Zeus Ontai: Tough as nails
by Michelle Orian-Lau | Feb. 9, 2021
Save the date or set your DVR because one of our own will be competing in the second season of Tough as Nails. Cyril “Zeus” Ontai III is the first lineman and first Hawaii contestant to compete on the show, which premieres on Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. (Hawaii Standard Time) on CBS.
Tough as Nails is a series, from The Amazing Race producer and host Phil Keoghan, where contestants are tested on their strength, endurance and skills in challenges on real-world job sites. Zeus described the first challenge as brutal. “It was a good opportunity to feel out my competition,” he said. “A lot of the challenges that are shown on Tough as Nails have to do with your day-to-day blue-collar type jobs. Every challenge I encountered gave me a new respect for the type of work others do. In a couple challenges, I remember saying, ‘Man, I can’t believe people do this for a living!’”
His family was the main reason he decided to apply for the show. “Winning $200,000 and a Ford F150 would be life changing for my family and me. Also, the opportunity to be able to represent Hawaii and linemen across the nation was pretty awesome.”
In October 2020, he and 17 others were flown to Los Angeles for two weeks of additional fitness prerequisites and panel interviews. After their final fitness test (consistent burpees for 8 minutes — while hitting at least 10 burpees every 30 seconds), Zeus and 11 contestants were selected to stay on for an additional four weeks to compete on the show.
“It was a surreal kind of thing,” said Zeus. “Every night I went to bed thinking, ‘I can’t believe this is real.’ None of us can believe we’re going to be on national television.”
Competing on a show touted for challenging people’s mental and physical toughness is hard. But doing it during a pandemic with little contact with your family is even harder. The contestants and crew quarantined and isolated together because of the pandemic. The cast also had to limit contact with their families. Zeus returned home in time for Thanksgiving, but the father of two young children found it hard being away from his family.
“We couldn’t talk to our families at all. We couldn’t Facetime and text. My wife would just send me pictures of my kids,” he said.
Of course, Zeus knew a show called Tough as Nails wasn’t going to be easy and he was ready to make his home state and fellow linemen proud. “When you think about the other successful athletes from Hawaii, you think you’re going to be one of those people, it’s pretty cool,” said Zeus. “But more so, I was representing what I do. I’m a lineman. I get a lot of support from those guys. We all make fun and we joke around, but everyone is supportive.”
Zeus’ fellow linemen are even talking about planning a virtual watch party. But let’s all make sure to tune in and support one of our Hawaiian Electric ohana as he proves that he’s tough as nails.
Michelle Orian-Lau is a senior communications consultant at Hawaiian Electric Company.
