Nathan Adrian to Join Third Season of ‘Special Forces’ on Fox
American Olympian Nathan Adrian will take part in the third season of the reality television show Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, it was announced Friday.
The show pushes a group of famous people through Special Forces training, testing them mentally and physically over a number of weeks. The show will air on Fox starting Jan. 8.
Adrian posted to social media about it, calling it “an adventure of a lifetime” back in May when it filmed.
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Adrian is one of 16 celebrities taking part in the show’s third season. The contestants with sports backgrounds include pro surfer Alana Blanchard, gymnast Jordyn Wieber, soccer player Landon Donovan, football players Cam Newton and Golden Tate, motocross racer Carey Hart and Olympic track and field athlete Marion Jones. The group also includes several Bachelor/Bachelorette alumni, actors like Denise Richards and Stephen Baldwin, and other influencers and models.
Contestants compete over a number of weeks with a staff that includes former Navy SEALs and military specialists. Only five contestants in the first two seasons have passed the course, including soccer player Carli Lloyd and speed skater Erin Jackson.
Adrian, 35, swam at three Olympics from 2008-16. He won gold in the 100 freestyle at the 2012 London Games, then followed with bronze in both the 50 and 100 free in Rio in 2016. He has five career Olympic gold medals, four on relays.
Adrian is the owner of 12 career World Championships gold medals (10 long-course, two short-course), all of them in relays save for the 2008 World Short-Course 100 free. He won 11 national championships with the University of California and is a former American record holder.
Adrian survived a bout of testicular cancer in 2019. He returned to the pool to win five medals, including two relay gold and silver in the 50 free and 100 free, at the 2019 Pan American Games and to swim at Olympic Trials in 2021.