1 Sunday ` proudly brought to you by Mazda. Tonight on Sunday ` man versus wild. If you thought you were having a bad day, just look at mine. It's the Everest of the seas. Non-stop round the world sailing race. One man against the ocean... If you slip or if you do anything wrong, you're done. ...and against himself. I'm not satisfied unless I'm fighting for survival. It was terrifying. I'd lost nearly 15kg. My legs were like sticks holding me up. It was the graduation speech that moved the world. They said, 'If you don't get any treatment within the next three weeks, you're gonna die.' 18 months on, Jake Bailey is in remission. I wasn't going to die because I didn't want to. The biggest battle for me wasn't the cancer itself. It was rebuilding myself after that battle with cancer. (CROWD CHANTS) It's more or less like a drug. You hear the people shouting, clapping... (EXHALES) It's` It's amazing. For 200 years, they've reached for the sky using nothing but the human body. The idea is to build as many levels, as many towers as possible. It is the ultimate battle against gravity. No! And those who climb highest are tiny children. They're the heroes, for sure. But what goes up must come down. www.able.co.nz Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2017 Kia ora. I'm Miriama Kamo. Now, this isn't just any race. It's a brutal survival challenge pitting sailors against themselves, forcing them to their limits. It's extraordinary and the competitors must be, too. Tonight we meet Conrad Colman, the first Kiwi to attempt the Vendee Globe ` the only non-stop solo around the world sailing race. With onboard cameras, we're there as Conrad battles huge seas, freezing temperatures, an onboard fire and then... worse. What drives him? Here's Emma Keeling. (INTENSE MUSIC) It was absolutely surviving from Day One. I'm afraid of an easy life. I'm not satisfied unless I'm fighting for survival. This is the ultimate marathon. (UPBEAT MUSIC) On France's Brittany Coast, the ancient port of Le Sables D'Olonne. Kiwi Conrad Colman is about to sail in one of the world's toughest sporting tests. The Vendee Globe is a non-stop round the world sailing race with no assistance, no outside help and no stopping for 45,000km. And no crew. This extreme test of endurance must be done alone. For 10 years, Conrad's whole life has built towards this moment. He moved to France ` where he couldn't speak the language ` to plan and prepare to be the first New Zealander to ever compete in this Everest of the seas. My homeland is at the midpoint of the, uh` of the route, which means that when I leave here I'm going home, but now I live in France, so after I've passed New Zealand I'm going home again (CROWD CHEERS) So this is the channel that you leave from, and there's, what, thousands of people to say goodbye? It is amazing. On the start day, 250,000 people. This whole gangway is thick with people, 10 deep for 2km, and they're all there just to say goodbye. And that's why it's such an emotionally charged moment is that you go from this` this incredible energy, this amazing enthusiasm, and then you're out there by yourself, and so there's this brutal transition. History says half these sailors won't finish the race, odds that only drive Conrad further. That's what's makes me feel alive is to be face to face with my limits and to fight to go through them. (PEACEFUL MUSIC) Land, not water, used to be the dream. Cycling was it. Conrad was still a student when he left New Zealand for America. I was working as a mountain biker in the Rocky Mountains. I was like, 'Well, I could either have a really satisfying but normal life or I could toss everything in.' And that's what I did. He moved to France to become a sailor. I started from zero. I hadn't sailed a boat for 10 years when I decided that` that I wanted to be one of the best sailors in the world. After seeing what you've just ridden through, I think you just enjoy being wet and cold. You've chosen everything that's to do with the weather. This is how I practise getting wet and cold. The island just over there ` I swim from the island back to the mainland. Two hours in the wet and the cold. Wet and the cold again. (PEACEFUL MUSIC) He'd always loved the ocean. The first year of his life was on his parents' boat in the South Pacific. Mum Robin prepared him for his adventurous life and remembers a gritty, determined kid. We learned to ski together, windsurf together, and I taught him to sail and gave him his first boat when he was, I think, 4 ` a little kayak ` and even from that age he loved heading off and having adventures. (BRIGHT MUSIC) Let's take this up on the beach. Robin is still heavily involved in sailing in Auckland. She was delighted her son was embracing sailing again, but she had a very personal reason to be worried. I think she swallowed hard, (LAUGHS) and then probably kept the reality to herself of how hard that was. Yes, I` I certainly had` had my