Spoiler warning: this article names the winner and runner-up of Netflix’s Physical 100: Mexico.
Ángel Quintero took the title and the 3 million pesos (roughly A$240,000 or US$170,000). But for a lot of viewers, the man he beat in the final was the story. Jesús Cárcamo, a captain in the Mexican Army, captained a team, came through the Acueducto semi-final and pushed Quintero all the way to the last carry of the last challenge.
Milenio called him a rey sin corona – a king without a crown. Here’s what’s actually known about him, and what his run says about the kind of fitness the military builds.
- Name: Jesús Cárcamo (full name Jesús Cárcamo Barroso, per La Razón)
- Age: 34, as reported by Desde la Cuna – not confirmed by other outlets or independently by MFO
- Job: Captain in the Armoured Corps (Arma Blindada) of the Mexican Army
- Special forces: linked by Milenio, La Razón and Expansión to the “Murciélagos” (the Bats), the Mexican Army’s Special Forces Corps
- Competition record: second at Spartan Race México in Acapulco (2021); on the Mexican team that finished second at Fuerzas Comando 2025 in El Salvador; competed for Mexico at the UAE SWAT Challenge in Dubai (2025)
- Result: Runner-up, Physical 100: Mexico (Habilidad Física 100: México), beaten in the final by Ángel Quintero
- Personal life: keeps it private; no official public biography has been released
Who is Jesús Cárcamo?
Cárcamo is a career soldier. Mexican outlets including Milenio, La Razón and Expansión identify him as a Capitán del Arma Blindada, a captain in the army’s armoured branch, and link him to the Murciélagos, the Special Forces Corps of Mexico’s defence ministry (Sedena). La Razón describes the unit as specialising in night operations, infiltration and rescue missions.
Beyond that, the public record is thin. Expansión notes there’s no official public biography covering his personal details, education or full service history, and he keeps his private life private. What is on the record is a string of competition results.
In June 2021, as a lieutenant, he finished second at Spartan Race México in Acapulco – the same obstacle-racing circuit where Quintero made his name. Since then he’s competed for Mexico in two of the best-known special forces competitions in the world.
Fuerzas Comando: the special forces Olympics
Fuerzas Comando is an annual competition between special operations units from across the Americas. Over nearly two weeks, teams are tested on physical fitness, marksmanship, assault scenarios, obstacles and water work.
The 2025 edition ran from 18 to 29 August at Ilopango Air Base in El Salvador, with 16 countries competing. Mexico came in as defending champion and finished second on 1,812 points, behind Colombia on 1,955, with hosts El Salvador third. Milenio and Expansión both place Cárcamo on that Mexican team.
He also competed for Mexico at the 2025 UAE SWAT Challenge in Dubai, an international tactical competition for police and military special units.
How he got to the Physical 100: Mexico final
Cárcamo made his mark early. In the one-on-one elimination round he beat firefighter Luis Hans, and he was then picked as one of the team captains. According to Milenio, his team included Francisco Bolaños, Marcelino Padilla and Alonso Xopin.
He made the Acueducto semi-final, where competitors raced laps rolling a 5 kg ball down a channel across two 20-minute stages. In the second stage he completed 77 laps to Quintero’s 79. The top two went through, which set up a final between the soldier and the obstacle racer.
The final, El peso de la grandeza (“the weight of greatness”), was a race to carry 20, 30 and 50 kg sacks onto a scale. Every load moved the opponent’s plaster torso closer to falling. Cárcamo’s fell first.
MFO hasn’t independently verified every challenge result and is relying on published recaps for the round-by-round detail. The final result – Quintero first, Cárcamo second – is reported consistently across Milenio, La Razón, Publimetro and Desde la Cuna.
What a soldier’s engine looks like
The final came down to a loaded carry race, which is about as close to a military job as a TV challenge gets. Soldiers don’t train for a one-rep max. They train to carry awkward weight, move fast, and keep working when they’re already tired.
That’s also why the final was so close. Quintero comes from obstacle racing, and Cárcamo comes from special forces competition. Both are built on the same mix of running, carrying and strength endurance, and neither is built for bodybuilding. Several of the bigger, more muscular names in the cast had gone out well before the last two.
You can borrow three things from that kind of fitness without joining the army:
- Carry things. Farmer’s carries, sandbag carries and front-loaded carries build grip, trunk strength and the ability to keep moving under load. They’re also a big part of HYROX.
- Build the engine first. Most of these challenges last minutes, not seconds. Regular easy running or rowing is what lets you keep producing force at the end.
- Train tired. Finish a session with carries or bodyweight work after the running, not before. Doing the work when you’re fatigued is the whole test.
For a structured way to put those together, see our HYROX workout. It uses the same mix of running, carries and sled work in a format you can run in a normal gym.
Jesús Cárcamo FAQ
Who is Jesús Cárcamo from Physical 100: Mexico?
He’s a captain in the Mexican Army’s armoured branch, linked to the army’s Murciélagos special forces unit, and the runner-up of the first season of Physical 100: Mexico.
How old is Jesús Cárcamo?
Desde la Cuna reports that he’s 34. MFO hasn’t found another outlet or an official source that confirms his age.
Did Jesús Cárcamo win Physical 100: Mexico?
No. He finished second. Ángel Quintero beat him in the final, El peso de la grandeza, a race to carry weighted sacks onto a scale.
What is Fuerzas Comando?
It’s an annual competition for special operations units from across the Americas. Mexico, with Cárcamo on the team, finished second to Colombia at the 2025 edition in El Salvador.
Who else was in the Physical 100: Mexico final four?
Ángel Quintero (winner), Jesús Cárcamo (runner-up), Mariana Khalil and Aldo Gutiérrez. See our Physical 100: Mexico cast guide for everyone else.
