Mike Lizotte brings together rare operational experience and an early immersion in wilderness survival — learned from the age of four under his grandfather's guidance, who passed down autonomy, observation, and the ability to thrive in adversity.
He served as a parachutist with the Royal 22nd Regiment, with deployments to Haiti and Afghanistan, where he served in intelligence roles in complex operational environments. During his military service, he earned the TCCC (Tactical Combat Casualty Care) qualification.
In 2018, he completed the intensive 45-day instructor program at Sigma 3 Survival School in Missouri, later becoming a satellite instructor. In 2019, he trained under David Scott-Donelan, a world authority in combat tracking.
A recognized expert in friction fire, Mike has demonstrated and taught these techniques under some of the most demanding conditions. A specialist in edible and medicinal plants, he weaves this expertise into his field instruction. In 2020, he appeared on the Quebec television show Survivalistes (Moi & Cie). Through Redbeard, his survival school, he has trained thousands of people across Quebec and the United States.
His philosophy: dying is not an option.
With nearly twenty years of military experience in jungle, Arctic, desert, and forest environments, Yann Surette is one of Canada's most versatile elite survival experts. He is one of only four instructors in Canada to have passed one of the world's most demanding survival courses — completed in Norway under extreme arctic conditions.
His qualifications include: Canadian parachutist with American and Brazilian wings, air controller, sniper instructor (precision shooting, CBRN, SERE Level C — Conduct After Capture), mountain warfare and counter-terrorism specialist.
He has taught survival to multinational special forces, is a cold-water and ice survival instructor trained by Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht ("Dr. Popsicle"), and holds TCCC and first responder certifications.
Yann teaches with discipline and humility, embodying excellence, personal improvement, and deep respect for nature.