share of anxieties about him doing the Vendee Globe, and I think particularly the` the solo aspect. When Conrad was just 11 months old, his dad Steve fell from the mast of their yacht and was killed. (SOMBRE MUSIC) His father had been on board alone at the time. After that first year which was cut short by my father's death, my mum brought me home and I grew up in New Zealand like a typical Kiwi kid. (SOMBRE MUSIC CONTINUES) Do you know lots about your dad? You've had long conversations with your mum? Yeah, for sure. For sure. He sounded like quite the character, and, uh... Sounds familiar. (CHUCKLES) Sounds familiar. (LAUGHS) And, uh` And yeah, it's a real shame that I didn't get to spend more time with him because, uh, I think we would have got along really well. While his dad's death gave him every reason not to race, another round-the-world yachtsman, Sir Peter Blake, gave him all the inspiration he needed. Quite a big sea we're going down at the moment. Whoa! I remember his voice sending back these reports. It crashes and bangs and crunches. It's very hard to sleep. Sometimes it's hard to stay in your bunk. And that inspired this` this incredible wanderlust in me ` you know, this idea of, oh, dodging past icebergs and diving into the Southern Ocean. And actually I feel really privileged that I grew up in New Zealand listening to those stories. Coming up ` the race that almost took his life. It was terrible. It was like hanging on to a cliff with your fingernails. Knowing that if you slip or if you do anything wrong at that moment, you're done. (CHEERFUL MUSIC) For 10 years Conrad Colman dreamed of the Vendee Globe, a race of endurance, skill and adventure ` the ultimate test. I'm drawn to this race because` because it's solo. It's my opportunity to prove to myself and to the world of what I'm able to do with just my own means. Just look at how beautiful this is. This is why we go to sea. There is nothing` nothing to compare. Just like a movie, it started out picture perfect. Welcome to the North Atlantic, one of the best parts of the Vendee Globe. Full main, big spinnaker, bright blue, sunny sky and we're going fast in the right direction. It's absolutely wonderful out here. (OMINOUS MUSIC) A month out heading south, it all began to go wrong. If you thought you were having a bad day, just look at mine. There is a way out of this, but man, I really wish we hadn't done this. His autopilot went crazy, causing the boat to crash several times. He had a fire onboard that wiped out his instruments. So you can see I've got a bit of a problem. My wind instruments are completely on the blink. They're flashing on and off. They're giving completely the wrong information. So we can disregard them. The securing pin on the forestay dropped out. The temperature dropped down. It's so cold. It's so cold. Argh! Each time, Conrad found a way to fix the problem. Oh, man. The fact that I had built that opportunity with sweat, blood and tears meant that I was going to fight for every last opportunity. (TENSE MUSIC) But in the depths of the Southern Ocean, somewhere between New Zealand and Chile, Conrad almost lost that fight. That was terrifying. I was out on the boom when the mainsail was down and the rope that was holding up the boom snapped. And not only did I plunge into the sea but I was plunged into darkness. I was pushed by a wave and was able to reach out and grab the side of the boat, so in the middle of the night I had to hang onto the outside of the boat with one hand and then with the other one disconnect my harness and let it fall away. Because the lifeline that just saved my life was actually stopping me from getting on board. It was terrible. It was like being over a` hanging onto a cliff with your fingernails, knowing that if you slip or if you do anything wrong at that moment, you're done. Very pleased I hadn't heard it while he was on the race, and I appreciate that, for Clara's sake if not mine, he waited to tell us until he was safely back. I know what it's like to` to have people not come home, and I'm never gonna do that to anybody. Back in Brittany, Conrad's wife Clara has learned to deal with the unknown. I'm actually pretty relaxed. Together seven years, they met when Conrad moved to France. I think I'm not as worried as I was in the beginning. When he is in trouble, when the weather is bad, I get worried, but I think like anyone else who cares and follows him. Otherwise I'm not that bad. I knew what I was getting into, so I was fine with that. It's nice to see someone go, 'Hey, it looks a bit desperate there but I'm just gonna try to change the odds and keep on pushing.' Conrad had gambled everything he had and risked his life for the Vendee Globe. But just when he thought it was finished,... Look at this! We're not dead yet! Woohoo! ...three days out from arriving back in France and almost out of food, his mast snapped. I was worn out. I was tired. I was stressed. I