Yossi Ghinsberg, Survived 20 Life-Threatening Days Lost in the Amazon, Inspirational Storyteller

— and the moment of truth that kept them alive. Premiere episodes air every Monday at 2200 hrs (10:00 pm SIN/HK), starting February 20. Episodes encore on Tuesday at 0300 (3:00 am), 0800 (8:00 am), and 1500 hrs (3:00 pm); Sunday at 1000 hrs (10:00 am); and the following Friday at 1800 hrs (6:00 pm).

Why does one person live against all the odds and another die?  Darlow Smithson Productions brought the true, perilous journey of two climbers in the Peruvian Andes to the screen in.  The groundbreaking I SHOULDN’T BE ALIVE taps a similar vein, incorporating striking visuals and the latest CGI technology to put viewers at the heart of engrossing stories of human survival. 

The series explores our most basic human instincts, while revealing amazing intricacies and profound depths of the human condition.  Each one-hour episode reveals the very best true stories of survival, focusing on the moral dilemmas, crucial moments, chance events and life-or-death decisions of the survivors.  Viewers will feel the power and magnitude of those decisions, and be moved to ask themselves, “What would I have done to survive?”

Each episode narrates a unique and exceptional feat of survival – some from the world of professional adventurers and extreme sports … men and women who deliberately invite danger.  But other episodes find ordinary people caught suddenly in terrible ordeals and fighting for their lives.  The stories are told in the present tense, with chilling, high-caliber dramatizations, from the perspective of the survivors.  At the heart of each episode, an agonizing moment reveals key choices that must be made to allow the survivors to cheat death and live to tell their story.

 The series premieres with Escape From the Amazon, which profiles three friends who embark on the adventure of a lifetime, but then must take unparalleled risks when their journey turns divisive and ominous.  Initially out to find a lost Indian village deep in the Amazonian jungle, the three entrust their lives to a guide who claims to be an expert in the area, but who soon leads them all into jeopardy… and one of them is never to be heard from again.

In Lost in the Snow, which tells the story of a U.S. army private en route -- with his wife and their five-month old son -- to a funeral, when a huge snowstorm lands them in barren and frozen wilderness.  In this sparsely populated area, the soldier realizes no one will find them. With his family stranded, starving and injured, he must decide to leave his wife and baby to track down help.  But is there actually any help to be found?

I SHOULDN’T BE ALIVE is produced by Darlow Smithson Productions for the Discovery Channel.  From Darlow Smithson, John Smithson and Adelene Alani are executive producers, and Alex Marengo is series producer.  For the Discovery Channel, Jack Smith is executive producer.

About Discovery Communications, Inc.

Discovery Communications is the leading global real-world media and entertainment company. Discovery has grown from its core property, the Discovery Channel, first launched in the United States in 1985, to current global operations in more than 160 countries and territories with 1.3 billion cumulative subscribers. Discovery Networks International offers 17 television brands, reaching 670 million cumulative subscribers. In Asia Pacific, seven Discovery brands reach 326 million cumulative subscribers in 23 countries with programming available in eight languages. Discovery Communications is owned by four shareholders: Discovery Holding Company (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB), Cox Communications, Inc., Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, the Company’s Founder and Chairman.

Yossi Ghinsberg:  Inspiration/Overcoming Adversity Speaker, Riveting Storyteller, Survivor, Author of Jungle and Laws of the Jungle

A truly cosmopolitan figure and an eternal nomad Yossi Ghinsberg continuously travels the world extensively for both work and personal explorations.

He was born and raised in Israel and served three years in the Israeli navy on the Red Sea where he befriended the Bedouins of the Sinai Desert who greatly influenced him with their wholesome philosophy and nomadic lifestyle.

Yossi Ghinsberg graduated from Tel Aviv University with Philosophy and Business degrees, followed by a comprehensive study of the 'Kabala' in academic as well as authentic environments. A truth seeker by an inner calling, Yossi continuously studied religions and philosophy including the ancients, the classics, the Eastern and the Contemporary.

His first book Jungle  based on his harrowing adventures in South America was first published in 1986 and soon became an international bestseller. The Discovery Channel has partnered with Darlow Smithson Productions has now released a documentary film based on the book.  The award-winning company behind the critically acclaimed Touching the Void, to create an epic series depicting extraordinary perseverance in unimaginable situations.  In 10 one-hour episodes that canvass the globe, I SHOULDN’T BE ALIVE puts viewers in the heart of the moment, as survivors of death-defying ordeals relive their experiences at the edge of human limits

In 1992, Yossi returned to the Amazon to initiate 'The Chalalan Project', demonstrating that the best strategy to conserve pristine rainforest is sustainable development in cooperation with indigenous inhabitants rather than mere conservation. Yossi promoted recognition of intellectual properties for indigenous people and his contribution to the region won him international acclaim.

