American Mustelid Alpha, The Cast - Part 1/3
#01 Lloyd, American Marten, Police Officer
Lloyd Phillips, 33, joins AMA from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he works as a police officer. His job is to patrol his areas of jurisdiction, prevent crimes and apprehend suspected law violators. Having to deal with people acting on the wrong side of the law, he believes being tough and unyielding is an essential part of his job and is willing to put that side into display as he vies for the title of American Mustelid Alpha. When he is off duty, though, he enjoys golfing, running and he is a dedicated father to his three-year-old son Lloyd Jr.
#02 Sebastian, Tayra, Database Architect
Sebastian McCarty, 28, joins AMA from Biloxi, Mississippi, where he works as a database architect. A former junior champion in cross country running, McCarty has excelled as a student-athlete through both high school and college. Now an accomplished IT worker, he is not ready to put his sports days behind himself and sees in this show the opportunity to prove himself against stiff competition. In his free time, this tayra enjoys long-distance running and biking.
#03 Azu, African Clawless Otter, Tree Climber
Azubuike "Azu" Oguntokun, 27, joins AMA from Boston, Massachusetts, where he works as a tree climber. The son of Nigerian immigrants, Oguntokun's job is to climb up tall trees to cut dead branches and generally inspect their well-being. As much as he enjoys his craft, this African lutrine must keep himself in shape to just survive what is an extremely dangerous job, and he does by going rock climbing and practicing calisthenics on the regular. He hopes to use the $250,000 cash prize to open a tree climbing school, step away from the most hazardous duties of his job and be closer to his one-year-old daughter Efuru.
#04 Theo, Sea Otter, Lifeguard
Theodore "Theo" Knowles, 22, joins AMA from St. Augustine Beach, Florida, where he works as a beach lifeguard. This enterprising lutrine must keep in best shape for most of the year and will gladly put in the work at the gym or the pool to ensure his lifesaving game is on top. Despite his relatively young age, Knowles has amassed many accolades in his own craft - he has been a multiple top10 finisher at the USFLA National Lifeguard Championships, conquering the Beach Flags national crown for two years in a row.
#05 Chayne, Beech Marten, Bartender
Chayne Foley, 28, joins AMA from New York City, New York, where he works as a bartender at a popular gay sports bar. On the outside, Foley is the quintessential slick city guy, but what few people know about him is that he is also a weekend warrior and a fitness enthusiast, enjoying weightlifting and P90X training as well as - depending on the season - always being in search of the best spots for surfing and snowboarding. He has to, however, in order to keep his clientele satisfied during his topless stints at the counter.
#06 Devin, Steppe Polecat, Physics Student
Devin Haynes, 20, joins AMA from Brigham City, Utah, and is a 2nd year physics student and Church of Latter-Day Saints associate. Growing up a Mormon, this young polecat has lived a pretty sheltered life - as the fourth of six children, he reveled in the close-knit environment fostered by the Church but he still felt wary of rushing into mission duty and marriage as soon as he got out of high school. A basketball and swimming enthusiast and a member of his college's water polo team, Haynes believes his faith in God will help him cope with the hardship and challenge he will face in this show.
#07 Kevin, Skunk, Sewage Cleaner
Kevin Abraham, 24, joins AMA from Atlanta, Georgia, where he works as a cleaner at a sewage treatment plant. Having spent most of his life battling hardships, this Georgian skunk hopes to win the $250,000 of the final prize to move out of the cleaning industry and better his life conditions. In his free time, Abraham is a gym buff and enjoys weightlifting and plyometrics; he also enjoys hanging out with friends, fishing, and brewing his own beer.
#08 Kenneth, American Badger, Roofer/CrossFit Instructor
Kenneth Geib, 24, joins AMA from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he works as a roofer and part-time CrossFit instructor. A leader by nature, this young American badger enjoys hard, physical labor as much as training and competing against his gym buddies. Having taken on CrossFit at 19 to enhance his stamina and be more prepared to sustain physically demanding tasks, Geib has never looked back since and is now one of the best ranked CrossFit athletes across Pennsylvania. He hopes to win the $250,000 of the cash prize to be able to forfeit his job and make a life out of his passion. In addition to this, he is also an amateur marksman and enjoys hobbies such as paintball and bow hunting.