thought that I'd given it my all. I'd been fighting with all those other problems all the way round the world and I felt like I was used up. I was completely done. I just don't have words. (SOMBRE MUSIC) Oh. Yeah, it was` it was awful hearing that. I just can't believe it. At that point, was there any chance you were going to give up? I mean, you were only going to be` You were only three days out. I really thought about it. But I thought about the route that had taken me to that place and all of the sacrifices and all of the stress and all of the energy that I had thrown at this` at this` crazy, crazy goal. I curled up in a ball for that night, um, and I tried to sleep. I thought about my` my younger brother as` as well as my dad. Conrad drew strength from his younger brother Andrew. On a very personal note, I lost my brother recently, uh, to suicide. My younger son Andrew hadn't been able to get through his tough times, and Conrad was all the more determined to get through the challenges that were posed to him during the Vendee Globe. Before the race started, Andrew's name had been inscribed on the cockpit. Andrew had always said he would love to do a leg of a race with Conrad. This way he got to do the whole thing, so it was moving for me to have it reframed` you know, that tragic loss reframed into a positive. I vowed to get up the next morning and` and fight again. He needed all his skills and what little energy he had to patch up a jury rig and lift 80 kilos into position. I had to put the whole thing on my shoulder and then on the rocking boat do a squat from this position up with the boom with 80 kilos. That was really frustrating and really humbling. I'll take some slack out of this first. I sailed the last 700 miles in a jury rig and made it to the end in 110 days. (EMOTIONAL MUSIC) Coming up ` the homecoming he didn't anticipate. Oh, my goodness. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) It was so much harder than I imagined. (YELLS) Hi, Carol. You're here for your hearing test? Yes, I am. Lovely. Come on through, please. (BEEP!) CHILD: Hi, Mum. It's Eddie here. (GASPS) You are the best mum in the whole wide world. But sometimes you don't hear so well. Sometimes it makes me sad. I love you so much. (POIGNANT MUSIC) I don't want to be sad about your hearing any more. Something as little as a free hearing check can make a big difference. (PEACEFUL MUSIC) After 95 days at sea, Conrad's dismasting added another 15. Finally, the finish line was in sight. He'd been in the top 10 and was now 16th, but to the crowds that flocked to welcome him home, he was a victor. I felt like I was the master of the universe. (YELLS) (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) I was so proud and happy that he made it. To see so many people out there to welcome him, it was very moving. That made me cry because I was just so happy. It's amazing! (HORNS HONK) (YELLS) I'm incredibly proud. Woohoo! And just delighted that he was able to` to enter the race, let alone finish it, given the resources that he` that he had, so I think it's a triumph for Kiwi grit and ingenuity. (LAUGHS) Woohoo! It was so much harder than I imagined to overcome all the challenges` the increasingly big challenges that were thrown my way. (EMOTIONAL MUSIC) (GROUP PERFORMS HAKA) (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) (HORNS HONK) Just a few weeks later... Stab a hole in the top. ...another challenge has been thrown his way. There you go. (LAUGHS) He's on his own with a particularly tough jar lid. I still can't get it open. (LAUGHS) Wow. There you go. Ooh, we're in business now. (SPEAKS FRENCH) Life has returned to normal for now. Good Lord, look at all that cheese. Well, we're in France. I mean, just slabs of cheese. Clara, did you make him something special for homecoming lunch? He said, 'I've got this craving for a salad with grilled eggplant 'and mozzarella and lots of olive oil and olives.' So I made that and a smoothie. And a smoothie? Yeah. That was what he wanted. Decadence. Decadence. I know. It was awesome. (LAUGHS) (GENTLE GUITAR MUSIC) Conrad's still exhausted but keen to show me round his ` well, I have to say, shell of a boat. This is the boom. That's the boom, yeah, and then` The mast was there. The mast was there. Exactly. God. So this was meant to be horizontal. God, you've got a hobbit door. (CHUCKLES) I don't think I'm going to fit in there. (LAUGHS) Is this it? This is it in all its glory. Have you stripped it out or is this actually it? This is actually it. I had a beanbag in here that I would sleep on. The kitchen's over there. Where? Where's the kitchen? You're looking at it. Is this the kitchen? That's the kitchen. Where's the bathroom? (LAUGHS) Bucket and chuck it. Oh. Conrad was the first to ever sail the Vendee fossil fuel-free. Look at this. This is the engine room of the future right here. I've got a week's worth of energy stored in eight little green boxes. It's amazing Incredible. No diesel, no grease, no noise, no smells. It's fantastic. It's a really nice way to go sailing. (PIANO MUSIC) Conrad's campaign was run out of this container, dwarfed by his competitors. His budget was $750,000, theirs up to $15 million. I did my campaign with myself, one employee and my wife, whereas some of my competitors were running at, sort of, 20-30. This was not something for him to just tick off a bucket list. Conrad still dreams of another Vendee Globe, but next time he wants to do it properly. How long after he finished the race did he start talking about the next race? He hadn't even finished the first one and he was talking about the next one. Good luck. (LAUGHS) This is gonna be a long haul for you. Yeah, I actually really want to go live in New Zealand. (CHUCKLES) And usually when we talk about it, it goes like, 'Yeah, well, you know, maybe after three Vendee Globes I'll be ready.' The next race he aims to raise $6-10 million. The national myth is that we can do anything with` with a roll of number 8, but part of doing anything is` is` is winning and being competitive. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) It's good to put in a plucky first effort, and hats off for that, but now you've got to come back and do it properly. Woohoo! Well, Conrad is back in New Zealand soon to talk about his epic adventures. Head to our Facebook page for details on those events. Later, the perilous Spanish tradition of human towers. But up next, the Christchurch teen whose school prizegiving speech made worldwide headlines. Jake Bailey survived cancer but says the toughest part came afterwards. I came out of cancer victorious, but still` still broken. But here's the thing ` none of us get out of life alive. So be gallant, be great, be gracious and be grateful for the opportunities that you have. There's such a taboo around cancer. The issue that I have with that is that the taboo is transferred on to cancer patients and it makes their treatment all the more difficult because people almost seem like they're afraid of you. 1 Welcome back. For many of us, even the thought of giving a speech fills us with dread. Sweaty palms, dry mouth, all those faces staring back at you. But imagine making a speech while dying from cancer. 18-year-old Jake Bailey's school prizegiving speech ended up being watched by millions around the world. Now, as Jehan Casinader discovers, surviving a rare and aggressive cancer has created new challenges for an extraordinary young man. (GENTLE MUSIC) I was laying in bed one morning, having a sleep in, and Mum came woke me up and she said, 'I've just been on the phone with the police.' My mind was scrambling. What have I done that the police know about that I wouldn't want mum to know about? I got a phone call to say there was a woman who'd come from Turkey to New Zealand. Her goal was to marry Jake. So you had a stalker? I had a stalker. All the way from Turkey? All the way from Turkey. I didn't know I was worth it. She'd done quite a bit of research ` found out where we had been living; found out where i was working. Did she get what she came here for? No. I remained unmarried, fortunately, through some really good work between the police and immigration. Jake Bailey never asked for all this attention. In fact, all he wanted was to stay alive. A New Zealand schoolboy has delivered an emotional speech after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. They said, 'You've got cancer.' They said, 'If you don't get any treatment within the next three weeks, you're gonna die.' Hey, good to see ya. You look so well. I'm feeling it, eh. Jake has returned to Christchurch Hospital. How are you, sweetie? Good to see ya. He's here to visit a ward he knows all too well. It is my first time being back in one of these rooms, and it's surreal. It's almost like coming home, in a way. Yeah. This was Jake's home for three months as he fought cancer. (MONITOR BEEPS) What would have helped you get through those days? The knowledge that my story could go on to help other people. I think that would have been` that would have been hugely empowering. Jake had just turned 18. Life for me was like any other teenage guy ` playing sport and spending a lot of time with mates. How did you know he was sick? He started experiencing pain in his mouth, and he went to the dentist and they thought there were impacted wisdom teeth. He started to lose sensation in his face, then he started vomiting blood. By the time he got to hospital, he was in agony. The pain basically got to the point where I couldn't see anything. I'd open my eyes and it was just white light. He was screaming, 'Mum, I'm dying. I'm dying.' And he actually was dying. They came in and said that it was cancer. Not just cancer, but a rare and advanced one ` Burkitt's lymphoma. It's the most aggressive cancer known to man. The tumours can double in size every 24 to 48 