Tulio Hsu

Tulio is an event promoter, content creator, martial artist and gymnast who's travelled the globe in search of challenges that push him to his limits.

Tulio Hsu is an event promoter, content creator, martial artist and gymnast who’s travelled the globe in search of challenges that push him to his limits. Coming from both a Chinese and Italian background, Tulio didn’t always feel like he fit in, so rather than shy away, he decided to lean into his unique personality to carve out a life that’s entirely his own.

For Tulio, discomfort and self-improvement are two sides of the same coin. His unorthodox mindset and relentless drive make him a true wildcard in this competition.

What’s driving you to take on Canada’s Ultimate Challenge?

A lot of shows I watch and I’m like, “That’s easy.” I don’t like easy. When I watched Canada’s Ultimate Challenge, it gave me goosebumps and got my heart racing.

I love extreme sports and crazy challenges. I haven’t had this kind of thrill since I skydived, so I was game.

What unique skills will set you apart from the competition?

I am a jack of all trades with a background in many sports such as martial arts and gymnastics. I’ve travelled all over the world and I have a vast knowledge of a lot of things that can give me the upper hand in many situations. My calm demeanour and presence will help ground my team.

How did you gear up for Canada’s Ultimate Challenge?

The way I geared up for Canada’s Ultimate Challenge was first, mentally get myself primed and ready. Constantly seeking discomfort through cold showers, waking up early, resting less, and doing things that I wasn’t comfortable with because I knew it would be mentally taxing.

In terms of physicality, I was doing more of the workouts that I did not enjoy like running longer distances, swimming and pushing myself harder working on muscles that I don’t usually target as much. I was doing gymnastics and calisthenics, as well as trying new sports out such as canoeing and water sports.

And getting my diet perfectly primed with only the most nutritious foods so that I was the healthiest I could be.

What do you fear the most in the competition?

The water challenges. I’ve never been a great swimmer since I almost drowned as a kid.

What’s the toughest thing life has thrown you and how did it prepare you for this challenge?

I’ve lived my whole life with pretty extreme eczema. Being someone who is in a profession where I have to show off my physique quite a bit, it affected my confidence.

In contact sports such as rugby, Brazilian, jiu-jitsu and wrestling, my skin would hurt and rip, and it made it 10x as hard to compete against people who don’t have this condition. But I didn’t let it stop me.

To this day I try my best to look on the bright side of everything and use this curse as a blessing so that I can show that what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.

Who is your favourite player from past seasons?

Either Courtney or Jenny. They were great leaders, small but mighty, but also spoke their minds and did what they had to do to lead their teams forward.

What’s a random fact that people would be shocked to learn about you?

I was a male stripper when I was in Australia and performed like Magic Mike.

Canada’s Ultimate Challenge comes to CBC Gem on Thursday, February 27.