Interview with Elie from Survivor 43
Why are you here on Survivor?I started my journey of applying to Survivor thinking that I just wanted to come and be on the show because I’m obsessed with it. I’m a super fan. But throughout the process of auditioning, I’ve done a lot of self-reflection and realized that I’ve really got some things to prove to myself. I have had a lot of self-doubts since I was young about my capabilities. And I think I wanted to prove to myself that I could get out of my comfort zone and do something different. Because of my profession and my family system, I’ve always been in a role of serving other people. And so this is a chance for me to be able to focus on myself and put myself first for the first time ever.What’s your history with Survivor?I first started watching Survivor when I was young, along with the rest of America, and then kind of fell off for a while. But then I had somebody tell me when I was in grad school, “You’ve got to watch Survivor. I think it’s right up your alley.” And they told me that I reminded them of Michele Fitzgerald. So I kind of started rewatching it in vain. I was like, “I want to see this person that reminds someone of me.” And she ended up winning the season! So I was like, “Well, damn, maybe I’m cut out for something like this.” And I just became fully obsessed. So I’ve watched every season and every episode at least twice. I’ve seen some seasons three times. And I’ve even seen some seasons four times. So to say I’m a super fan is an understatement.Give me one Survivor winner and one non-winner you identify with the most.I identify a lot with Nick Wilson as a winner. I appreciated him opening up in his season about addiction and his family and that his mom had passed away from it. I have that in my family as well, and my sister actually passed away from it. To be able to watch things like that come up in a competition television show, but also about personal growth and this personal journey, was really important for me in my life. Also, just from a gameplay standpoint, I think his ability to be underestimated. People didn’t immediately see him as a strategic threat. I think maybe they thought he was out looking for idols, so he had a target on his back at first. But he was able to kind of weave around that and made really deep connections with people that lasted him throughout the game. And I think I’ll be able to play similarly. In terms of a non-winner, I think Cirie Fields is the best never to win the game. She is fantastic. And I also think I’m a lot like her. She’s nurturing; she’s a nurse. And so she’s got a similar service profession as I do. And she is a massive strategic threat, but I think sometimes she is underestimated. Sometimes people give credit to maybe a flashy or more outspoken player like Parvati when she was just as much at the forefront of a big move like Erik giving up his idol in Micronesia. So I think that I would play a lot like Cirie as well.What’s your favorite moment in Survivor history?I have so many favorite moments from the history of Survivor. I think the one I just mentioned where Erik gave up his idol and the amazing Black Widow Brigade was able to orchestrate that. Everybody played their part so perfectly. It was a true team moment where everybody really orchestrated this amazing blindside. But also, I love quirky, funny moments. I was just reminded of one today where Billy professed his love for Candice [on Cook Islands]. And it was super awkward just thinking about how we’re sitting here right now watching each other. We’re not allowed to speak to each other before the game. I’m thinking about how awkward that must have been. (Laughs.) But also just a really funny, beautiful moment. That one came up in my mind today.What’s the one life experience that you feel has prepared you the most for the game?I think that my job has actually prepared me a lot for this game. My job is really complex. I work with veterans who have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. You never know what you’re going to get in any session. They might all have PTSD, but it’s different for every person experiencing it. And so I have to think quickly on my feet. I have to be able to make deep bonds with people immediately in the first session you’re meeting them. You’re like, “Hi, I’m Ellie. Now, tell me about the worst day of your life. Okay, go.” And, of course, it doesn’t actually happen like that. But essentially, for them, they have to be able to trust you enough to tell you these really important and difficult things. Of course, everyone’s coming into this a little bit different. We’re playing a game. It’s not like a therapy session. But at the same time, there’s that similar vein of, “Who can I trust? Can I really depend on this person? Can I really trust this person with my secrets or with these things about myself that I don’t want to tell everyone?” And so I think there’s a parallel there. And I think that my natural ability and my work life are going to help me a lot with that.What excites you the most about this new era of Survivor?I am so excited about the fast pace of it all. I’m a very fast-paced person. I don’t like just to sit idly. And so I think the “go go go” nature of it, where you’re at Tribal basically every other day, I think that’s going to play into my hand. If I’m given too much time to overthink things, I will. And so I actually think that this fast-paced momentum is going to carry me through some things that I might have second-guessed myself. But I think that I’m going to be able to move quickly with the game. And that’s going to play to my strengths.What do you think people will perceive you as? That’s a good question. I think I’m always surprised to hear that people see me as a very put-together person. I’ve been called well-organized at work. But what they don’t realize is that the organization’s structure that I’ve set up for myself is because, internally, I’m very disorganized. I’m kind of messy and all over the place. And so, if this is anything like my real life, in terms of how people perceive me off the bat, I think I do kind of give an air of, “Yeah, I’ve got it together. I’m just fine.” But deep down, I’m going to be freaking out with the rest of them. And so it’ll be interesting to see if that’s how I’m perceived in the game at the beginning. And if it is, I think that pretty quickly, they’ll be like, “Okay, no, she’s she’s just as misfity as everybody else.“What type of player are you looking for in an alliance?I think that often, people gravitate towards me when they’re maybe a little bit quieter or maybe feel a connection towards someone who’s going to be more of a leader. I typically take on that role in relationships. I’m going to be the connector between people who might not otherwise connect with each other. And so I’m looking for people who want that in a partner. Essentially, I want to work with people who want me. I don’t want to be dispensable for people or just a number. I want to be someone who feels necessary as a partner to play the game. So that’s kind of my main goal off the bat. But to be honest, my job is making connections with people who are very different from me. And so I truly believe I can make a friendship or deep, meaningful relationship with anybody. They just have to want to make a friendship or relationship with me.How eager will you be to look for advantages in the game?I would love to be an advantage queen! I think Drea from season 42 is just a goddess of them all. I’m so impressed by her and her ability to find all these things. But I say “ability” because she’s working really hard. I know that luck plays into it. But you don’t find idols and advantages if you’re not looking. I want to be looking and searching as much as I can without making myself seem conspicuous. I want to be looking for idols. I know that you’ve got to hunt for them if you want them, and I’m definitely going to do that.What is the one thing you told yourself you wouldn’t do in this game?One thing I told myself I would not do is step down from a challenge for food. I think it would really take a lot for me to do something like that. I mean, potentially in a situation where I needed to prove that I was with a group of people–maybe if we all had to step down for rice and gain some respect–I might do that. But if it’s like, “You get to eat during this challenge if you step off the block,” I told myself I’m not going to do it. I hope I have enough guts to stay and compete and starve for one more day.Next, check out our interview with Survivor 42 winner Maryanne Oketch.
