Tough as Nails tested a participant’s endurance, life skills, mental toughness, and strength. No wonder, Ellery Liburd — a Navy veteran and firefighter — believed he had an upper hand over others and was confident that the stunning $200,000 grand prize was his.
Keep reading this bio to learn more about him.
Ellery Liburd On Tough As Nails
The fourth season of Tough as Nails premiered on January 4, 2023, and amongst the 12 competitors, Ellery appeared to be one with the most experience and the oldest. However, Ellery didn’t let his extra hours of practice get to his head. He remained humble and also developed great connections with the younger cast as well.
In fact, this veteran was having trouble keeping up with other raw talents. During the first ep, he and Synethia came the last two when they were tasked to pour concrete slabs in a 16×20 structure. Fortunately, since Synethia since she had no previous experience at all with this type of work, he easily ended up winning.
Again, in the second episode, when the team was asked to locate 10 different species of trees and pull four of them from each for a total of 40 trees, Ellery only came in 8th and Ilima got that very important 9th spot to avoid having to go into the Overtime challenge. Later, as Renee and Mister had to report 24 plants, the latter got eliminated.
Likewise, in the third task, when teams had to service four vehicles with tasks like rotating tires, changing oil, replacing brake pads, replacing a battery, fixing a horn, and so on, Ellery again came in 7th place whilst ake claimed the very important 8th spot.
Looking back, Ellery now feels that the show made everyone feel like they were a part of something. “It wasn’t the show that picked one opponent against the other and make them feel less than all. It wasn’t a competition of just doing stuff to make other people less,” she explained.
“The show gave me a sense of belonging,” he summarized.
Ellery Liburd Age
Ellery Liburd was 55 years of age when he appeared on Tough as Nails in 2023.
He was the oldest participant that season.
Where Is Ellery Liburd From?
Ellery Liburd hails from Bronx, NY.
He’s resided in the city for over 2 decades.
Ellery Liburd Wife
Ellery Liburd reportedly married his wife Cynara V Wattley Liburd back in November 2001 in New York.
According to him, he and his wife are big fans of Tough as Nails. They’ve been following the show ever since its inaugural season and every time they were watching, Cynara would tell him, “You can do that. I know you can do that!” So, thanks to her encouragement, Ellery applied for it.
Ellery Liburd Job
Ellery Liburd is a Firefighter and Army Veteran. He’s served over 25 years in the US Army and has done several tours in Iraq, and Guantanomo Bay. After retiring, he then returned to the Bronx, NYC, and took a job as a Firefighter at New York City Fire department.
Reportedly, he joined the New York City Fire department on September 12, 2004, and started with a salary of $76488 per annum. Now, as of 2023, he earns around $92 thousand per annum.
Now, Ellery’s also a reality star. But he says it’s not too different from being in the military. “It is similar to a military tour. You’re there, you’re in it, especially you’re in a war zone, you’re bonding. I mean each person is depending on the other so that they make it home ok. You develop a bond and then you got to leave. You’ve got to go home. Come back home and you reminisce about past times. You call, make sure everyone reaches home and you try to stay in touch because no one at home can feel what you feel and know what you feel,” he explained.
Is Ellery Liburd On Instagram?
No, Ellery isn’t on Instagram.
However, this didn’t mean he didn’t connect with his “Dirty Hands” team after the show. It seems that the co-stars (especially Ellery and Beth Salva) kept in touch through texts.
Related FAQs
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When Is Ellery Liburd Birthday?
Ellery receives his birthday wishes on May 3 and is of the Taurus zodiac.
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How Tall Is Ellery Liburd?
Ellery stands tall at a height of under 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm).
Mentioning his distinct features, Ellery has brown eyes, a bald head, and a beautiful smile.
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Who Are Ellery Liburd Parents?
Ellery lived with both his parents in Nevis until his mother brought him to America for education. Now, he’s a proud Bronx New York firefighter and everyone is proud of him; especially his sister.
“My sister is always so proud of me. She’s going through her second bout of breast cancer. But she is, right now, she’s good, and she put my status up on Facebook and now the island of Nevis had me in the local paper,” he explained.