Physical: 100 Season 2 Winner Opens Up About Devastating Car Accident in 2021: 'I Thought I Might Never Walk Again'

[Warning: The following contains spoilers for the Season 2 finale of Physical: 100. Read at your own risk!]

In the first episode of Netflix's Physical: 100 Season 2 — Underground, a contestant approached CrossFitter Amotti and told him, "first place." It's the initial gathering of the 100 contestants vying for the opportunity to be named "the perfect body," and Amotti was introduced as a major contender whose fitness YouTube channel was familiar to many in the crowd. "No way. There's no way," Amotti laughed in response. Nine episodes and a series of grueling challenges later, that contestant's words came to fruition. In the Physical: 100 Season 2 finale, Amotti defeated contestants Andre Jin, Hong Beom-seok, and Justin Harvey to claim the show's title of the ultimate physical form — as well as 300 million won (roughly $222,990).

Named Kim Jae-hong, the 31-year-old CrossFitter had a rocky journey on Physical: 100 Season 2. He was eliminated after the first team challenge, but gained a new life in the competition when Olympics gold medalist Jung Ji-hyun won the quest for eliminated contestants and selected Amotti to be part of his new team. From there, Amotti's road to victory was anything but smooth. Yes, the "Avengers" team he was on with some of this season's bulkiest contestants did fare well in a quest where strength proved to be essential. But Amotti soon faced the intrateam challenge where only one person from each group would advance. The CrossFitter emerged as the victor, before competing against the formidable winners of the other teams.

Amotti told TV Guide, via a translator, about enduring the final quest in Physical: 100 Season 2 and the car accident that prompted him to be in a 10-hour-long surgery. The Crossfitter also talked about his conversation with Season 1 frontrunner Yun Sung-bin before filming began, as well as whether he would consider starring in another popular Netflix Korean reality series, Single's Inferno.

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Congratulations on winning! Take me back to when you stepped into the room with all 100 contestants on Day 1. Did you expect that you would place first?
Amotti: When I first walked into the arena, there were so many impressive people including national athletes — I was really amazed by that. Did I think I would win? No, not at all. I didn't think about that. All that was in my mind was that I have to stick it out as long as possible.

At what point in the competition did you think, okay, I could actually win this?
Amotti: It was when we were down to the last four contestants. When we were doing the intrateam competition, I thought, because I was on such a strong team, I didn't really have a huge chance. But then when we were down to the last four, I thought it wasn't going to be easy, but I did think there was some hope.

Of the three parts in the final quest — holding the torso, infinite squats, pole push — which was the hardest and why? 
Amotti: It was definitely the pole push. When I first saw the pole I thought that I would be in favor a little bit compared to Beom-seok. However, in the beginning when I started to push it I was kind of flustered and taken aback because I couldn't push it as well as I thought. And after losing the first round, I had a little moment where, it was tricky, my willpower was being tested. However, I stuck it out. I tried to do my best [with] what's given to me and I think that sort of approach led to the great result.

You lost the first round of that challenge. How tired were you feeling after those ~20 minutes, and what kept you going? 
Amotti: At the beginning I just didn't want to give up, that was in my mind the whole time. And despite that, and having stuck it out for so long, I lost the first round. When we were beginning the second round, I thought to myself, if I lose here, I have to go back home and I felt like I would be filled with so much regret to the point where I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep for days. So I really tried to focus my willpower on trying to find the strategy to stick it out and make it happen. 

Physical: 100 Season 2 Producer Says 'Really Muscular Characters' Advancing May Have Overshadowed Other Traits

In the finale you talk about a car accident and your broken ankle. Can you share more about that incident?
Amotti: The accident happened in January of 2021. I was on my way to the gym, actually on a scooter, and this car door opened right onto my ankle where the bone was crushed and it was an absolute open wound to the point where I had to undergo a 10-hour-long surgery. At that time, the doctor had told me that I may not be able to walk, let alone work out. So it was indeed devastating, but I had to overcome it. 

We see a photo of you in the hospital with a cast. What would you, as the winner of Physical: 100 Season 2, want to tell yourself back then?  
Amotti: When I had the accident, I also thought that I wouldn't make it out. I thought I might never walk again, let alone work out, do the thing that I love to do. A lot was going through my mind in terms of how am I going to live my life if that were the case going forward. At that time my mother had come to Seoul to look after me for about a month. Watching her take care of me and be there for me, I thought to myself, I cannot collapse here. I'm very proud of what I've done to overcome that time. And to myself back then, I'd like to say thank you for allowing me to be the person I am today.

That is so moving, thank you for sharing. I also wanted to ask, what do you think are the biggest misconceptions about CrossFit? And what did you hope to show about CrossFit through competing on the show?
Amotti: I think when people think about CrossFit, they think that it's really challenging. And also a lot of people think it's quite dangerous. But you can see I do CrossFit with my leg that I've hurt a little bit, and I do it to the point where it's doable and possible for me. And if you were to go and take a CrossFit class, all of the coaches, they will not make you do anything that's dangerous to your body. They're going to cater to your physical state and you're going to be in good hands. I hope that people don't think CrossFit is anything dangerous. I will say however, it's very tough. But what can you say? No pain, no gain, right?

You are connected to many Physical: 100 Season 1 contestants including Yun Sung-bin. Did he give you any advice about competing on the show?
Amotti: I did chat with Sung-bin about this and he told me that the shooting period is going to be quite long, so make sure to get rest whenever possible. And he also told me don't get hurt, look after yourself.

I also have seen your social media posts with Lee Jin-seok from Single's Inferno. On behalf of the fans I have to ask, if you are single would you consider going on Single's Inferno?
Amotti: [Laughs] Unfortunately, I'm not single. So Single's Inferno is not going to be something that I can take part in.

All episodes of Physical: 100 Season 2 are available to stream on Netflix.