Ram Barkai

Quick Facts

Intro

South African swimmer

From

South Africa

Athlete Swimmer

Work field

Sports

Gender

Male

Star sign

Libra

Birth

22 October 1957

Age

66 years

The details (from wikipedia)

Biography

Stan Lee's Superhumans is a documentary television series that debuted from August 5, 2010 to September 17, 2014 on History. It is hosted by comic book superhero creator Stan Lee and follows contortionist Daniel Browning Smith, "the most flexible man in the world", as he searches the globe for real-life superhumans—people with extraordinary physical or mental abilities.

Series overview

Season		Episodes	Originally aired
Season		Episodes	First aired	Last aired
	1	8	August 5, 2010 (2010-08-05)	September 30, 2010 (2010-09-30)
	2	13	October 27, 2011 (2011-10-27)	September 1, 2013 (2013-09-01)
	3	10	July 13, 2014 (2014-07-13)	September 17, 2014 (2014-09-17)

List of episodes

Season One (2010)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original Airdate
1	1	"Electro Man"	August 5, 2010 (2010-08-05)
Daniel meets Rajmohan Nair of Kollam, India, who can withstand being shocked by electricity 30 times the amount that can kill an ordinary man; Scott Flansburg of San Diego, a "human calculator" who can perform complex arithmetic in his head; Juan Ruiz of Los Angeles, a blind man who can see the world around him with bat-like echolocation; and Dennis Rogers of Houston, the "strongest man in the world".
2	2	"Killer Punch"	August 12, 2010 (2010-08-12)
Daniel meets Bob Munden of Las Vegas, the fastest and most accurate gunslinger alive; Finland's Timo Kaukonen, whose body can withstand near-boiling temperatures; Shi Yan Ming, a Shaolin monk who defected from China and who takes Bruce Lee's infamous "one-inch punch" to a new level; and Darren Taylor "Professor Splash" of Denver, who can survive a 35-foot belly flop into 1 foot of water.
3	3	"Hammer Head"	August 19, 2010 (2010-08-19)
Daniel meets Dean Karnazes of San Francisco, who can ignore extreme fatigue and ran 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days; John Ferraro of Boston, whose thick skull can withstand the blow of a sledgehammer; Chris Robinson of Edinburgh, Scotland who believes his dreams can predict the future; and Kenny Muhammad of New York City, "The Human Orchestra", who can mimic complex beatbox rhythms with his mouth.
4	4	"Human Speed Bump"	August 26, 2010 (2010-08-26)
Daniel meets Zamora the Torture King (aka Tim Cridland) of New York City, who skewers himself without feeling any pain or shedding blood; Derek Paravicini of London, England, a blind autistic man who can accurately recreate any piano piece after hearing it once; Jyothi Raj of Chitradurga, India who can scale walls with incredible speed and agility; and Tom Owen of Birmingham, Alabama, the man with the hardest muscles on Earth.
5	5	"Human Wolf"	September 2, 2010 (2010-09-02)
Daniel meets Patrick Musimu, of Bonaire who can free dive to nearly 700 feet and hold his breath for over 8 minutes; Miroslaw Magola of Brighton, England who allegedly exhibits telekinetic powers; Shaun Ellis of Devon, England who lives and communicates with wolves; and Eskil Rønningsbakken from Trondheim, Norway, who performs incredible feats of balance.
6	6	"Human Crash Test Dummy"	September 16, 2010 (2010-09-16)
Daniel meets Isao Machii of Osaka, a modern-day swordsman with such precise sword skills that he can cut a pellet in half; Dr. Norman Gary of Sacramento, California who can summon and control swarms of bees; Steve Santini of Cornwall, Ontario, Canada a fearless escape artist who shows ultimate body control when facing extreme danger; and Rusty Haight of Las Vegas, a daredevil "human crash test dummy" who drives himself into car wrecks at high speed.
7	7	"Rubber Band Man"	September 23, 2010 (2010-09-23)
Daniel meets Tim Friede of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, a human guinea-pig who allows himself to be bitten by venomous snakes for medical research; Dan Meyer of Hartselle, Alabama, who is proclaimed to be one of the greatest sword swallowers in the world; Garry "Stretch" Turner of London, England whose rare medical condition gives him the World's stretchiest skin; and Yves Rossy of Geneva, Switzerland who flies with a high-tech, jet-powered wing strapped to his back that is controlled by precise movements of his body.
8	8	"Jaw Breaker"	September 30, 2010 (2010-09-30)
Daniel meets martial artist Tom Cameron of Chicago, the "Human Stun Gun" who claims to focus the power of "Chi" to deliver knockdown blows to opponents without touching them; Salim Haini of Marrakech, Morocco, whose incredible gastronomical fortitude has earned him the title of the "Man Who Eats Anything"; Ron White of Fort Worth, Texas whose super mental focus allows him to memorize and recall complex information quickly, even while distracted; and Greg Poe, a test pilot from Florida who claims he can withstand up to 12g of force.

