Tasmanian dad of three and former Navy chef Trent Fenton has become the winner of Alone Australia Season 4 after surviving 52 days on his own amongst extreme conditions in the Arctic Circle in Sápmi, Finland.
The 40-year-old outlasted nine other contestants, including runners up Clint, a 57-year-old farmer who tapped out after 47 days when he felt his body had reached its limit, and Jasper, a 24-year-old permaculture educator who was medically extracted after 48 days due to an infection on his hand. Trent’s wife, Emma, was transported from Tasmania to his camp in Finland to reveal he was the last person standing and the winner of the $250,000 cash prize.
SBS spoke with Trent about his remarkable journey battling subzero temperatures, food scarcity, and complete isolation – and what he learnt along the way.
What was that moment like when your wife tapped you on the shoulder and you realised you’d won?
It was so unbelievable. It was very unexpected. I thought there was probably three to four people left. It's a bit funny. Initially, I thought it was the doctor… normally they don't touch contestants, just in case we pick something up off them and get sick. So when she touched me, I was like, “why are you touching me?” And I turned around, and there was Em standing there, and I just started wailing… it was pure emotion.
What was the first thing you ate when you got out of there?
I had some beef broth while we were still on the land doing some filming. It tasted like it had a little bit of sodium in it, and it was like, “oh my god, can I have some more?!” When I got back to Tassie, my first meal was something that I'd thought about so many nights – homemade chicken parmi with chips, eggs, and some fresh bread.
When did you get to see your kids?
I didn't get to see them until I got home, so roughly a week after leaving the land. I did do a video call home, and all they cared about was how ugly my beard looked. They wanted me to shave it off. I just wanted to hug them [when I saw them]; I didn't want to let them go. That's the one thing that I definitely missed the most out there. The pure isolation – not even being able to pick up the phone and talk to them – it just makes you really cherish the things that you've got back home.
How did you cope with that isolation?
I just tried to stay busy… really hit the ground running. I still remember the morning of the reveal, before Em came to tap me on the shoulder, I’d thought, oh, I don't really want to be here now – and that was the only day I’d thought that. I wasn't thinking about tapping out. But I felt the next week was really going to be a struggle, because it was just boring.
What was the recovery process like, physically and mentally?
It was a bit weird to start with, to be honest… One morning I woke up at four o'clock in the morning, and I was laying there thinking. And I turned the camera on, because I was so used to doing that. I’ll probably never show anyone that video, but I felt like I put my finger on [the problem]. And it was that I'd spent 52 days on this amazing adventure that I'd dreamt of, I got my dream of my wife tapping me on the shoulder, I won $250,000, and then you get world-class treatment throughout the whole process from the amazing producers, and I met these amazing other cast members – and I felt like I didn't deserve 250 grand. I know that may sound stupid… but I felt like I hadn't gone through enough pain to warrant being given all those things.
What's your perspective on that now, especially having watched the show?
I think I did work hard out there, and, at the end of the day, I did deserve to win. It's still a bit weird in the back of my mind, and it's kind of hard to explain. I'm definitely proud of what I achieved. I have less guilt, and to be honest, I can't wait to see my mortgage less than what it currently is.
Is that what you’re doing with your winnings?
What I'm going to do with the money is obviously invest some for the kids, and put some money on my mortgage, but I'm also going to look after a couple of the other contestants. One of those being Sia, I’m donating to her fundraiser – she's doing a run from Sydney to Melbourne next year to raise money for survivors of human trafficking and slavery abuse. And Dylan, he also touched me with his story. He and his wife have got so many bills from trying to go through IVF to get Jensen, their little son, a sibling, so I'll definitely be putting some money towards his GoFundMe page when it's up and going.
How do you think the experience has changed you?
I'm a lot more mellow now, and nothing seems to weigh on me anywhere near as much. Little things didn't matter to me out there, and they matter to me even less out here. But I'll tell you, I love my fridge a lot more at home, that's for sure.
Alone Australia seasons 1-4 are now streaming at SBS On Demand.
Alone Australia: The Reunion (episode 11) is also now streaming at SBS On Demand.
