Kian84, in the episode of MBC's variety show 'Born to Travel the World 4', completed the Doko race and reminisced about his time in the UDT.
In the episode aired on the 1st of MBC's variety show 'Born to Travel the World 4' (hereafter 'BTW4'), a breakthrough of the members challenging the Doko race, known as the pinnacle of Gurkha training, unfolded.
On that day, the members challenged the Doko race, considered the toughest training in Gurkha training. Only Dex put 15 kg of sand in the Doko properly and declared, 'I will make up for it today,' adding, 'I couldn't sleep well. I'm so frustrated that I couldn't train. I haven't felt this way in a while.'
In a subsequent interview, Dex noted, 'I wanted to make up for my disappointment from yesterday, and it felt like a test for myself. This is not a weight supported by legs or stamina. It's a weight sustained by mental strength. I didn't think my mental strength would be lower than 15 kg. I had been thinking since yesterday that I must hold 15 kg no matter what.'
Thus began the Doko race. Unlike the front-runner Dex, Kian84, running in the middle, lamented, 'We are traveling abroad for 5 days, but on the 3rd day, we have to carry our luggage.' Nonetheless, he expressed, 'It's a strange experience because we are in a completely unfamiliar area, in a completely unfamiliar military training facility. In terms of unfamiliar experiences, isn't this the best? It feels like a real trip.'
Meanwhile, with 200 m remaining to the finish line, Dex was out of breath on the final uphill. He revealed, 'I messed up. That was the crucial point. I was falling behind the leader, and my breathing was getting rougher,' adding, 'Honestly, I wanted to cry.'
Dex also said, 'I've already exhausted my breath and legs. I endured the last 200 m with mental strength. I really wanted to come in first. Honestly, I thought it would help me face myself.' He added, 'It may sound ridiculous, but I thought about coming in first from the start. I ran with that mentality.'
As the finish line approached, Dex made a last-minute sprint, finishing with a record of 20 minutes and 59 seconds, placing 4th among 33 participants. Following him were Kian84, Lee Si-eon, and Pani Bottle.
Kian84 said, 'I was grateful and felt warm because they were supporting me from the side,' while Pani Bottle noted, 'I barely used my leg strength, but when they lifted me up and cheered, I thought I had to meet their expectations. So I controlled my pace as much as possible,' adding, 'I feel proud that I didn't give up.'
Dex showed a moved expression witnessing his brothers' perseverance. He shared, 'I thought I would give up. When I arrived at the finish line without me, I thought Kian hyung was behind and that there was no news for a while, so I figured he fell behind, but then Si-eon hyung came. After that, Pani hyung also came up. It's great to see that our brothers have strong hearts of perseverance, not giving up, even more than the record.'
Setting a record just 9 seconds behind the first place, Dex remarked, 'All the frustrations I had yesterday have washed away.' In response, Jang Doyoun announced, 'There's good news. In order to pass the Doko race 3 km, it needs to be completed in less than 21 minutes, and by finishing in 20 minutes and 59 seconds, Dex has passed the Gurkha standard.' To this, Dex playfully remarked, 'I guess I will re-enlist soon.'
In particular, Dex recalled his past UDT days through Gurkha training. He stated, 'There is pure passion. It felt like I was looking at my past self. At that time, money and honor didn't matter; this was my life goal. It seems like those friends are doing the same now.' He added, 'I had forgotten about it, but I was glad to remember it after a long time.'
[Photo] Captured from the broadcast of 'Born to Travel the World 4'
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