#09 Casey, North American River Otter, U.S. Army Sergeant
Casey Engel, 45, joins AMA from Omaha, Nebraska, currently deployed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma as a Sergeant Major of the United States Army. The oldest fur in the competition and a father of four, 45-year-old Engel has no intention of having that slowing him down or using it as an excuse, but intends on using his military expertise, perseverance and wisdom to keep up with the younger guns. In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball, hunting, and spending time with his family and friends.
#10 Andrew, European Polecat, Roadie
Andrew McKnight, 22, joins AMA from Austin, Texas, where he has been working as a road crew member for several national-profile rock and metal bands. Shifting heavy loads around is this young polecat's bread and butter, be it while building a stage or in a CrossFit box. Despite his youthful ingenuity and vigor, McKnight's colleagues know well it is not wise to pick a fight with him: very few of them can keep up with him in terms of raw strength and tenacity. If he were to conquer the American Mustelid Alpha title and the $250,000 cash prize, McKnight would help pay off his parents' debts and try to better his concert production crafts.
#11 Stefan, American Badger, Meat Cutter
Stefan Rarig, 25, joins AMA from Shoreline, Washington, where he works as a meat cutter at a local butchery. Early on in his life, Rarig was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, which prompted his teachers to put him in a special needs class. By then, he was academically behind his peers and had developed a dislike for all things school - his self-esteem and social skills having taken a huge hit in the process. He struggled to get out of it until he started training weightlifting at age 16, and soon discovered hard, physical work was something he could put his effort in and be successful at. Dealing with blood and innards is not an issue for this stout, robust badger, who believes his life experience can help him overcome any challenge the show might throw.
#12 Flavio, American Mink, High School Baseball Coach
Flavio Proto, 30, joins AMA from Hartford, Connecticut, where he works as a high school baseball coach. This brash, confident Italian American started playing baseball when he was little more than a kid and has never stopped being involved with the sport even after a tendon injury put an end to his own career. Nowadays he trains the varsity team of a public high school, playing in a Minors team and training in the gym four times a week on the sidelines. He wants to win the show and take home the prize to relocate to a bigger home and help his family, namely his daughter Angelia and his newborn son Luciano.
#13 Malcolm, Fisher, FedEx Store Manager
Malcolm Fisher, 27, joins AMA from Warwick Township, Pennsylvania, where he works as a store manager for FedEx. Having witnessed the birth of his first daughter Evana just six months ago, Fisher is slowly getting used to his new life as a father but won't neglect his love for physical exercise: other than hitting the gym on the regular, this Allentown native enjoys running and rock climbing. He believes his steadiness and endurance will benefit him a lot in his quest to become the first American Mustelid Alpha.
#14 Brady, Greater Grison, UPS Driver Helper
Brady Gripka, 27, joins AMA from Little River, Kansas, where he works as a driver helper for United Parcel Service (UPS). Much as his job requires heavy lifting as well as loading and unloading equipment onto vehicles, Gripka's body is hardened by years of strenuous work rather than tightly planned gym routines. Coming from a small town of about 500 inhabitants, he freely admits there is not much to see or do other than hanging at the local park or taking a dip at the swimming hole in nearby Kanopolis Lake. Despite these shortcomings, he is as active as a mustelid can be and can't wait to measure himself against other peers from the entire country.
#15 J.J., Sea Otter, Construction Project Manager
Jordan "J.J." Bolkema, 25, joins AMA from Denver, Colorado, where he works as a construction project manager for a local building firm. Not the tallest fur on the block, the 5-foot-7 Bolkema compensates his shortcomings with heaps of smarts (he got a bachelor's degree in Construction Management) and a heavy-duty physical preparation - he trains CrossFit four times a week and enjoys running triathlons and 10Ks as well as skiing and snowboarding. He wants to win the prize to pay off his school debts and possibly further his education.
