Sartaj Singh
‘Outlast’ transports us to the frigid wilderness of Alaska, where 16 challengers compete in teams of four to hold out the longest in increasingly brutal conditions. The players leaving the challenge are marked by flares, letting other teams in the area know of the development. By the end, the last team standing splits the reward of one million dollars equally among all its members. Season two of the Netflix reality show saw an eclectic group of participants venture into the unforgiving tundra, with their love for nature and steely resolve to win being the only unifying factor.
Among the members of the Charlie team, Julio Laboy stood out as a criminal defense attorney with a surprising grasp of survival skills. Even though his team got off to a bad start, they showed grit by surviving through five days without fire and barely any food. Charlie was also a team that had a democratic structure, with no one looking to establish a strict leadership hierarchy. However, with spasms and looming medical ailments, Laboy flared out of the competition alongside teammate Meghan Buchanan.
Julio Laboy is a Seasoned Lawyer With the Heart of a Humanitarian and a Passion for the Wilds
Julio Laboy is a well-regarded criminal defense attorney with his own practice, Laboy Law Office, in Phoenix, Arizona. He studied at The College of Law at Arizona State University and started the Laboy Law Office in 2009. His expertise is sought by various media outlets, with Laboy contributing as a writer and even appearing as a legal analyst on ‘Hannity’ on Fox, CNN, and ‘Good Morning Arizona.’ He published his first book, ‘Surviving Criminal Defense in Maricopa County,’ in 2021.
As he steps out of his office, Laboy sheds the stereotypes of his profession. He holds multiple FEMA certifications and has traveled the world helping those struck by disaster, working in rescue operations in New Bern, NC; Durango, CO; Freeport, The Bahamas; and Utuado, Puerto Rico. He also has experience working as an auxiliary police officer, judge pro tem, and NY State EMT. On the personal front, Laboy plunges himself into physically demanding activities ranging from practicing martial arts to building survival shelters during solo winter camping trips. He has trained as a fighter in various disciplines and is a former nationally ranked Olympia Masters Championship weightlifter, competing between 2013 and 2017.
Laboy Nurtured His Passion for Primitive Survival and Traversing the Outback Country
Despite being in his mid-fifties, Julio Laboy takes on hardcore physical challenges and primitive survival camps frequently. His journey into learning camping and survival started in 2021, with a basic course from the Pathfinder School in Ohio. His current go-to destination for learning wilderness survival skills is The Survival University. Located in Cripple Creek, Colorado, the organization holds hiking adventures and teaches courses in primitive survival. Laboy ventured to the camp in July 2024, resting in primitive shelters, sitting by a campfire, and feeling alive.
The Buckeye, Arizona, resident also learned various preparation techniques focused on roasting critters for much-needed nutrients while in the wilds. Taking a solo trip across the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation in January, Laboy traversed the rough desert terrain in his 2020 Gen 2 Ford F-150 Raptor modified for offroading. The year has also seen the ‘Outlast’ participant complete multiple arduous runs: a 10k in April and a 5k hot ruck while fasting and carrying a 50lb bag.
Laboy Continues to Embark Upon Thrilling Adventures and Spend Quality Time With His Daughter
Julio Laboy’s outback adventures offer picturesque scenes framing nature’s grandeur but also make for interesting tales of desolate locations. A creepy yet intriguing experience greeted the lawyer when he visited the Black Monarch Hotel in the small mining town of Victor, Colorado. Unable to find a room elsewhere during his solo travels, he stood at the doorstep of the Black Monarch and gulped as he took in the eerie sight. Contained within its wind-beaten structure, long hallways echoed with creepy tinny music, leading to a handful of rooms guarded by a wolf sculpture. Looking around, Laboy realized that there wasn’t a soul in sight. With no lobby or check-in procedure, he simply entered a password at the keypad for one of the rooms. Of all the continent-spanning stays Laboy has had, he declared the shady Victor hotel as the weirdest one yet.
Laboy spends his usual days working from the office and home, stepping outside as soon as the sun begins to set. He is a single father to his teen daughter, Maya, and a handsome pit bull, Nacho. As Maya turned 16 in April, the proud father wondered how she had grown up so fast. The two later watched movies and spent some quality time together with Normatec Compression’s suits, an infrared sauna, and a cold plunge for physical recovery. The loving father and avid explorer always seems to look forward to his next outdoor adventure, undoubtedly preferring the road not taken.
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