Previously on The Biggest Loser Lydia got eliminated and NARY A SINGLE TEAR WAS SHED.

Tonight. SWITZERLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND! \o/

Face Your Fears week starts and it looks like there might be some pikers in the group. Will trainer-badgers shame them into jumping off cliffs and out of helicopters and stuff? I hope so!

Another morning dawns at Camp Biggest Loser and the contestants are all woken up by the sound of bells and horns. They shuffle out of their rooms and head out to the paradeground where there’s snow falling as they head out the doors. Snow! In Sydney!

Oh, you mean it’s fake snow? Okay…

There’s a guy tootling on a horn and a couple of guys rattling enormous cowbells and a lady with a letter who says something in a foreign language I don’t recognise AT ALL. Nor does Margie, who thanks her for the compliment of her pyjamas.

Margie reads out the letter talking about facing fears and adventure and so on. They’re going to SWITZERLAND!

They all get little envelopes with Swiss printed on them. Everyone’s very excited and thrilled to head off on their adventure. Time to go pack, thanks Swiss people!

Graham says going to Switzerland will be awesome, even though it’s Fears week. Alex says they’ve changed their lives and are more confident now and they’re going to Switzerland, woo! High five!
Margie’s never seen snow. NEVER SEEN SNOW!?
Brenda’s seen snow and been to the snow a lot but was always too scared to ski, so maybe she’ll have to face that.

And so on and so on. Switzerland!

They’re flying Thai Airways for some reason? Okay.

Graham’s got his passport out with the picture he had taken three weeks before coming on the show and… well, it’s obvious he’s lost a lot of weight since then but not as obvious as it should be.
Bek says they won’t recognise him when he goes through Customs. Yeah. They totally will.

Bek says they’re all very excitable heading to their first plane. The first stage of the trip takes them to Bangkok and they board the Swiss Airline plane then.
Brenda says she’s not going to get any sleep tonight while they’re on the plane and Bek says she won’t either. While she’s holding hands with Margie and they share a big laugh.

LESBIANS!

Okay, maybe not. But it’d be funny.

Everyone’s very excited when they arrive in Switzerland and looking forward to exploring and spending a week there.

When they finally get to where there’s some snow Bek tries to throw a snowball but it doesn’t go too well. Margie tries to jump into the snow and make a snow angel but it’s a bit hard packed for that.

They’re staying in a Swiss Chalet! It looks small and cozy. And they all have gift bags on their beds with Swiss-y things. Swiss army knives, swiss bells. No swiss chocolate though, Margie notes.

Bek finds a letter in the kitchen and calls for the other guys to come hear what it has to say. She’s even calling Graham “Gub” now? Weird.

Tomorrow they have to catch a train to ANOTHER SWISS NAME PLACE (I’m not even going to try spelling them) and their trainers will meet them there.

Kasey asks them if they’re all going to do what the trainers ask them to do? Everyone looks at Margie who admits she has a problem with heights. Bek asks if she noticed they’re in The Alps? “Oh, look!”

Next morning everyone is excited but terrified as they head up the mountain on the train. It’s a VERY STEEP rail line. Not as steep as that stupid one in the Blue Mountains of Sydney, but it’d certainly take quite an effort to walk up!

Jungfraujoch! It’s written on the station sign. So there you go. It’s the highest train station in the world, Kasey says. So as soon as they get out it’s already quite hard to breathe.
They have to hike through the snow to get to where the trainers are waiting. Looks like a pretty chilly section of the world but everyone’s rugged up. Hard to tell most of them are fat anymore!
Alex says the picture from the top is “a Picasso”.

3,454 metres above sea level, Shannan tells them. A loooooong way up.
Mish says their plans for this week will blow their minds. They’re here this week to say goodbye to some of the things that have been holding them back. Steve says they’re going to do things they never thought possible. They’re not the same people they were on Day One!

Who’s excited? All the hands go up. Who’s a little bit scared? All the hands go up.

Shannan then announces they’re not going to be easing into it. The adventure starts right now!

A helicopter comes up over a nearby peak and Margie starts freaking out.
Shannan says that’s their ride out of here. But they’re not going to be landing in it, they’re going to skydive out of it.

Some of them are really excited by that idea. Brenda and Margie are scared!

But it’s Bek, Brenda and Kasey who’ll be skydiving from 5,000 metres. In front of The Eiger.

AWESOME.

Graham, Alex and Margie aren’t getting out easy, either. Their turn comes later this afternoon. Be afraid! Be very afraid!

Tiff sits down with Kasey for a chat before she goes up. Kasey’s excited but also pretty scared. But she knows this is part of getting to believe in herself, something she’s struggled with for the whole journey. She was very shy and had no confidence before coming on the show.
She doesn’t want to go back to being like that, it’s too lonely she confides to Tiff. Kasey has a negative voice in her head, Tiff tells us, and this trip is about throwing that voice away.

