The Prize of Peril by Robert Sheckley. Short summary

5 seconds

For a lot of money, Rader participates in a deadly reality show. He wins, but loses his mind.

1 minute

Rader participates in deadly shows for money all the time. He has retrieved an underwater treasure hidden in the depths of the ocean, next door to sharks and moray eels. The man has also participated in bullfighting and just miraculously survived.

Now Rader is participating in the show «Risk Award» for a large reward. He has to last a week and stay alive. All the while the man is being hunted by a gang of thugs.

With great difficulty he escapes the bandits. In this he is helped by ordinary people who feed and hide Rader.

He swears to himself that if he survives, he will never participate in a show like this again.

In the final minutes, Rader manages to keep himself alive. He wins, but his mind is damaged and the man falls into a stupor.

The head of the program promises to cure Rader, because viewers have put a lot of money on him.