In 1995 he was appointed Vice President of The Center for Investigation & Treatment of Addiction (CITA). In this capacity, Yossi promoted a new humanitarian approach to the treatment of opiate addiction, establishing 12 treatment and research centers around the world from Mexico to China and finally establishing and managing his own clinics in Australia where he also launched the ‘Alma Libre’ initiative to educate society about opiate addiction and promote reintegration of rehabilitated patients.

Yossi has great interest in conflict resolution from personal through organizational and global levels. In 2001 during the peak of the Palestinian ‘intifada’, Yossi was invited to return to Israel to produce a reconciliation festival. Despite the escalation of violence in the region, the festival managed to attract spiritual leaders of Judaism and Islam as well as unprecedented audiences.

His new book Laws of the Jungle has recently been published in the US.

He is married to Belinda and father to three girls, Mia, Cayam and Nissim (Simi).

He shares his time between ‘Quandong’, his home in the heart of an Australian rainforest and the rest of the world.

Motivational Speaker

Yossi breathes inspiration into people and organizations.

While motivation is a traditional way to teach people how to better perform following a method, inspiration sparks the heart to unleash its dreams and then follow them far beyond the comfort zone.

Yossi Ghinsberg is the best-selling author of Jungle  . He is a humanitarian, storyteller, explorer and survivor and one of the most exciting inspirational speakers you are likely to encounter anywhere today.

In the midst of the uncharted Amazon, after losing his 3 companions, a young Israeli traveler is tested to the extreme through 20 harrowing days of sheer survival.  A riveting storyteller, Yossi Ghinsberg relives his ordeal, sweeping audiences into the depths of the primordial jungle. 

They experience the challenges of survival, what it takes to adapt to change and how to deal with adversity from a calm and centered place within.  Yossi Ghinsberg is unique in his delivery... audiences leave with an understanding of the nature of survival and how life is to be celebrated and taken to the highest level.

“Simply breathtaking. Yossi’s story of survival haunted me for weeks.”  Bryce Courtenay, author of The Power of One
“A powerful story of self-discovery, survival in the wild.” The Los Angeles Times

Yossi's international bestselling book, Jungle, reads like a novel or a movie script...this detailed account of his 20 days lost in the Amazon, has been translated into 6 languages and published in 15 countries. His recently published 2nd book, Laws of the Jungle, has a subtitle that says it all - Jaguars Don't Need Self-Help Books.

Yossi challenges audiences: "The problem with life may be that it is not tough enough. When a moment of real struggle emerges, we naturally tap into our survival resources and find ourselves ready to fight. It is the day to day mundane problems that grind us."

How do we rise to the challenge of living every day of our life as if it is our last? How can we bring radiating intensity to our thoughts, words and actions? Can we tap into our dormant inner resources?

Yossi's presentations allow audiences to answer these questions for themselves while keeping people on the edge of their seats wondering what's going to happen next.

Yossi has great interest in conflict resolution from personal through organizational and to global levels. Yossi's message is clear: It's not about what happens, it's about the way you perceive it and act upon it. "The world is what one perceives it to be - I invite you to join me in perceiving it as a place of abundance, harmony and peace. The concept of separation and lack is an illusion..."

Motivational Speaker

Change, Challenge, Stressful Environments - Adversity is part of personal and professional life; being a victim is a matter of choice.
A truly gifted speaker, Yossi's messages get to the hearts and minds of his audiences.

Corporations and organisations worldwide are experiencing Yossi's keynote presentations and seminars to be effective in transforming attitudes, creating positive outlooks, encouraging proper action and improving performances.

A natural born storyteller and motivational speaker, Yossi's presentations become the talk of every event.

A master storyteller and inspirational speaker, Yossi's Laws of the Jungle challenges audiences on emotional as well as intellectual grounds.

The results are outstanding growth, shift and breakthrough on professional, organisational and personal levels. Invigorating, inspirational and thought-provoking, Yossi's keynote leaves no audience indifferent. Audiences are spellbound gasping for every word; you could hear a needle drop.

Yossi is a keynote speaker rich in content, riveting and entertaining.