The Truth About Sarah Danser From Naked And Afraid XL
Sarah Danser/Instagram
By Treva Bowdoin/April 13, 2021 9:04 pm EST
Sarah Danser is one of the Naked and Afraid alums who will attempt to prove that she's one of the Discovery reality series' greatest survivalists during a grueling new challenge. However, she will have to push herself to the limit for a super-sized season of Naked and Afraid XL. Instead of surviving in the wild for 40 days, Sarah and her fellow "legends" will use their skills to live off of inhospitable land for a whopping 60 days.
The Naked and Afraid XL cast will test their mettle in the vast swampland of Louisiana's Atchafalaya Basin (via Futon Critic). Sarah and 11 other survivalists will initially be divided into four groups. After searching for somewhere safe and dry to set up camp, they will find themselves surrounded by swamp water that is certainly unsafe to drink. Worse yet, alligators, venomous cottonmouth snakes, and dangerous parasites lurk beneath its murky surface.
When she first appeared on Season 8 of Naked and Afraid, viewers saw Sarah struggling to swallow raw sea snails during the "Lost at Sea" challenge in Exuma. She fared even worse food-wise when she returned for Naked and Afraid XL: All Stars, which was shot in South Africa. In a Reddit AMA, Sarah revealed that she "literally almost starved to death" during that 40-day ordeal. As her fans prepare to watch her take on another harrowing challenge, they should know that Sarah has a different story of survival to share that does not involve threats like predators and malnourishment.
Sarah Danser experienced a big health scare
Sarah Danser possesses an impressive skill set. The Honolulu, Hawaii native is a divemaster and entomologist, so she's comfortable in the water and knows which insects are edible. During an appearance on the Cutting It Close With Cliff Bailey podcast, she revealed that she grew up in the mountains of Colorado, which is where she picked up many of her survival skills. When she and her father got trapped in a freezing slot canyon in Utah, those skills helped them stay alive.
After surviving at sea, in the mountains, and in the South African wilderness, Sarah would go on to become a different type of survivor. In March 2020, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. A few months after her diagnosis, she took to Instagram to share her experience. "I noticed a strange discharge from my nipple and mentioned it to a doctor," she wrote. Sarah recalled the doctor telling her that it was "probably nothing to worry about," but sent her in for an ultrasound and mammogram to be on the safe side.
"Women do not usually start getting breast exams until age 40 — I was 29," Sarah wrote. "Had I not been aware of my own body, it would have been 11 years until the cancer was discovered, and by then it would have been too late." Luckily, Sarah appears to be thriving in posts documenting some of her recent adventures, which include sailing and skydiving.