hours. It's like science fiction stuff, really. All those purple circles ` they're the cancer cells overwhelming Jake's body. Mum ran over crying and gave me a big hug, and I told her that if she was gonna cry, she had to leave, because I didn't want anyone crying. So I knew that he needed me to be brave for him. And also, he had his game face on. He needed to hunker down and go into battle. (SOMBRE PIANO MUSIC) Dying wasn't an option. I wasn't going to die, because I didn't want to. And what gave you that confidence? I guess that boils down to being your typical teenage boy and being 10ft tall and bulletproof. Where had those cancer cells ended up? My brain lining, my eye sockets, my nasal passages,... (ENGINE RUMBLES) my sinuses, my jaw, my gum,... (ENGINE RUMBLES) my spinal fluids, my bone marrow, my kidneys and my pancreas. Chemotherapy would be incredibly risky. There was a good chance that the body would not cope and organs would shut down. But Jake knew it was his only chance of survival. Things I'm grateful today... The doctor who raved about how well you're responding to chemo. During treatment, Janine wrote an email to Jake every day. There was so much I wanted to say to you, and it didn't seem appropriate at the time. Many of these messages, he's never read before. Today was the first time you've seen me sitting up in bed for over four weeks. Obviously I don't remember a lot of that time, and so it's a great record of all the things that have slipped my memory around there. But there's one moment in hospital Jake will never forget. I remember getting out of bed and shaving there before prizegiving. The day of his end-of-year speech as Head Prefect of Christchurch Boys High. Just the physical exhaustion from shaving meant that I started vomiting. I thought to myself, you know, there's no way I can do this. The day of that speech was probably the lowest point that I actually reached. My parents brought in my uniform. I'd lost nearly 15kg. My blazer was like a cape. My arms stuck out at funny angles; my legs were like sticks holding me up. He'd written his speech weeks before getting sick. There's a lot of moments when I didn't think I could do it. But I had all the support that I needed, and I had all the courage that I needed. Just an hour before prizegiving, it was still touch and go. The nurse came in and she said, 'Are you gonna do it?' And I said 'I can't do this.' And she said 'That's fine, but I just don't want you to regret it.' I stood up, and I gave the nurse a hug and my mum wheeled me out of that hospital. He was violently ill. He'd vomited up his anti-nausea; he'd vomited up his morphine. I'd been so fortunate to be picked as senior monitor, and I wanted to go out and do that role justice for the 1,500 boys that I'd been chosen to lead. Jake Bailey's been able to come to prizegiving. He can't stay for long. I was still vomiting as dad was wheeling me out. (APPLAUSE) I was horrified to see how much his face had sunken in. At some point you'll have to face your fear of falling short. A fear of looking like a fool. A fear of not being enough. But here's the thing ` none of us get out of life alive, so be gallant, be great, be gracious and be grateful for the opportunities that you have. If he did die, then it would be closure for him. It was something that he could do to say goodbye to his team. I don't know where it goes from here for any of us. But I wish you the very best in your journey, and I thank you all for being part of mine. (SNIFFS) It was the graduation speech that left the world in awe. The video clip has been watched online millions of times. I'm lucky I didn't throw up down my front on stage. Although still probably would have gone viral but for a completely different reason. What do you feel when you look back at this? I feel... I feel some really strong emotions. Do you remember that moment? Yep. I do. The haka was the most powerful thing I've ever experienced in my life, and it was something which definitely gave me strength as I went through my treatment. Those are the ends where the chemotherapy was put through. That treatment lasted for three months. It's been inside my heart, which is kinda cool! I haven't touched it before. Chemo kept him alive, and so did the kindness of others. What was it like getting these cards from all over the world? It was indescribable. I've got cards here from some complete strangers in the UK ` People who I've never spoken to, never met. Why do you think Jake's story has touched so many people? Everyone who's had to face a life or death situation ` There's a little bit of their story within his story. Take solace in the knowledge that you have gained the support and encouragement of a nation that wishes you well. Yours, John Key. People take strength from his words, and we all need to find strength from somewhere. The Christchurch Head Boy who moved millions with his inspirational end-of-year speech has