New Delhi, Oct 27 (IANS): Sanam Johar, who has won the first season of unique reality show "Dare 2 Dance", has a lot to thank Akshay Kumar for. He says the Bollywood action star encouraged him to give his best shot.

"During the initial days of practice and even before my first performance, I ended up hurting my finger and it was fractured. Then came acts where I had to perform on air, water, fire and more. I had an option of quitting, but Akshay sir motivated me so much that I stayed and the result was very much fruitful," Sanam said in a statement.

The finale, aired on Life OK Sunday, saw Delhi boy Sanam pipping Emilie Caillon to win the show. He took home a bike, a car, Rs.25 lakh and an exclusive contract with the channel.

"Dare 2 Dance", shot in Cape Town, South Africa, started with 13 contestants. Akshay was entrusted with the job of guiding and pushing them to reinvent and perform in extreme dancing conditions.

Sanam's consistent performances made him click, but he admits Emilie was his strongest competitor.

A former "Dance India Dance" contestant, Sanam believes in staying fit via dance.