‘Physical 100’: Miracle Nelson Breaks Down the Camaraderie of the Competiton Series: ‘It Was Just About Having Fun’ [Exclusive]
Fans have praised Netflix‘s Physical 100 for its supportive environment among its competitors. While the 100 contestants fight through challenges to reach the finale, they all rooted for one another until the end. Contestants like Kim Sik sacrificed their chances of winning for the greater good of another teammate. In an exclusive interview with Miracle Nelson, he breaks down the developing friendships, sportsmanship, and camaraderie they experienced on Physical 100 series.
[WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Physical 100 finale.]
The contestants of ‘Physical 100’ cracked jokes, had fun and supported each other
Competition series have, for a long time, been saturated with envy, brutal competition, and frequently malicious intent. But Physical 100 series deviated from what fans expected as the contestants were not out for greed or bragging rights. Instead, they wanted to prove their physiques and bring awareness to their sports. During the Physical 100 finale, Park Jin-yong explained he joined the series to inspire a greater interest in luge and its athletes. As a dancer who became a bodybuilder, Miracle explains, “I tried my best to represent the dance community well.”
Fans were blown away by the kindness the contestants showed each other while on the series. While some members felt the friction of doing what was necessary to win, they all rooted for each other. Even from the sidelines, the contestants would shout words of encouragement and “Hwaiting,” a commonly used Korean word to instill confidence and is borrowed from the English word “fighting.”
There were many impressive moments of selfness. Fans could not help but notice how A-reum allowed her teammates to pick their preferred challenges, knowing she lacked the skillset. Bo Mi-rae also chose the dreaded Atlas challenge on Physical 100, knowing her teammates could persevere in the other challenges.
During the Physical 100 finale, it was an emotional moment when one of them commented, “Let’s cheer them on loudly enough for them to hear.” Woo Jin-yong and Hae-min heard their shouting as they battled to become a winner. Realizing they could hear them, the contestants shouted with enthusiasm.
Miracle says ‘Physical 100’ had a friendly environment from the start
Physical 100 series has already impressed fans with its unique challenges and camaraderie. Miracle explained, “Yeah, it was a really friendly environment. Even on my one-on-one match with the taekwondo guy, it was just about having fun and playing a safe game really.” He is referring to the match against Taekwondo national athlete and high schooler Kim Byeong-jin.
Byeong-jin was the youngest competitor of Physical 100. He went up against Miracle during the first elimination challenge. Fans were enamored with their goofy antics during the match as they gave each other heart signs. Miracle was ultimately the winner of the challenge. While fans saw the developing friendships between the contestants, behind the scenes was just as fun.
“Behind the scenes, we all ate together and played together on my team,” said Miracle. He was on Ma Sun-ho’s team for the ship challenge and explained Sun-ho also sacrificed to take on the hardest Greek mythology challenge for his teammates.
Regarding life after Physical 100, Miracle reveals the contestants have become friends. “A majority of the contestants talk often, go on trainings together, and meet for dinner, and hangout. It’s kind of a community now,” he explained. Fans may notice that on Miracle’s Youtube channel, he met up with Kim Kang-min months before the series aired. Shim Eu-ddeum has also met with Caro, Agent H, Jo Jin-hyeong, Tarzan, and others on her Youtube channel.
Miracle called Woo Jin-yong winning ‘Physical 100’ a ‘surreal’ moment
Even as the number of contestants dwindled as they entered the Physical 100 finale, there were still good vibes. Miracle was eliminated during the Prometheus challenge on Physical 100 series but revealed he felt accomplished instead of hurt. With Woo Jin-yong, Park Jin-yong, Jin-hyeong, Hae-min, and Min-cheol as the finalists, nothing was left but to cheer them on.
After a brutal set of challenges, it was down to Woo Jin-yong and Hae-min to see who would be the winner. Woo Jin-yong was crowned the competition series winner, and Miracle explains it was an impressive moment behind the scenes. “It was a surreal moment for me and for everyone because he is the real definition of the underdog. Like all reality TV shows, the ending was unexpected but well deserved,” he said.