announced that his cancer is in remission. I came out of cancer victorious, but still broken. The biggest battle for me wasn't the cancer itself, it was rebuilding myself after that battle with cancer. He's now using his profile in the hope of demystifying the illness. There is such a taboo around cancer, the taboo is transferred onto cancer patients. And it makes their treatment all the more difficult, because people almost seem like they're afraid of you. Jake's sharing all he's learnt in a new book and documentary. He's getting used to watching actors tell his story. It was incredibly strange watching the re-enactments of it, but it is so raw, as well, in a lot of ways. (SOMBRE MUSIC) One of the big lessons that I've taken away from this experience is in adversity you have a choice, and that choice is to let it cripple you, or to grow from that. It really just boils down to how quickly and calmly you can deal with things that go wrong. It's not much of a day for it. He's discovered too that cancer's brought him unexpected gifts. It's changed my relationship with my parents hugely. It's brought us so much closer. I've said it before and I'll say it again, he was actually braver than I would have been, dare I say it. Looking back at the pictures of Jake in his hospital bed, and then seeing him today... Ooh, wow. Yeah. (LAUGHS) ...yeah, it's quite the recovery really. He's bounced back in a pretty big way. My two best shots! Dad, Ross, says the moral of Jake's story is a simple one. Treat every day like it's your last, because one day you'll be right. Jake's health isn't guaranteed. His cancer may return. I think most parents, after a scare with cancer, would want to wrap their children up in cotton wool. But I want to do is make sure he goes out and has a fantastic life. I know that everyone's heard all sorts of cliches about life being a precious gift, I always hated them too. But now I know that was because I just never knew how fragile life really is. (GENTLE MUSIC) Well, Jake's book, What Cancer Taught Me, is out on Friday, and the film, The Common Touch, screens at the Documentary Edge festival in Wellington this week and Auckland next month. Well, up next, Spain's gravity-defying, human towers and the children with the most dangerous job of all. Not every kid can do human towers. They` They need to be, I think, a little bit crazy, maybe. The star in this room is a 10-year-old girl by the name of Aitana. Aitana ` one of our heroes. When she goes on the human tower, there's a transformation. 1 Hello, again. Every couple of years in Spain's Catalan region, thousands of highly trained, muscle-bound athletes tense up, lock arms, and go hard out as All Blacks in a test scrum. But the scrum is vertical, and the most prized among the participants are tiny children. Featherweight tots who, in front of thousands of spectators and beamed live on national telly, clamber up over torsos, shoulders and heads to stand at the very top of human towers ` only to be the ones to fall farthest when the tower collapses. It's mad and dangerous ` but for reporter Denham Hitchcock? Irresistible. (CROWD CHANTS) It's more or less like a drum. You'll hear the people shouting, clapping... It's` It's amazing. The child that climbs to the very top ` incredibly brave. Really, really, because they are really young. It's really high, and it moves. It's incredible children between the ages of 6 and 10. They're heroes. For sure, yes. In Spanish, they're called castells. In English, castles or human towers. (CROWD CHEERS) This competition is their grand final, and the biggest prize of all ` pride ` is on the line. Down there, in the black t-shirt ` it's me. Here we go. I've been invited to take part; to help shoulder the weight. But what I'm about to find out is that, eventually, every castle comes down. And it's not always a soft landing. This can be very dangerous. (SOFT GUITAR MUSIC) Sergei, you live in a very beautiful place. Yeah. Tarragona. I love this city. The atmosphere, the sun,... the Cathedral, the beaches, the people. I love it. Spain. Once one of the world's great empires. Their influence stretches to almost every corner of the globe. They gave us Picasso. They gave us flamenco dancing. They give us bull fighting. Ooh, but they've got a history that you don't know about. It started here, and it stretches back more than 200 years. It's a test of courage; a test of strength, where only the bravest reach for the sky. The first known tower was back in the 1700s. Ever since, it's been the pride of this region of Spain. ARCHIVE: Tarragona... (SPEAKS SPANISH) Dozens of teams, like football clubs, training and competing. I've been invited to a training session to the oldest club in Tarragona called Xiquets. Are you ready? That is amazing. I think you're gonna like it. Alex is the man with the plan. (SPEAKS SPANISH) A place for every person on this team. Oriel is his best mate. Along with Sergei, they do