Ready, Kasey? Time to GET TO DA CHOPPA!

The panic starts to set in when she gets aboard, she says. She’s never been up in a chopper before, so that’s not helping.
One leap and it’s all over with though, she tells Tiff. Tiff’s on the chopper with her and it looks to be a tandem jump but it’s just Kasey and the tandem jumper and Tiff on the chopper first. Guess they’re going to ferry back and forth a bit?

Kasey thought she’d be fine before doing it but then when she looks down before the door is even open she’s too scared. Kasey’s begging to go back and land but Tiff keeps telling her she can do this, she’s in good hands, she can do this. Kasey keeps saying she can’t. And asks if they can maybe jump out a bit lower…
You’re still going to have to jump out, Kasey! May as well be high up!

Tiff’s getting worried that Kasey won’t do it…

Then it’s time to open up the door. Time for the new you, Kasey!

She’s doing it without any objections or grabbing at the doorframe now. Maybe she was just bunging it on for giggles?

As they fall out of the helicopter she squeals and screams a bit and then they’re falling away quietly. Once the parachute opens we can just hear Kasey screaming “OH MY GOD THAT. WAS. AWESOME!”

They have a rainbow parachute! Awesome!
Kasey says it’s awesome looking down on all the snow covered houses and stuff as they come down.
They land safely almost right on the TBL banner they’re aiming for. Kasey can’t believe how much she was panicking beforehand, it was so easy in the end. The self doubt is a load of rot, just have to believe in yourself and trust yourself and you can do anything!

Next up, Shannan with Bek! Bek’s very excited and seems to have no qualms at all, just wants to get going already. She says she has a small moment before getting out where she thought that maybe it wasn’t a good idea… but she gets out okay and falls out of the helicopter and doesn’t squeal, just screams excitedly once the parachute opens.
Bek says it’s the most amazing experience and feeling she’s ever had.
They land and miss the banner too.

Bek declares it the best thing she’s ever done in her life.

Last but not least, Brenda with Shannan as well.
Brenda had cocooned herself and was in a rut and not living before coming on the show. She’s petrified on the helicopter, Shannan tells us. As if we can’t see that for ourselves!
The old Brenda is staying on the chopper, new Brenda!
She’s looking a bit wobbly as they get ready to jump out and as they get to the point of hanging out Brenda says it all went quiet for a moment… and then they started falling.

As they fall she’s freaking out a lot but also soaking it in. She’s panting with fear as the parachute deploys and the tandem guy checks she’s okay. And lets her control their turn for a bit, fun!

And they get the closest to landing on the banner, their feet clipping one corner as they plow through the snow.

The old Brenda has been said goodbye to. New Brenda wants to take risks and enjoy life.

Time for Graham, Margie and Alex to do their fear facing. They’re not facing their fears down on the little bridge they’re standing on. Oh no. They’re going to do it up there! Steve points way up the damn mountain. There’s a canyon swing set up. 85 metre free fall, 120 metre canyon swing. FUN TIMES!

Alex immediately thinks he can’t do it.
Margie’s gone very silent. She’s not sure she can even get up there, she’s so scared of heights.

Graham’s only doing a 90 metre abseil. I guess he’s still above the safe load capacity for the canyon swinging?
Pretty awesome cliff he’s got to abseil down, too. Graham’s excited, ready to give it a bash.

Margie’s got the crippling fear. Alex says he’ll see how he goes when he’s up there.

Commando has a chat with Alex beforehand. Tells him it’s been done a bunch of times before, it’s all safe and there’s a bunch of guys there to make sure it’s all okay. But this is about Alex no longer running away from challenging things in his life.
Alex wonders why he couldn’t just abseil instead? Steve says it’s really not that different, you’re still only attached to a rope. But Alex thinks he’d do much better at that, he’d have a go at that. But not the freefall thing!

Alex gets to the top and says he’s never been that scared before in his life. What’s he scared of, Steve asks him?

I’M SCARED OF NAKED ORIGINAL ALEX. Dear god, it’s so horrible. Guy looks amazing in comparison, he really does.
Steve tells him it’s alright to be scared but he’s got to be prepared to take control. Is he ready to take control? Yep. Let’s go!

Go Alex go!

They clip him into the two safety ropes. Two! Then Alex starts to freak out a bit. Can’t do it, he says. Steve just quietly says to him that he can. Remember the Alex who came into Camp? Could barely walk.
What’s he going to leave behind up top? Steve never gets an answer as Alex just pushes forward to the edge and just walks right off the edge. CRAZY! He yells on the way down but is having a great time. Says afterwards he felt like an angel!
Mish is at the bottom to greet him and says she loved how he just threw himself off and Alex says it was great fun!

