Channel 7’s Ultimate Tag reality show sees cast train for 7 hours a day
It may seem like one big game of “chasey” but Seven’s big-budget new endurance vehicle Ultimate Tag is deadly serious for its stars.
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It may seem like one big game of “chasey” but Seven’s big-budget new endurance vehicle Ultimate Tag is deadly serious for its stars, who train up to seven hours a day and risk serious injury in their quest for greatness.
Enter 19-year-old Michael Khedoori – an internationally-renowned parkour athlete who took out a world championship in 2019 before being scouted for the Channel 7 race-off.
A full-time parkour professional, who makes a living from TV commercials and social media spon-con, Khedoori begins his working day at 11am and spends the next seven hours leaping from buildings and bridges or competing in parkour competitions around his hometown in Sydney.
“I don’t do any muscle work in the gym because it’s really just all about building speed and endurance,” says Khedoori, who will be known as The Kid on the show.
“I’m constantly working on technique and looking for ways to improve and get faster.
“There is actually a huge parkour community in Sydney and it’s growing all the time, so there are always people around who can help you and who want to train together.”
There is one small catch, however — finding a training location before security guards or disgruntled tenants insist they “move along”.
“It can get awkward. But we understand that people don’t always want guys running and jumping off their buildings. We’re used to it now.”
The Kid will be joined by another Sydneysider in 24-year-old Emma Nedov — aka Supernova — a former gymnast who retired from international competition last year before getting scouted for Ultimate Tag on social media.
“A casting agent reached out to me on social (media) and asked me to audition and I said to my mum; “I don’t think this is really for me’,” says Nedov, who contested three world championships and held the Australian national championship on beam for five consecutive years before quitting gymnastics at 23.
“But my mum was like; “What else are you doing at the moment? Go for it’.
“And honestly I was surprised. It’s obviously very different to what I’m used to but I liked it a lot more than I thought I would.”
Ultimate Tag launches next month on Seven.
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