POSITIVELY FILIPINO - Justin Nucum Brings His Athleticism To The Wacky Wipeout Competition
Spartan Race - Anaheim Stadion at Angels Stadium (Photo by Juan Carlos Arvelo)
Are you ready to recover your pre-Covid physique? How about a fun TV show featuring a Fil-Am fitness guru and a familiar American Ninja Warrior? As unrelated as they seem, Justin Nucum, age 30, can meet those specific needs.
Justin joins Pamela Price on the fun obstacle course show “Wipeout” to be broadcast at 9 p.m. EST/PST, May 6, 2021 on the TBS Network. The friends formed the team they named #BOULDERBUDDIES for their prowess in rock climbing and free climbing bouldering.
Justin is the son of Maria Clarissa of Cavite and the late Jhing Nucum from Pampanga. He lived his first ten years in Guam before emigrating to Anaheim, California. Today, he’s the CEO of Hardkour Performance, which trains everyone from weekend warriors to professional athletes in obstacle course racing (OCR) and improving their fitness. And his brand continues to evolve with a new Hardkour Nutrition division.
Pamela & Justin in WIPEOUT suits (Photo by Juan Carlos Arvelo)
Agility And Strength Can’t Beat Luck And Timing
Viewers may remember the average Joes and Jills who competed in the original “Wipeout” shows on ABC until 2014. The 2021 “Wipeout” reboot adds career athletes like Justin and Pamela to the ten teams who compete against big slippery balls, horizontal and vertical windmills, swinging cylinders, and other intimidating contraptions. It’s like a putt-putt golf with humans as the balls -- dodging, leaping, and climbing to make it past the last obstacle.
Jocks should have an advantage against couch potatoes, but Justin assures us that Reason doesn’t rule in these competitions. “Luck and timing tend to even the playing field for ordinary people who’ve never experienced extreme workouts.”
All the research and game tapes proved insufficient to prepare the Fil-Am team for competition. Justin admits, “We had no expectation on how the show would be laid out and how to strategize.”
Switch on the TV to see how Justin and Pam fared on “Wipeout,” the No. 1 unscripted show on cable television.
Pamela & Justin on the course (Photo by Juan Carlos Arvelo)
Recovering Your Pre-Covid Self
As more people get vaccinated and lockdown rules are relaxed, Americans are starting to exercise outside. Common lingering effects of Covid isolation are weight gain and a sky-high blood pressure. As a professional trainer, Justin advises:
· “Slowly return to your workout routines or whatever else you were doing pre-Covid, but with caution.”
· “Practice safety protocols. That means wear a mask indoors even if you’re fully vaccinated.”
· “Find a training partner for mutual motivation in working out, hiking, and running.”
· “Take outdoor classes.”
· “If you don’t have workout equipment, there are plenty of exercises that use your body weight.”
“Most of all, get outside, breathe fresh air and absorb the Vitamin D from the sun,” he says with conviction.
Spartan Race North American Championship - West Virginia (Photo by Juan Carlos Arvelo)
Exploring Professional Support
More of Justin’s trainings are being conducted with clients face-to-face. He meets them in their backyards, local parks, the beach or other convenient locations. Folks who aren’t comfortable working out close to others or live outside of Orange County, California can take a comprehensive program on the Hardkour Performance website.
Hardkour also welcomes new members to its team of weekend warriors or the Pro Team where members, including Pam, compete in OCRs at the highest level.
Having compact frames and muscle definition instead of bulk doesn’t keep Hardkour Asians from the medal stand. “Our team composition was Asian dominant. We were competing against athletes taller than six feet with longer reaches and longer strides,” Despite the physical disadvantages, Justin recalls, “We worked hard and made our mark.”
Anthony Maddela encourages everyone to follow Covid guidelines. Restrictions are being relaxed in some states where the majority adhered to masks mandates. In those areas, fully vaccinated persons are urged for the sake of mental health to go outside for a walk without a mask while staying six feet apart. Skeptics and creatures of habit who won’t dare remove the mask in public can at least give a nonjudgmental nod to others who greet them with an unconcealed smile. We’re gradually getting used to hard-earned freedoms.