something remarkable ` turn a room full of people into a living, breathing human tower. We're preparing the most difficult, maybe, show of the season. We are competing for` to being the best in the world. The competition he's talking about is in a few days time, and I am about to get a big surprise. You're putting me in the team? Of course. (LAUGHS) Come on. You trust me? (SPEAKS SPANISH) Come on. It's extremely rare for a foreigner to take part. Yeah, I'm ready. I'm ready. And there are many things I need to learn. This is what you do while they're training at their climbing? Yeah. Forward arms. The base of the tower is called the pinya. For stability, the more people, the better ` packed in tight. One by one, the levels go up. People on top of people. As the weight increases, so does the difficulty. To complete the tower, the smallest in the team, called the enxaneta, must climb to the top and raise their arm. The youngest and the lightest with the most dangerous job of all. The star in this room is a 10-year-old girl by the name of Aitana. Not every kid can do human towers. They` They need to be, I think, a little bit crazy, maybe. But sometimes, you may find that tiny girl, she's laughing, she's really quiet, but when she goes on the human tower, there's a transformation. Aitana is a regular 10-year-old girl. For the most part, life is normal. Anonymous. But today, the day of the competition, everyone will know her name, Aitana ` one of our heroes. And when you see her smiling, it's like, 'Oh. We are OK today.' And she's always smiling. Lucky. We are lucky. Aitana will be climbing the last and most important tower. But first, the team has to make it through the early rounds. This is to protect the lower back from those immense pressure bearing down on these guys at the bottom. OK. Now you're ready. I'm strapped in. There are 12 teams from all over Spain. Points are given for difficulty of construction and for the number of levels. Their tiny heroes inching their way up, hand, foot and fist. Nervioso? A little bit nervous. And it's no wonder. As the day goes on, the towers get taller and more complex. If anyone moves or shifts their weight, the whole thing can come down. All the groups are dealing with their limits. So it's a very special day for that. (INDISTINCT SHOUTING) In the centre of a packed bullfighting ring, under the glare of a live TV broadcast, it stops the nation. What a spectacle. (CHEERING) The idea is to build as many levels, as many towers, as possible. It is the ultimate battle against gravity. Oh! Very difficult thing to do. In fact, we do castells because they fall. If not, we wouldn't do them. You said an interesting thing then. We do the castells because they fall. Because they fall, yeah. If not, we wouldn't. So it's the challenge. It's the challenge. Yes, completely. They say compete because they fall, but that's gotta hurt. So this is my spot. The job is to be wedged in with these men, as tight as possible. Hopefully it goes all right. From the outside, it looks a little chaotic, but everyone has their place. Well, I am not going to lie to you. It is chaotic, yes. (LAUGHS) (TENSE MUSIC) (TENSE MUSIC INTENSIFIES) What an incredible thing to be part of. When you're in the centre of it, it's like being part of a living, breathing organism. Your lungs are crushed from 300 people from behind, and all the weight from all the people on top is immense. But it's spread out right across the base through everybody here. What a privilege. What a privilege. As the day goes on, the injuries multiply, and the competition narrows. (TENSE MUSIC) Our next tower is critical. Again, I'm in the base, and we are attempting nine levels. (TENSE MUSIC) The tower is almost complete. Then disaster. Now I know what it feels like to be at the bottom of one of those when they collapse. (SHOUTING) It's an immense amount of weight tumbling down. They're just trying to regroup at the moment, because the team might be actually knocked out of the competition. The contest is still close. But right then, a rival team, Villafranca, does the impossible. (CHEERING) A 10-level tower, complete. This is only the second time in history a tower of that size has been achieved. I can see how you can be addicted to this. (LAUGHS) You like it because it's difficult. Yeah, that's the reason. Otherwise, it'd be boring. My team, Xiquets, is out of the competition. Aitana is devastated. Two years of training, and she never got her chance to perform. So the team organises a smaller exhibition tower especially for her. We spend so many hours in the group that it's like a way of life. (CHEERING) I think that it's something more than just culture. Tower-of-one. (LAUGHS) Well, the next human tower competition in Tarragona takes place in 2018, but there are smaller performances every summer in towns throughout Catalonia. Well, that is our show for tonight. Do join us on Facebook and Twitter, SundayTVNZ.