Graham’s up next with his abseil. He’s excited and a little nervous. Bit quiet.
Graham says his life is looking fantastic already after losing so much weight. He was sad, lonely and embarassed for himself when he was overweight.
Steve says Graham’s weight used to hold him back from everything. He lived his life in his head and what-ifs.
Now he’s on the cliff edge about to do something incredible.

And Steve’s going to do the abseil as well.

Wait, that’s not abseiling. They’re just attached to a rope and being lowered down. Pfft! Lame!

Oh well, Graham’s having fun at least.

It’s not a straight 90 metre abseil apparently, they must get unhooked and swap over to a new rope at one point because the rope goes from blue to red and back to blue again. Hmm.
Graham says it’s a dream come true for him.

Margie’s turn. She’s wanting to run. She has no idea where her fear of heights came from but she’s petrified.
They’re going out on a platform first of all that just looks out over the canyon.

Mish says Margie’s got issues with trust. Trusting other people and trusting herself and trusting the process and trusting the trusty trust trust I guess.
Mish is worried because Margie’s freaking out when they’re on the observation platform, never mind getting on the bit they jump off of. Mish says she’s been confronted with scary things before and she’s run away. She can do this and when she does, nothing will stop her ever again.
Mish is also worried that, having seen Alex do it, Margie will have a lot more trouble coming to terms with her fear in the future. This is about dealing with some of the shit that’s holding her back.

Margie’s worried about smashing her head on the cliffs and dying. Mish says it’s not about life and death it’s about conquering her fears.
If it’s not life or death then what’s to fear?!

It’s time for Margie to move forward, conquer her fears and stuff. Margie says it’s a very long way up. A couple of weeks ago she’d freaked out at doing the trapeze, and there was a safety net there. No safety net here!
Let’s just go, Margie says and walks off towards the jumping platform.

Mish wants Margie to take a breath and think about it. Mish takes her aside for a chat and says she’d never put Margie in danger. Mish wouldn’t put her in this situation if she didn’t think Margie could handle it. Margie doesn’t want to die! Mish says she won’t, do you trust her? Of course!
Margie’s Mum would be lost without her, she says. But she’s not getting the old Margie back, she’s getting a new one. Trust Mish!

Are you ready, Margie? NOPE.

The safety guy is trying to be calm and encouraging to Margie. Saying they’re just going to step out onto the platform and have a look around first. It’s okay.
Margie is freaking out and saying she’s still fat and Mish says she’s not! Mish is a bit of a liar…

Instructor guy says she doesn’t need to do it but she should *want to*.

Not helping Margie at all, it seems. Margie says she’d’ve rathered going for a walk. Is she listening to herself, Mish asks? Margie repeats not wanting to die, has a fear of heights, going to shit her pants. Mish reiterates the not giving her things she can’t do thing.

Leave the fear up there, it’s been holding her back too long. We’re all scared, Mish says. That’s life! She’s been numbing herself with food and alcohol for too long. Time to start living!
The ropes are good to 8,000kg the safety guy tells her and Margie asks if everything’s safe and they check the various connections again, just to be sure.

Margie asks Mish if she can tell her Mum, if she doesn’t survive, INCOHERENT STUFF. She has animals, she has responsibilities, she can’t die!
Margie’s deflecting like crazy, Mish says. Leave the fear behind.

Margie asks the guy to promise she won’t die and he says she will die, but not today. BWAHAHAHAHA! Mish has a giggle. Margie seems like she barely heard him.
Margie trusts Mish. As does Margie’s Mum! Mish says she loves Margie and loves Margie’s Mum. Trust her.

She balks at the edge some more and says she can’t do this, she’s sorry, she can’t.

But then something happens to her. A voice in her head that sounds a lot like her late brother comes in calmly and tells her she can do this.

Big deep breath, here’s the countdown… 3, 2, 1… GO!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! She’s screaming her head off all the way down and through a couple of swings back and forth.
By the second or third swing she’s screaming up “I LOVE IT! THIS IS AMAZING!” Hooray!

She’s in tears as the swinging winds down. It took her a long time to do it but she did it in the end. Afterwards she says there’s courage inside her, she just had to believe.

Margie survived! She thinks. She wonders if maybe it’s heaven and her and Mish are about to date. But it’s not, of course. Margie says sorry for taking so long but it showed her the sort of person she used to be. She’s not going to go back and do that every day but a weight has been lifted off her shoulders.
She’s a lot calmer afterwards and says she’s proud of herself, which she hasn’t been for a long time. It was a big thing for her, jumping off something like that.

Anything is possible, Mish says!

Tomorrow night, more alpine adventuring. This time the journey through time trek. Trudging through the snow with the weight of their past on their backs? Ouchies.
And after they’re done with the trek from hell? A refreshing dip. In an ice bath. As in, a hole cut into a frozen lake they have to jump into.

Ohhhhhhhh, that’s not going to be fun at all!