Season Two (2011–2013)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original Airdate
9	1	"Unbreakable"	October 27, 2011 (2011-10-27)
In a temple in Kuala Lumpur, Shaolin monk Hu Qiong demonstrates his unbreakable body by smashing steel on his head, and spears in his throat. Bio-mechanic professor Dan Voss measures the forces at play to prove this is real. Dan watches Hu, as he attempts to push an electric drill into his own temple for a whole minute. Then, Daniel arrives in San Diego to witness Chad Netherland hold back a 500 bhp car. He calls in a sports physiologist to examine Chad’s technique, and to work out the real forces at play. Next, Daniel brings Dickinson Oppon from Ghana to South Africa to find out if the rumors of his superhuman control over his stomach are actually true. And finally, Daniel meets Byron Ferguson at an archery range where super-slo-mo images capture his accuracy in detail. Then eye-tracking technology is brought in to see if his eyes actually track the targets, or is it just luck?
10	2	"Shark Master"	November 3, 2011 (2011-11-03)
Daniel goes to Wisconsin to meet Aaron Evans who is called "The Spring", who could be the greatest jumper in the world; Melchor Menor, the "Shins of Steel" who can break baseball bats in half with a single kick; Ito Kenichi from Japan who has the ability to sprint on all fours; and Mike Rutzen from Cape Town, South Africa who claims to be able to control sharks.
11	3	"Yo Yo Ninja"	February 28, 2013 (2013-02-28)
In his quest to find people with real superpowers, Daniel Browning Smith meets some extraordinary individuals. When it comes to neck strength, John Evans is a legend. From cars to speedboats, nothing is too heavy for this six foot five, 24-inch neck ‘IRON MAN’…and he has 32 world records to prove it! The slightest slip, trip or nudge would mean a crushing death, as John’s arms wouldn’t be able to cope with the load! Then, Daniel meets Hiro in Seattle. Using slomo cameras, motion capture and impact dynamics, we find out if Hiro Suzuki’s yoyo skills push the limits of speed and dexterity. Hiro then enters a duel with a semi-automatic handgun, to see if he really has turned the yoyo into a weapon. Next, Daniel meets professor Kevin Warwick, the world's leading expert in Cybernetics, who became the world's first Cyborg in a ground breaking set of scientific experiments, using himself as a guinea pig, surgically inserting technological implants connected to his central nervous system. And finally, even more powerful than Current Mohan, Slavisa Pajkic ‘Biba’ from Serbia claims to be able to take a hit of 20,000 volts ! He also says he can heat up water to 97 degrees Celsius in 1 minute and 37 seconds with his electric body, Is he a mutant, a freak of nature or a fraud?
12	4	"Super Special"	March 7, 2013 (2013-03-07)
The search is on to find more real-life superhumans! First Daniel is in Canada to meet Pat Poviliatis, a man who boasts his hands are tough enough to withstand the deadly jaws of a steel-tooted cougar-trap. Sam Whittingham claims to have built the fastest human powered machine on the planet. His combination of design genius, and physical strength could make him the ultimate superhuman man with a brain like a hard drive. Brad Williams claims to have Super Autobiographical Memory, which means his brain has the power to remember and catalog almost everything that has ever happened to him, down to the tiniest details. And Annalisa Flanagan is rumored to have the loudest voice on earth, 122db. That’s enough to cause physical pain and permanent ear damage.
13	5	"Human Shield"	March 14, 2013 (2013-03-14)
Rene Richter says he has the strongest teeth on earth, capable of bending coins. But we discover his strength lies in his jaw, which Rene says allows him to lift over 1000lbs. Kirby Roy has spent his life trying to become impervious to pain, using a controversial martial art called Combat Qi, he claims he is able to take strikes of limitless power to the most sensitive parts of the human anatomy. Daniel calls in some of the world's hardest hitters and kickers to put that to the test. Internet videos show college quarterback Alex Tanney performing mind-blowing trick throws. They look impossible, so Daniel wants Alex to prove he's for real. It's rumored Eric Scott is the best jet-pack pilot on earth, and he intends to prove it, by flying over a lake with no safety measures and only 30 seconds of fuel.
14	6	"Steel Face"	March 21, 2013 (2013-03-21)
Daniel Browning Smith is in Vegas to meet Brian Jackson who blows up a hot water bottle until it explodes. Daniel takes Brian to a lung specialist to measure the power output and pressure of his lungs. Lu Deyuan’s extraordinary, traffic-stopping superhuman ability is eye watering! Daniel meets Lu in a Kuala Lumpur dockyard where he’s hanging steel bars from his eyelids. Lu says he feels no pain and doesn’t suffer from any injuries. Could Anthony Kelly have the fastest reflexes in the world? Daniel meets him catching tennis balls at 80mph, and use a high speed camera to capture his technique. At a Detroit Dojo, Daniel meets Japanese Nunchuck Master Hiroki deadly in the martial art of nunchaku combat. Cindi Bir and Daniel test his ability by challenging his accuracy with a baseball pitching cannon.
15	7	"Spider Power"	March 28, 2013 (2013-03-28)
At high altitude, low oxygen causes hypoxia, altitude sickness and very quickly, death. But Ang Rita Sherpa claims he’s climbed Everest 10 times with no extra oxygen. Daniel takes him to a leading Altitude Research facility to witness the effects of altitude in a hyperbaric chamber. It’s said spider-silk is the strongest material on earth. And Randy Lewis says he has found a way to copy it–by breeding a herd of goats with spider DNA, creating a goat that can produce spider-silk in its milk? Stan wants Daniel to find out if this could be the first step to a real-life Spider-Man. It’s rumored Tori Allen can climb Like Spiderman, but in fact, it seems she was brought up with monkeys and has actually mastered many of their climbing tricks. Stan Lee created Rocket Racer, a super-powered skateboarding nemesis for Spiderman. But Bob Burnquist is said to perform jumps on his skateboard that have made Stan’s comic books a reality.
16	8	"Beast Masters"	July 21, 2013 (2013-07-21)
First, Dean Sheldon claims to be immune to America’s deadliest scorpion venom. Daniel asks him to prove it by collecting 22 wild scorpions form the Arizona desert, and putting them in his mouth, all at once! Next is Kanzawa Sensei who claims to be able to put any animal into a trance using mind control. Daniel brings him to a California to prove his powers on an alpaca ranch, before facing the ultimate challenge. Will Kanzawa be able to use his powers to subdue a herd of America’s biggest land mammal, the Bison, enabling him to walk unharmed through their pen. Then it's George Aldrich, who is Nasa’s supersniffer, employed to scent test every object that goes into space, as he says “you can’t open a window on the space shuttle!” But how does his power compare to a sniffer dog? Daniel, and LAPD sniffer-dog trainer Lamb Lambert, set George a challenge that would even push a police dog to its limit, and are amazed by what they discover. And finally, Martin Strel claims he has swum the entire length of the Amazon, 3000 miles, a feat no other human has achieved. Could Martin’s body somehow be immune to fatigue? Daniel challenges Martin to swim 15 miles in the ice-cold Colorado to find out how and if Martin really is built differently.
17	9	"Pain Killer"	July 28, 2013 (2013-07-28)
Stan sends Daniel to meet 38-year-old German speed fanatic Dirk Auer, who claims that with his incredible turbo powered rocket backpack and skates, he can reach amazing speeds. Guy Bavli claims he can move objects around a room using the power of his mind. We take him to a hardware store where he bends nails and cutlery off the shelves–and even appears to move objects without touching them. Daniel meets Nigel on a running track made of broken glass. A pain expert examines Nigel’s physiology… if he feels pain in the rest of his body, could his feet hold the key to switching off pain? Steve Woodmore claims to be able to talk at a “superhuman” speed of 637 Words per Minute! That’s 10.25 Words per second, four times faster than the average person.
18	10	"Robo Men"	August 4, 2013 (2013-08-04)
First, Matthius Schlitte was born with Proteus syndrome, giving him one arm MUCH bigger than the other. Matthius has used this genetic difference as a gift, and through training, turned himself into a top arm wrestler, capable of beating men twice his size. But can he take on a supercharged robot, literally built to arm wrestle? Next, is he a Mad-scientist or a comic book superhero? Jean Yves Blondeau has designed a 32 wheel rollersuit that turns him into a human rollerskate with incredible speed and agility. Daniel wants to push the Rollerman to the max, pitting him against a 100mph go-kart in a final challenge that is “wheel-y, wheel-y exciting.” Next is Jack Dagger who claims to be the deadliest knife thrower on earth. He says he can hit any target, no matter how small or how fast it is moving. Will Daniel survive a William Tell-esque apple on the head stunt, and can Jack’s knife possibly match the power and accuracy of a shot-gun in a superhuman skeet shoot? And finally it's rumoured Wolfgang Manicke and his posse have the power to destroy building with their bare hands. Daniel takes Wolganag to a scientist to analyse his strength, before the Human Wrecking Ball attempts to demolish a house, with nothing but their hand.
19	11	"Bird Man"	August 18, 2013 (2013-08-18)
First up is the ultimate superpower of flight, and Yokke Sommer is rumoured to have achieved it –coming as close to a bird as any human has ever achieved. Daniel meets him on a 1000ft cliff in Norway, the site of many tragic deaths, where Yokke wants to prove his power by flying at over 120 mph just 3ft from the cliff face. Then it's Ram Barkai who claims to be immune to cold – regularly swimming in temperatures cold enough to kill. He proves his unique ability in the Nordic fjord-lands, before Daniel sets him the challenge of swimming a kilometre in water just 1 degree above freezing. Next is Healing hands, but Master Zhou claim takes things to a whole new level. He says he can produce heat in his hands hot enough to boil water. Daniel puts him to the test to try and find an explanation. And finally is the Man who has evolved to walk upright, and has gone on to be able to run faster and faster. But Roland Wegner has become the fastest backwards runner on earth and says his technique is actually better for the body, and says he could beat Daniel, running forwards.
20	12	"Supersight"	August 25, 2013 (2013-08-25)
Alexander Levit was born blind. Living in Los Angeles, he claims to not only see shapes but colors and writing on screens in "Supersight." In the same area lives Mikhail Vasilyev, "Human Magnet" whose skin is adhesive and can hold non-magnetic objects, too. Stig Severinsen is "Dolphin Man" who can hold his breath 20 minutes. "The Human Toolbox" is Brad Byers of Vancouver, who can stick long objects into a channel in his head that begins at his nose.
21	13	"Finger of Steel"	September 1, 2013 (2013-09-01)
First, Daniel meets Ho in Kuala Lumpur, where he demontrates his incredible ability, smashing through the rock hard exterior of a coconut with his index finger. Dan Voss measures the force of his finger of steel. And a load hammer replicates this force on a coconut. Then he attempts to smash the shells of 3 coconuts in 30 secs. Then, Daniel meets Moses Langan in a busy Detroit shopping mall, where he has drawn a crowd with his spectacular ability. He appears to be able to turn his legs 180 degrees, and walk forwards! We use an open MRI to see what is going on inside his skeleton to allow this to take place. Next, Orlando Duque demonstrates a breath-taking ability, diving from the same height as a twelve-storey building and hitting the water at 55MPH without injury. Daniel and an Orthopaedic Surgeon Dirk Dolbere, investigate the forces Orlando can withstand. They then witnesses Orlando’s latest feat and are blown out of the water! And finally, Joe Eigo says his jump defies gravity and insists he never uses trick photography, crash mats or safety wires. Could his body be engineered differently? Sports physiologists use motion capture to investigate and the scientist is amazed by Joe’s gravity-defying final demo.

Season Three (2014)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original Airdate
22	1	"Throat of Steel"	July 13, 2014 (2014-07-13)
Stan's comic-book character's bodies had physically shocking features and gruesome modifications, enabling them to perform incredible feats. But Daniel Browning Smith goes in search of real people who claim their bodies can do things that no normal human can do. While most humans aren't able to withstand the effects of high voltage or current, Daniel investigates rumors of the legendary Duongs, an entire family in Vietnam that claim to be shock proof. "Eye Popper" John Doyle has a real-life ability to control his eyes like a chameleon that will literally make your eyes pop out in amazement. Thomas Blackthorne in Milan, Italy, claims he can insert a jackhammer down his throat... and then turn it on in "Throat of Steel." "The Human Vending Machine," Stevie Starr claims he can swallow shocking objects, and regurgitate them in any order he chooses. How he does it, it's hard to say, but it's impossible not to watch. In "Meat Head,"Ryan Stock of Seattle threads a meat-hook through his skull and attempts to pull weights that will push human bone strength to the limit.
23	2	"Painproof"	July 20, 2014 (2014-07-20)
Stan sends Daniel to meet four people who can control their perception of pain, and push their bodies to unthinkable levels. Having created so many fictional pain-proof characters in his comics, Stan never thought real people could possess immunity to pain, but these four individuals perform staggering feats of pain tolerance that challenge the known limits of the human body. Eduardo Lasaga claims he can withstand extreme amounts of bone-crunching weights on his body. But, is he really un-crushable? Evgeny Kuznetsov takes the gore factor to the extreme, withstanding the excruciating pain of dozens of darts penetrating his flesh, but he also doesn’t shed a drop of blood. Matthew Ahmet claims he’s trained his body to tolerate the same level of pain as the ultimate shaolin warriors. Li Xin’s demonstration of skull strength is almost too gruesome to watch, and he claims he’s developed a superhuman head, that is virtually indestructible.
24	3	"Human Fireball"	July 30, 2014 (2014-07-30)
This time Stan wants Daniel to investigate four people who claim to have superhuman heat tolerance, performing potentially deadly demonstrations that push themselves, and the human body, to new limits. Daniel puts them to the test to find out if they really can stand the heat! Ted Batchelor claims he is fireproof. At Salinas Airfield, Ted attempts the longest full body burn of all time, running over 500 feet, whilst burning at temperatures of 2400 Fahrenheit. Kann Trichaan from Thailand is rumored to be immune to the searing heat of boiling cooking oil, and appears to feel no pain, even when submerging his hands for seconds at a time. Anandita Dutta Tamali is the most chilli-proof human on earth, but can she withstand pepper spray? Marshall Ullrich is said to be immune to the lethal effects of heatstroke, but Daniel tests his heat tolerance by challenging him to run in potentially fatal temperatures, in an oven!
25	4	"Powerlifting Pastor"	August 6, 2014 (2014-08-06)
Super-strength appears in almost all comics, whether a natural-born ability or the result of some misguided scientific experiment. This time Daniel investigates four claims of genuine real-life super-strength that appear to take human power to mind boggling levels. Ales Novak claims to have the ability to scale ropes incredibly fast, using his own pulling power. Daniel tests the man known as the human winch, to find out if he is truly superhuman. Kevin Fast claims he’s the strongest man in the world. He says his ability is a power granted by God, but he’s going to attempt to pull a 140 ton truck, a machine designed to move mountains. Jim Dreyer is an endurance swimmer who can swim for days on end, while towing tons of weight behind him, like a human tug boat. Lasha Pataraya says he has the world’s strongest ears. But Daniel tracks him down in Florida where he attempts to pull a five ton truck with just one ear.
26	5	"Fearproof"	August 10, 2014 (2014-08-10)
This time Stan wants Daniel to meet four people who claim to be fear-proof, and push man’s limits to the very edge, performing staggering feats at extreme heights that would paralyze any normal person with fear. Julio Munoz claims to have the ability to switch off fear, and wants to prove it by attempting one of the scariest stunts of all time that requires superhuman nerves of steel. Tyler Bradt takes fearlessness to a whole new level, kayaking over waterfalls hundreds of feet high. Andy Lewis is a fearless slackliner who uses no safety harness when traversing deadly canyons on an inch-wide rope. Gary Connery has dedicated his life to become the first human to jump from an aircraft and land without a parachute, and survive. Daniel heads up to over 3000 feet to watch Gary attempt this insane feat.
27	6	"Rapid Fire"	August 20, 2014 (2014-08-20)
Comics are full of inventors and geniuses that use machines to perform amazing feats. Stan sends Daniel to meet real life inventors who claim to have built machines that merge man and machine. But can they take humans to the next level, to become superhuman? Jerry Miculek is rumored to be able to fire an old fashioned handgun, faster than a fully automatic. Daniel puts that claim to the test, to see if he is… a human machine gun. Francky Zapata claims he has built a machine that allows him to fly through and over the water, just like Iron Man. Time for Daniel to see what he’s capable of. Paul Swift is rumored to be the best driver on the planet, and can perform feats with a car that appear impossible. Eric Barone has built a new breed of bicycle in an attempt to become the fastest downhill cyclist of all time.
28	7	"Man vs. Beast"	August 24, 2014 (2014-08-24)
Animals are imbued with incredible abilities, like echo-location, super-sight. This time Stan is sending Daniel on a mission to find four people who claim they have the ability to match nature's superpowered animals. Ru Anting claims to have superpowered tear-ducts, that can shoot liquid even further than the deadly Spitting Cobra. Daniel heads to Vietnam, to put his claims to the test. Kie Willis claims to have a superhuman jump, that he says can match nature's most powerful jumpers, the leopard. Daniel investigates claims that Igor Zaripov could have jaws just as strong as one of nature's most powerful bites, the shark. Dan Goodwin, wants to climb the worlds tallest buildings like a human gecko, using nothing but sucker cups. Daniel watches Dan attempt one of South America's tallest buildings, that would even push a gecko's climbing skills to the limit.
29	8	"High Voltage"	September 3, 2014 (2014-09-03)
Genetic mutation produces incredible comic-book superheroes. But Stan wants Daniel to meet four real people who claim to have a difference in their physiology, that makes them superhuman! Mr. Duong claims that his entire family possess a genetic mutation that makes them completely immune to electrocution, and can hang from a live pylon and survive. Orlando Serrell claims he was turned into a real-life genius after being hit on the head, and can remember the exact weather every day since the accident. Thanks to a unique genetic mutation, Joshua Carter is able to perform a staggering feat of contortion, that rewrites the limits of the human body. Kortney Olsen claims to have thighs even stronger than a python. Daniel tests her crush force, to see if she has turned her body into a human weapon.
30	9	"Disc of Death"	September 10, 2014 (2014-09-10)
The secret of any good superhuman is a deadly power hidden beneath an ordinary exterior. This time Stan is on the hunt for people with secret abilities that turn them into lethal human weapons! Lee Morrison says he has trained himself to deliver a super-powered strike, as deadly as a tiger claw. Brodie Smith is rumored to use an every day frisbee with killer accuracy. Daniel puts him head-to-head with a sniper to find out how accurate he really is. Rick Smith Jr. claims to be able to throw an everyday playing card with devastating accuracy and power, but can he throw it the length of a football field? Many people claim to have unique powers, but Paul Stringerl says he has the power and strength to run straight through a brick wall.
31	10	"Ultimate Super Team"	September 17, 2014 (2014-09-17)
Creating teams of comic book heroes requires a combination of incredible but unique superpowers. This time Daniel meets four people with totally separate powers…but could they be ultimate team of real life superhumans? Adam Winrich claims to have extraordinary accuracy with a whip and has turned this old-school object into a comic book weapon just like a real-life Whiplash! Daniel seeks out Will Trubridge, a free-diver that claims he can dive deeper than anyone else with no mechanical assistance. Is he really a human submarine? Joel King claims he’s built a super-powered skateboard, capable of breaking the speed limit… on the freeway. Daniel watches his latest record attempt, where any mistake could be fatal.