Read on for my interview with Heather, and make sure to check in with Parade.com every day for interviews with this season’s contestants and other tidbits. Survivor 41 premieres on September 22 with a special two-hour episode on CBS. Tell us a bit about yourself. My name is Heather, and I am 52 years old. And currently, I am a stay-at-home mom with a 12-year-old and a 15-year-old. Well, they don’t stay at home. And I’ve just been a stay-at-home mom for the past three years prior to that. I used to buy properties and flip them doing all the work myself except for new electric and roofing. And I did that for about 10 years. And prior to that, I was an elementary school teacher. What’s your history with watching Survivor? Oh, I have a good history with watching Survivor. I think I was addicted to Survivor by the end of season two. In season one, I started watching it towards the middle because I could hear all the talk about it. But by the end of season two, I was hooked. And I got hooked with my boyfriend back then, who is now my husband. I have been watching this with him for 20 years. And now we have even introduced it to our children. It’s become our tradition; on Wednesdays is Survivor night. I’ve started it with him, and I’m still doing it with him. And now we just added a 12-year-old and a 15-year-old to the mix. Give me one Survivor winner and one non-winner who you identify with the most. One of the winners I can identify with, I think just for just the values and the type of person they are, is Ethan. I feel like I’m a lot like him, just how we’re built on the inside. If I was a guy, I feel like I would be an Ethan. (Laughs.) With a non-winner, Tasha, There’s something about her, and I get it. In the first game that she played, she was really conflicted about playing her hardest and going against everything with the church and her morals. And then she got out there the second time, and she said that she gave herself permission. I just think she’s strong. I like everything about her. And I hope I’m a little bit like her. I want to get out there and do the same thing. What’s one life experience you feel has prepared you most for the game? I’ve had quite a few life experiences in 52 years that have prepared me for this game. Starting when I was little, and this isn’t a sob story. But just being from a very broken family and an only child taking care of myself and making my own way all my life. I feel that that has prepared me because I’ve learned all my lessons on my own. And I have learned to trust my gut. And I know my body; I know how to push myself through all of that. I’ve made it 52 years. I went through some things, and that has definitely prepared me. I am a much stronger person because of what I’ve gone through. What do you think people will perceive you as? I’m hoping they perceive me positively because I really am authentically me. I truly think that they’re gonna think I’m a little nutty because I am a little nutty. But my heart’s as good as gold. What do you desire in an alliance partner? I’ve thought carefully about this. Someone who is not emotional. The word that I would use is “rational.” I want to align with someone who is not the wild child, because they have nothing to lose. And that’s unpredictability. I want to align with someone that is like me, that has core values you can believe. A wild child is too much of a risk, an erupting volcano—somebody that’s just reliable, who acts rational, under all types of situations. So I need to gauge that when I first stepped in there. What’s your current game plan for when you touch down on the beach? My current game plan is just to see what my gut tells me. I think that it would be a huge mistake to go in there and say, “Oh, the first person I want to target is the youngest, the loudest, the rudest.” Because the very first impression isn’t always the right one. They’re going out there scared too. So I need to settle in, figure it out, and see who’s that rational person. I’m not going to prejudge before I get to know them. What will people underestimate in you the most on Survivor? I think people will underestimate my ability to actually take care of myself out there and take care of others. My daddy’s name is Bubba. And I grew up in a creek. I’ve fished, and I have crabbed, and I have lived in the marsh most of my childhood summers. I know how to do those things. I know how to clean the fish. I know how to do a lot of things that I think when someone looks at me, they wouldn’t think that I would know how to do those things. I have some hidden talents there in the woods. How much authenticity do you plan on bringing into the game? I feel like I have to bring my whole self into this game at the beginning. And I’ve got to play true to myself. I know this is a game, but I’m going to make friends out here. That was on my list; I’m going to leave this game making a new friend. And I understand at the end that’s when you got to fend for yourself, but I’m gonna play this game being me. I’m gonna play it smart. I can’t play a game not being me. I’m here 100% because of who I’ve been this whole time, and they chose me for the person I am right now. So to go in and play any other way, I think, would be just a disservice to everything. I couldn’t do it. Which is more important to your game: Strategy or social? I feel social will be the best part of my game. But along with the social, strategy is going to come into it. You can’t start working on a strategy unless you have people working with you. So you can think all you want to all by yourself and come up with some great plans. But if you don’t have the social part of the game under your arm, you can’t do it. I think the social is huge because you’re never going to be able to make a plan happen if you don’t have the help of other people. Next, check out our interview with Survivor 41 contestant Eric Abraham.
