve by no means gone in a foreign country, aside from to Mexico after I was, like, 8.”
Wimberley made it to Episode 7 earlier than his eventual elimination. Not dangerous for a participant who went in to the collection unaware of the state of affairs he was getting himself into. “I simply confirmed up with no prep in any respect,” he says. “I needed every thing to be new to me,” he defined.
His confidence all through the present didn’t all the time shine by. Regardless of being surrounded with next-level lodging, nerves and tradition shock caught up with him, inflicting him to lose 10 kilos. There have been instances when he would share his meals with fellow castmates, resembling Sydnee Falkner, earlier than he grew to become snug in his environment.
“I went out of your common man from South Louisiana working a traditional job to having 50 cameras in entrance of my face,” he says. “However by in regards to the week-and-a-half mark, I actually acquired used to it.”
For the fitness-focused outdoorsman who prides himself on his Cajun cooking abilities realized from his mom, prime delicacies shortly grew to become a luxurious he got here to understand: “They’d an in-house chef, and his meals was superb,” he says. “They gave us three meals a day and snacks, and it was all actually wholesome, clear, single-ingredient meals. It was insane.”
Amid the changes, one among his solely escapes was making an attempt to slot in a exercise. As he grew to become used to his new environment, he made do with no matter exercise he may handle. The scenic property balcony grew to become his fitness center. “I might get my suitcases, pack my garments and different stuff, and simply begin curling my suitcase on the balcony,” he remembers. “Or I’d do tricep dips on some patio furnishings. That sort of stuff.”
Apparently, it by no means dawned on Wimberley that the resort might need exercise gear obtainable for him. “One of many workers members noticed me curling my suitcase,” he admits. “She mentioned that they’ve dumbbells right here. She got here and introduced me some dumbbells, and I used to be good to go after that.”

There’s No Wealth with out Having Your Well being
Technically talking, by hitting the fitness center earlier than spending eight-plus hours beneath the sweltering solar warmth serving to drill water wells for oil fields, Kyle Wimberley has turn out to be accustomed to placing in two-a-days of coaching. His experience confirms that there’s nothing comparable between the 2 forms of “exercises.”
“It’s totally different,” he says. “In a fitness center exercise, you may have managed actions through which you’re hitting sure physique elements. Right here, you’re slinging pipe all day. You’re carrying it in your shoulder, pulling it out of the bottom. You’re simply cranking on that pipe all day. So, it’s fairly intense and positively totally different from the fitness center.”
Wimberley’s workday begins round 3:45 a.m., permitting him loads of time to get that first exercise in. He says it provides him an energizing increase earlier than arriving on the job website by 6:45. Relying on the day, he could possibly be out within the fields for hours or within the workplace ending up some tedious administrative work.
The unpredictability of his each day schedule forces Wimberley to remain on level along with his diet and hydration—particularly in excessive warmth situations. Nonetheless, on today, following his return from Million Greenback Secret, one thing went unpredictably flawed.
“This was 100% uncommon as a result of I’m all the time making an attempt to eat clear,” he says. “I make it very obvious to all the time keep hydrated. I’ll drink water, salt, potassium—Powerade-type stuff. However I assume it simply wasn’t sufficient.”
Exhausted from the lengthy drive, he felt the consequences of sleep deprivation. However like several athletic and hard-working 20-something, he selected to battle by it. He relied on his usually in-sync health ranges to get him by this grueling 12-hour workday. Nonetheless, the mixture of the warmth and admittedly not consuming as a lot as he usually does took a toll. It’s not all the time straightforward to eat within the fields, so he normally packs two or three protein bars as a backup for lunch, however today wasn’t typical.
His situation quickly deteriorated. Extreme nausea and vomiting whereas at the back of the drilling rig set off alarm bells for him and his coworkers. When he sat within the truck to chill down, a terrifying sensation swept over him: his fingers and toes started to go numb.
Rushed to the hospital by his colleagues, Kyle underwent a difficult night time of evaluation and remedy. Medical doctors knowledgeable him that his kidneys have been in critical hazard of failure—an alarming revelation given his in any other case wholesome life-style. He left the hospital after 9 hours. Later assessments confirmed no main harm, however the ordeal left Wimberley with a heavy life lesson about how shut his kidneys have been to being within the “failing vary.” He now not takes his health with no consideration.
“The principle factor I used to be interested by within the hospital was that I used to be terrified,” he says. “I didn’t know what was taking place or if I used to be gonna have everlasting harm. I normally deal with my physique like a temple for probably the most half, so this was scary.”
From Taking Pics to Staying Match for in Entrance of the Cameras
Along with his well being now in examine, Kyle Wimberley is again to his regular routine of coaching and outdoor. Through the years he’s additionally developed a eager curiosity in taking photos. “Pictures has been a very huge pastime of mine for a couple of years now,” he says. “I primarily acquired into it to {photograph} my hunts, however now I additionally do fitness center pictures. I’ve even carried out engagement photographs as effectively.”
His optimistic takeaway from his expertise on Million Greenback Secret has inspired him to pursue a profession, this time in entrance of the cameras. Did the short-term comforts of luxurious residing gasoline this new ardour? Presumably. However the problem of breaking out of his each day routine has impressed him to hunt new alternatives.
“I had a decision to get out of my consolation zone, and I’m nonetheless wanting to try this,” he explains. “I might completely do one other present or tackle extra tasks that not solely push me out of my consolation zone but additionally permit me to find new issues.”
Transferring ahead, Wimberley should keep a give attention to his well being as he recovers from a latest well being setback. A month previous to his kidney incident, he was on a path to get shredded. For this he says he consumed about 2,200 energy a day. “It seems like rather a lot for a lower, however with the bodily labor concerned, it balances out,” he says.
Wimberley has been coaching since highschool. Earlier than making an attempt to outsmart his MDS opponents, he was outrunning defenders as a working again. “I used to be fairly quick in highschool,” he remembers. “I ran a 4.4 40.”
Lately, the chiseled Cajun trains for each efficiency and aesthetics. He says he follows a muscle-group-specific coaching plan that he adjusts each 9 to 12 weeks. A typical week for Wimberley contains again and biceps on Monday, chest and triceps on Tuesday. He’ll full the three-day cut up on Wednesday with legday, earlier than repeating the cycle for the remainder of the week.
His routine isn’t flashy; it’s a tried-and-true method that he says appears to be efficient. “It’s exhausting to maintain it attention-grabbing typically, as we are inclined to do the identical factor time and again. Nevertheless it will get outcomes,” he notes.
In relation to cardio, Wimberley finds a diversified routine works greatest for him. Swimming reigns supreme, offering a full-body exercise whereas providing a much-needed cooldown from the Southern warmth. He additionally incorporates biking, high-incline treadmill exercises, and even the StairMaster.
Like many elements of his life nowadays, cardio generally is a difficult however fulfilling mix of various actions and pursuits. “Mixing it up is essential,” he says.





