Collin Gosselin Shares Family's Reaction to Special Forces Appearance

"I look at pictures of myself as a kid, and I'll do anything for that kid," he reflected. "That's how I think of it. It's hard to sit back sometimes and say I'm proud of myself, but I think we should do that more to ourselves to say, 'I'm proud of everything I've done.'" 

The In the Shadow of Eight author—who has been vocal about the alleged abuse he experienced at the hands of his mom Kate Gosselin, which she has denied—emphasized that starring on the competition series was also a message of resilience.

"You can go through so much in your life, and you can have the worst childhood and the worst circumstances, and be dealt the worst hand of cards," he said. "Know your why. Put your head up every morning, even if it's hard, and just keep going. That's what I did this whole show."

"Remember why you're doing it," he added, noting that his mission is advocacy. "You can go through so much, but there's growth in the future, there's healing in the future, and there's love in the future."

While fans wait to watch the premiere of Special Forces: World's Toughest Test season five on Sept. 24 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on Fox or on Hulu the next day, keep reading for all the competitors.