Yao to join survivalist Bear Grylls in the wild

Yao Ming [Photo/China Daily]

To promote man-and-nature harmony, retired basketball star Yao Ming has embraced the challenge from British outdoor adventurer Bear Grylls to join the shooting of a wilderness-survival TV reality show.

Trekking through wilderness and feeding celebrity guests bizarre foods has been Grylls' routine in his hit adventure TV series, Running Wild with Bear Grylls. The show has featured a glittering cast, including US President Barack Obama, who accompanied the British survivalist into the wild.

Yao's management team confirmed on Friday that the former NBA star will appear in the show's Chinese version, which will be jointly presented by Grylls, Shanghai Media Group and Discover Asia Pacific.

Yao, according to his management team, has long admired Grylls' self-challenging courage and outdoor survival skills. They met during a speech in London in October by Britain's Prince William to promote a campaign against the illegal wildlife trade.

Yao will participate in the shooting of one episode of the show's new season later this month after he returns from a US trip to attend his Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony.