Noelle Lambert Talks Survivor 48 Ep 6

[00:00:00] Hey everybody, what's going on? Rob Cesternino back here to do some catch up here and talk a little bit more about Survivor 48 here at The Merge with one of the stars from Survivor 43. Always up to some cool stuff. It's Noelle Lambert. Noelle, how are you? I'm good. How are you? So excited to be here today and to be on this incredible podcast. Oh, thank you.

[00:00:25] I'm good talking to you. Talking to one of the OG Robs. One of them. Not even me. Just one of the many. And what's nice about that, Noelle, is that there was a bunch of Robs all in a row and then there hasn't been one in a really long time. But like if there's a Rob on Survivor 49, it's going to be so annoying. Like you're lucky. You get to be the only Noelle. The only Noelle. I was just thinking of that. I didn't even realize. But watch. Next season we're going to have a Noelle. I mean, it happens.

[00:00:55] And they're going to they're going to outplay me. It's all right. OK, well, we'll see. But we are lucky to have you here to talk with us about everything that's going on from your beautiful training facility. Now, we're going to your neck of the woods this week in Boston, but you're out on the West Coast. I know I'm heartbroken that I will not be at the Boston event this Wednesday for you guys. But yeah, I'm out here in California training. I come here on and off. It's very cold on the East Coast.

[00:01:24] So training on a track outside is just not really that much fun. So that's why I come out here. And I'm very grateful to have the beautiful facility here in Chula Vista, California. And but yeah, I'm very bummed. I'm very bummed that I can't make it. Now, I know you're a Paralympian. What what competition do you compete in? I compete in the hundred meter and the long jump for the Paralympic track and field team. Yeah. And when is your next big competition?

[00:01:52] We have world championships coming up at the end of September. It's going to be a very busy month for me because I'll be getting married on September 5th. And then I'll be shipping all the way out to India to compete at world championships. So, oh, my God. Yeah. I'll be starting my honeymoon there. Yeah. Wedding first. And then you have to go to India for the championships. And how much time in between? I'm not exactly sure. I think I might have a week, week and a half.

[00:02:19] And then, you know, we do pre camps either in a different country or in India. So I'm not going to have that much time. I mean, it's crazy because being in season, you're not supposed to you're supposed to treat your body right. Not like no alcohol, no any of that. But I have to enjoy my wedding. I mean, I can't not drink at my wedding. So I'm I've been giving a one night pass. And it's crazy because all my coaches and teammates will be coming and they're just going to be doing the exact same thing. So I don't know if it's smart.

[00:02:49] But I honestly didn't know when I was booking the wedding when what the dates were for world championships. I mean, we just we just found that out. And I'm just grateful that it wasn't during world championships because I probably would have had to postpone the wedding. Yeah. Now, how did you meet? How did you meet your fiance? I met my fiance back in it was like the beginning of covid. I went and I spoke at my old high school and his two younger siblings were actually in the audience. And his younger brother kind of set us up.

[00:03:17] He went home and he was like, hey, listen, there's this girl that just spoke at my school. She has one leg. She's really hot. Maybe you guys should connect. And it was honestly it was love at first sight. No, but I mean, we had so many mutual interests. He played lacrosse in college. I played lacrosse in college. We grew up from the next town over. So, yeah, it's been it's been amazing ever since then. And I'm one of the luckiest girls in the world to have met him.

[00:03:44] Yeah. Now, I know that Ryan from your season also just started competing in the as a Paralympian. Is that correct? Yes. Yes. It's crazy because when I was out there on the island, obviously, I wasn't telling everybody my occupation. I wasn't telling anybody I'm a Paralympian, even though I probably should have because people would have probably believed in me more and the athletic side of things. But Ryan was telling me his story and telling me how he grew up with cerebral palsy.

[00:04:13] And in the back of my head, I'm thinking, oh, my God, this guy is an insane athlete. And there are classification groups in the Paralympics for people with cerebral palsy. I mean, you the different classification groups, you can be severely affected or you can see somebody like Ryan who you can't see that he has cerebral palsy, but it's it's in his body. So I knew Ryan's future before he even got voted off that game. And I remember when I when I got voted off, I went to Ponderosa. Ryan just got voted off right before me.

[00:04:43] And I told everybody that I was a Paralympian. Then I looked at Ryan and I'm like, Ryan, do you have any interest in competing in the Paralympic Games? He's like, what do you mean? I was like, you having cerebral palsy, there are athletes just like you with the same disability and you'll be able to compete if you want to. And his face lit up. And the next day he was out there at Ponderosa training with me. And I remember telling Jeff, I want to I think it was final tribal council when we were sitting on the jury before everyone was walking in.

[00:05:11] I'm like, Jeff, you're going to see this man in Paris and he's going to bring home that medal. And I mean, this guy goes to Paris, makes the Paris Paralympic team and he comes home with two silver medals. And I'm looking at Ryan and I'm like, OK, you owe me one of those medals because I'm not. I'm just I'm I'm so grateful to have met him. I mean, so playing the game of Survivor is honestly a life dream for so many people.

[00:05:37] But then to be able to meet him and to kind of have this experience in this journey with him. I mean, it's so special because now I get to see him at every single major competition. We get to train together. I introduce him to our coach. So I'm always seeing Ryan and it's just that connection that makes it so amazing. No, what events does Ryan compete in? Ryan competes in the 100 meter, the long jump and the 400 meter. So he does four. He does three events, three events. Yeah. OK, this is a lot of overlap.

[00:06:05] Yeah, it's it's it's crazy. I mean, and getting to watch him, I mean, I was sitting in the in the stands when he won that first medal and just the excitement on on his face. I mean, when people go back and they watch season 43 and they and they watch someone like Ryan and he just looks like he's such a joy to be around. That's honestly who he is. And he I mean, he didn't care about like all the blind sides and the blind sides and the backstabbing. He was just out there to have fun. And fish and fish.

[00:06:34] Honestly, I was very mad when he got voted off because he was the one feeding us. And I was just like, why would we vote him off? He's not even talking strategy. He doesn't care about the game. He just wants to go out and have an experience. Yeah. But yeah, that's just the same Ryan that you get in the Paralympic Games. I mean, he is always showing up with a smile, having fun and just wanting to get better every single day. And it's honestly just such a motivation to have him around because sometimes everyone has bad days of practice. Then you look over at Ryan and he's dancing, he's smiling. And then you're like, all right, I have to have a good time, too, obviously.

[00:07:02] Well, Noelle, I'd love to get your take on where we're at here in Survivor 48. Have you been enjoying this season? I have been enjoying this season very much. I think this is one of the best seasons in the new era so far. I mean, it's crazy because you think, you know, this season can't top last season. And every season they're just continuing to do it. But I am enjoying all the people out there. I mean, I think Cassie did an incredible job. And I think it's amazing.

[00:07:32] You know, obviously people like Eva. I mean, I can connect with Eva on a level of being so vulnerable, but also somebody like Mitch. And it's crazy because last episode I was thinking, you know, they're coming together with this, you know, this big physical alliance. Why isn't Mitch in that alliance? You watch every challenge Mitch is in and he dominates every single one of them. And I'm just like, we haven't seen this since Jonathan.

[00:07:58] I swear to God, he is one of the best challenge beasts that I have seen in a very long time on Survivor. And so I'm just I'm enjoying it so much. I mean, everybody's great. The gameplay is awesome. And I think character developments have been have been amazing. Yeah, it's definitely a fun group. And we're headed this week into the situation where it's the split tribal council.

[00:08:21] And Noel, when I think back to your game on Survivor, is it fair to say that the high point in your game comes when we split up into two groups like we're going to do this week? Yeah, I think so. I think, I mean, when I was in that situation, obviously, I had that steal a vote advantage that everybody knew about. And I was like, I need to do this in some sort of way. I need to get rid of it.

[00:08:46] And that was the start of my downfall because it's crazy in the game of Survivor now. You can't be making these big moves so early on in this type of game of Survivor. I mean, back in the day, you could make all the big moves you want and nobody was going to vote somebody off who was a strategic player. And now people care more about that than they do with the physical challenges. So I think this is going to be a very crucial episode.

[00:09:12] And I'm very excited to see kind of a dynamic because obviously you have, you know, the physical alliance. And then you have Mitch kind of on the bottom. You have Say kind of on the bottom. You know, you don't really know where Cedric lies at this point. But I think it's— Never. No, never. I mean, but yeah, that was the start of my downfall. So that's why it's so scary because you have to be so careful when you start making these game moves.

[00:09:38] And I think, obviously, I'm going to give a shout out to Jesse for my season. That's why he was so great at the game because he was making all these calculated moves, but not in a way that people that he was playing with at the time knew. I didn't know the type of game Jesse was playing until I was voted off. And I'm thinking back, oh my God, this guy has had a hand in every single move. So watching season 48, it's—I'm thinking, you know, who's going to be making these big moves?

[00:10:08] Because, I mean, I don't think there is one person right now that has made so many different moves. I mean, I think everybody is playing a pretty decent game so far. But I'm very excited. You know what I really want to see more of? I really want to see more of the Kyle and Camilla alliance and to see what they've done. Because that's a very underrated alliance right now. And that's honestly one of my favorite duos in the show so far.

[00:10:33] Because the things that they were able to pull off without anybody realizing that they're a duo is pretty crazy. So, Noel, as the players approach this split tribal council, and I really feel like that when we go back to that, I really feel like that— And look, I love James Jones. But what you all did that day, like I feel like should be celebrated a little bit more because there was so much going on where—let me see if I can remember how it all went. So that James and Owen weren't on the same page. So there was some friction.

[00:11:02] And then you had the steal a vote, but James had knowledge is power, right? And then you didn't want James to use the knowledge is power. And you told James like, hey, I'm going to steal Owen's vote. And then because I'm going to steal Owen's vote, don't use knowledge is power. And then did you steal James' vote?

[00:11:28] Or you stole Owen's vote and then you used it to vote for James? Yes. It was—I mean, I had a very good relationship with Owen right off the bat. But obviously in that moment, you're very scared to put your trust in somebody else's game because I'm stealing Owen's vote and he can't vote. But the game plan going into it was, okay, the only people that we are going to tell is for me and Owen's side. And it wasn't just me. Like, Owen kind of had the same idea.

[00:11:57] We kind of went up to each other when we were talking strategy. And he was like, well, maybe we can do—and we said it at the same time. And I was like, all right, perfect. Now that you're on board, let's bring Sammy in. So I'm telling Sammy this and I'm looking at Sammy and I'm saying, listen, do not tell Carla any of this. Because if Carla gets wind of this, she tells James, James uses his knowledge is power, and then he tries to use my steal a vote. So that's when I'm giving my steal a vote to Owen.

[00:12:26] And I guess five minutes before Tribal Council, Sammy goes up to Carla and tells her everything. Yeah, I forgot about that. Yeah. And then Sammy comes to me and she's like, all right, don't be mad at me. But I told Carla everything. And I'm like— Yeah. But I understand. I mean, it's his game. I mean, he wanted to feel secure in an alliance with Carla. He didn't want to backstab her. And then during Tribal Council, when Owen and James were going at it, I just was looking at Carla.

[00:12:53] And Carla looked at me and she was like, all right, let's do James. And I wasn't even going to use it. I was going to save it because I knew that we had the numbers. But then James is looking at me. And this is what didn't make the cut and it didn't make the screen time. And was James comes up to me and he stands right next to me. And he's like, so we're going to do this, right? We're going to do this. I'm like, you know what? Fine. I'm going to get rid of this. I'm like, all right, yeah, I'm taking Owen. And then it happened.

[00:13:20] I mean, oh, and then James, of course, had one of the all-time reactions of just being so pissed off. And I mean, it makes it a good blindside. But I mean, hey, I was gone in the next episode. And the crazy thing about me and James is we butted heads so much out there. But then once I was, you know, away from the island and I actually got to know him, I'm like, oh, my God, this guy was actually serious about everything he ever told me. He was never lying. And I should have just believed him. But yeah, crazy moment. And I think that we're going to get one of those big moments this week.

[00:13:50] I mean, because who has an advantage right now? I know Ava has an idol. Yes. And Mitch has, I believe, block a vote. OK, so that could be interesting in a six and six. And because they're going to do the split. And I saw that they're going to do the crank challenge, the one that Gabler won. Oh, yeah. And RCC was like, this next minute's for Idaho or this next minute's for Noel.

[00:14:17] So, yeah, I mean, obviously, you're going to see probably somebody who's very strong win that challenge. But, yeah, I'm excited. And it's just going to bring and it's going to expose alliances, I think. I think that's the really fun thing about splitting it and doing six and six because you're really going to see who wants to work with who in that moment.

[00:14:38] I say in these situations where you end up in these split groups or even in the small tribes, like if you have the advantage here, I think you have to play it. And you said you were thinking about not playing your advantage, but you did. Do you agree with that? You have to play your advantage if you have one. Absolutely. I mean, I forget what season was it where everyone went home with an advantage or an idol. Yeah, 46. But if you feel— 46, 46. Yeah.

[00:15:05] So if you feel in your—in that moment, if you feel like, oh, should I do this? Should I not? Just do it. I mean, honestly, yeah, it sucks if it kind of comes back to bite you and you burn it. But at the end of the day, you don't want to be sitting there either walking out of tribal council because you got voted off or walking out because you lost one of your allies because you decided not to use it. I think in that moment, you always have to play it, especially if you're feeling vulnerable in that moment.

[00:15:33] I think it's crucial to somebody's game. You said that you think that Kyle and Camilla are the pair that you really have an eye on. And a thing that I've been really fascinated by is that do you think that Kyle and Camilla will ever turn on one another? Is there, like, some sort of maybe, like, where, as you saw in your season, maybe one part of the partnership feels like, okay, I can't beat the other person in the end? I don't know.

[00:16:02] I'm not seeing that this season. I'm not seeing people other than, you know, a player like Say who will literally just cut anybody's throat to get to the next tribal. But these duos that we're seeing on season 48, I don't think can be broken up. And I think they're ride or die. I mean, I think this season is all about loyalty up until this point.

[00:16:25] And it's going to—the only thing I can see is if they both play a pretty similar game. But I don't see that happening. I see, you know, potentially Kyle coming out with, you know, more immunity necklaces if they're physical challenges. So he could use that to his benefit. And then Camilla can use—I mean, obviously she's going to dominate on any of the puzzle and strategic challenges. So she could also get a physical challenge.

[00:16:54] But I think they could separate their games, which is—which can be obviously very important in the final tribal council. But I think, like, a duo like Joe and Eva, absolutely not. Those two are not splitting up. I don't think they would ever turn on each other. And, I mean, it just—that just shows something kind of bigger than the game of Survivor. But they've already said it. They've already said that they're never going to turn on each other. So, I mean, I would be shocked to see it. Something that I think is interesting is these duos that we have here.

[00:17:22] And you feel like, okay, that we won't see any of them split up. But so much of the story of the new era has been people that are partners who end up turning on each other. Do you feel like that something has changed in terms of that we've seen so many seasons in the new era that the players are now feeling differently about that? I think something definitely has changed.

[00:17:43] I mean, the biggest thing when you get to the end of Survivor now and you're in the final tribal council is that obviously you have to explain to the jury the type of game you played. And I think a lot of people are thinking that loyalty goes a lot further and kind of gives you a lot more points than cutting somebody right at the ankles. I mean, obviously, Jesse did that to every single person he played with.

[00:18:09] But I think Jesse still would have gotten a unanimous vote at the final tribal council if he was there. Just because people did respect the way that he did play the game. But I think nowadays it's people, I mean, you have to, as the seasons go on for Survivor, you have to, like, the game has to change. And so I think, you know, for the new era, I think in the first early seasons, people were doing anything to get to the end.

[00:18:37] And now it's like, okay, well, if somebody sees somebody doing that, they're a lot more scared to sit next to them at the end or want to bring them further because they're like, well, maybe they'll cut ties with me. So I think the loyalty is coming out more as you see these last past couple seasons solely based on the fact that people needed to figure out how to change their game to make it further in the end.

[00:19:02] I mean, you do have to rely on other people. You can't be a lone soldier playing the game of Survivor. You have to rely on your alliances, but you also have to figure out when the correct time to cut an alliance, especially if you're playing the same game as that other person. And, I mean, it's crazy to say this, but I think for my season, if Jesse didn't cut Cody, I still think, I mean, Cody played one of the best games, of course.

[00:19:31] I mean, I think he was definitely up there with Jesse as one of the best players from our season. But I think Jesse still would have beaten him in the end just because he played a part in every single vote. And so did Cody, but I think strategically it was Jesse driving the votes. And Cody was more the physical player and more of like the guy having a great time and was just playing Survivor just to have a wild experience.

[00:19:58] But I think nowadays it's people are getting smarter. And that's why it's – I would be terrified right now to play the game of Survivor because everybody is so – everyone critiques everything. And that's why I was scared to do it because obviously going out there – I'm a fan of Survivor. I've seen every single season, but I'm not like the diehard fan that knows everything about everything.

[00:20:20] So going out there, that's why I connected with Dwight and that's why I connected with Owen because those were the people that knew so much about the Survivor game and they could help me in my game. When you said that you were afraid to do things because everybody critiques everything, were you concerned with the people out here, the people, whether it's like people who have a podcast or are on social media?

[00:20:47] Were you thinking about like what people would say about certain moves? I mean, I wasn't – I wasn't thinking too much about that. I think what I was thinking when I was out there playing is if somebody was playing too hard in the moment, it's – I wasn't trying to gun them. Honestly, I was just thinking about my game.

[00:21:07] And I honestly played a very loyal game of Survivor and I think that's just – that's why I didn't win because I put my trust into other people and that's why I didn't last further than making it to the final three. And I was just thinking, you know, how is this alliance going to help my game and how am I going to get further?

[00:21:30] And if I'm looking at another alliance, I remember when I made it to the merge and I'm looking at Carla and Cassidy, their strong alliance that they had, I didn't want to work with them. And I didn't even want to pretend to work with them. And honestly, that could have – that was probably part of my downfalls because I should have opened up my game to that. But when I looked at people who were like Owen and Dwight, who were diehard Survivor fans, I didn't view that as a threat.

[00:21:55] I viewed that as, okay, well, that can help benefit my game because they're going to help figure things out or see things that I'm not going to see because they're analyzing every little detail. So that's why I was kind of working with those people as opposed to, okay, well, this person just won three immunity challenges. We need to get them out or something like that. So I was honestly just focused more on how is this alliance going to help further my game? But it's crazy because nowadays that doesn't work.

[00:22:24] You have to be able to analyze and just see the different groups that's forming. And then I think it is a huge threat when somebody knows so much about the game of Survivor now because that's what people care about. People don't care about these physical beasts anymore. And that's why I think you're seeing that on Season 48 because people are sick of people not caring about the physical beasts and they want to bring that back.

[00:22:50] They want to people, you know, I relate so much to Eva because I was that person. I wanted to work with all the men. You know, I grew up with three other brothers and that's how I connected. And so what about Justine? Love Justine. I was heartbroken. Justine was my first alliance out there. Yeah. But that's when she got voted off. I was like, that's it. I'm done. I'm working with women. That's honestly what it was.

[00:23:15] But it was honestly I and I think Eva is getting I mean, she's not getting a ton of crap on the Internet, but a lot of people are saying she only wants to work with the men. And it's even as an athlete, even as an athlete and she's I mean, she's literally a part of a men's hockey team back at home. So obviously it makes sense why she connects a lot better with men than she does with women. It doesn't mean like she hates women and doesn't want to work with them.

[00:23:42] It's because that's how it works for her in her everyday life. So that's how she's trying to propel her game. And so that's why I mean, it's I mean, I love the fans and everything, but you have to stop analyzing and critiquing how people are playing the game because they're honestly playing. I mean, some some people are playing how they live their lives. And it's it's crazy.

[00:24:05] That's that's why I relate to Eva so much is because I was the same person out there just wanting to play with the physical guys. And I remember Ryan coming up to me being like, we have to stick together. I'm like, honestly, yeah, I'm down because I knew Ryan wasn't the strategic guy, like figuring every single move out. And he was he was feeding me every night. So I loved it. This week, Charity ended up going home. Did you feel like you had a good read on Charity?

[00:24:36] No, I I did not feel like I, you know. I think her edit, it was, you know, I you on on one hand, you have Ava saying she's fake. She's this. But then on another hand, you have her being genuine in her confessionals. And so I just I didn't get a read on her in her gameplay. But I think she was genuine. I don't think she was being fake in any in any way. But I honest, I honestly don't think that we got enough in her edit to see the type of game she was playing.

[00:25:05] I knew that she had a great alliance with Mitch. And I knew from the that was from the beginning, because I remember them sitting on the beach and her saying, like, absolutely, I want to work with Mitch. I want to I want to I want to get to the end with Mitch. And so, of course, I'm going to respect that. But I don't think I got a great read on her in her gameplay. I mean, what do you what do you think? I think that she was with the wrong tribe. I think that maybe if she started on one of the other groups, she would have had a better chance to find her people.

[00:25:33] And I think that she just was like going uphill basically the whole game, because she basically she says to Camilla at one point, like, hey, do you think that Kyle got an advantage? And then basically she's like persona non grata after that. And I wonder if she was just like with a different starting tribe, maybe might have gone differently. Yeah, I mean, I was very shocked at how they put those tribes to begin with. I mean, the purple tribe were just filled with a bunch of challenge beasts.

[00:26:03] And then, I mean, the or yeah, the orange tribe. I mean, I feel like Charity could have been switched to the purple tribe and maybe star or Eva or Eva may be switching those two. And maybe she could have had a better path and could have figured out her footing in the game. But yeah, I mean, I remember for my season, Ellie didn't get the didn't get the best edit and like you couldn't read her very well.

[00:26:32] And I remember when our season was airing and I was shocked because that was not the impression that I got when I was playing with with Ellie. I thought she was the most genuine person. So nice, so charismatic. And and then they just honestly made her look like she was a villain. And I mean, I mean, that's the beauty of editing. I mean, they they have all this footage and they can make you one way or another.

[00:26:58] But I think, yeah, I mean, I really do wish I could have seen a little bit more gameplay and kind of how she was thinking of how she was going to get to the end. But it's crazy. I mean, they don't have they don't have two hour slots. Yeah. Well, look, they have 30 minutes more than they had when you all played. But I'm so glad you brought up Ellie. And I would love to just hear a little bit more about this was just the merge episode. And that was when she went out on your season.

[00:27:26] And yeah, she was my winner pick in Survivor 43. I wish we would see more of her on social media. And she was such a big personality. Can you just were you at the merge feast when Gabler told everybody about that? She went through his bag. I was at the merge feast for that. What was that like? Honestly, I was protecting anybody from Vessi.

[00:27:54] That was my that was my sole goal going into your starting tribe. Yes, that was my starting tribe. And that was, you know, I think the only person that was vulnerable that night that wasn't safe was Cody. And then so I'm thinking anybody but Cody. And then when Gabler brought that up. I mean, it's Survivor. I mean, you can't expect anything less when you're playing it. And I think it's crazy now how people get so butthurt.

[00:28:24] That's not really a great term that people just really analyze the fact that you're searching their bag. Like you're playing the game of Survivor. You knew this was going to be cutthroat. And you shouldn't get. I mean, I don't think. I mean, this time this season. And who was it? I think Kyle's bag got searched. But he didn't care. He didn't care. It was Shaheen went through Kyle's bag in front of Camilla. Yeah. I mean, and I mean, Kyle took it like a champ. Listen, if that was me and someone searched my bag, I'd be like, what the hell? But then afterwards, I'd be like, all right, I understand it.

[00:28:54] They were trying to vote me off. But when Gabler was throwing Ellie's name out there, I'm thinking to myself, you know, obviously, I just don't want anybody but Cody. And it was at that moment, it was just I didn't want to ruffle any feathers. And I didn't want to come in and say, well, we can't vote Ellie off. We need to do this. So I was sitting back. I mean, I was just trying to make the actual merge.

[00:29:20] I mean, I know I had the merge buff and everything, but we we as a cat or we as a tribe or a cast, we knew that the next person, even though they had a merge buff, there was a good chance that they were not making the jury. So in that moment, I'm just like, just make the jury. Just make the jury. Don't don't be coming in here with any big personalities. And I remember I didn't even vote for Ellie. I voted for Cassidy. And the only reason why I was voting for Cassidy is because Cody knew that his name was kind of getting thrown around.

[00:29:50] Crazy. And I was like, well, do you want me to throw a vote on Cassidy so you don't have to burn your idol? And if somebody if one person voted for you, that means it's tied. He was like, yeah, do it. I'm like, all right, I don't care. And so I knew it was Ellie going home. And yeah, it's I haven't talked to Ellie in a little bit, but I mean, she's doing amazing. I mean, she she just had a beautiful baby. Oh, she got married. Yeah, she got married after after our season.

[00:30:18] And Ellie is the type of person that if she made it far in the game, she would have been a hell of a player. I mean, she was I mean, from what I heard from Janine, because her and Janine were so close. And I think another reason why I was scared to defend anyone was because when I had that very short alliance with Justine in the beginning of the game, we were pegged as the two girls like, OK, we need to split them up.

[00:30:45] And that's one thing I told myself going out there is don't get into bed with somebody and be right and look like they're ride or die, because that'll put a target on your back. So when I made it to the merge, I saw I saw two pairs and they were two girls. I saw Ellie and Janine. I saw Cassidy and Carla. And I was like, nope, I'm staying away from it. Obviously, like I'm I I love Janine. And I was like, I want to work with Janine, of course.

[00:31:08] And then the next or next two episodes, Janine was going home and I actually had to vote Janine out because the tribal council before that it was when Dwight went home and I voted for James. So I knew that I needed to gain James's trust because I thought at that point he was playing a part and kind of running things. I was obviously I mean, he was up there in the group.

[00:31:30] So I was telling myself, OK, well, I needed I need to allow James to realize that I want to work with him and that I messed up. So I was going up to him and be like next tribal council. You tell me a name. I promise you I will vote that name. And that was to gain the trust with James so that the next tribal council, when we split into into six, that I could I think it was five that I could vote James out because he wouldn't see it coming. He thought that he had me in his back pocket.

[00:31:58] But yeah, you mentioned that at that merge vote or the mergatory vote that you just wanted to make it to the merge. You just wanted to make it to the jury. And this was something that, you know, Stephen and I had been talking about how, you know, these last couple of votes have been just like a little not that exciting when we get to this point in the game. And we were speculating about how much of it is that people just OK, whatever, whatever the first name is, let's just go with it.

[00:32:26] And we just want to get to the merge buff. Do you think that that's an issue? Absolutely. I think it's one of the main issues is because, I mean, when I first found out and got the call that I was going on Survivor, my mom looks at me and she said, don't get voted off first and just make the jury. That's all I care about. Like, that's all we care about. Just make the jury and we'll be good. And so that's what goes through a lot of people's minds is because they want to play this game, but they want to make the jury so that they can have.

[00:32:54] I it's it's crazy because I like there are some players out there that feel as though if they don't make the jury, they don't play a part in the season because they don't pick the winner. And I never believe that I when I got home from Survivor and we were talking to the pre-merge people and I'm talking to Dwight, Justine, Nneka. And I'm I'm telling them how everything was going and then I'm asking their opinion on it.

[00:33:22] And I'm saying, you know, how like how do you feel about this? And because they play a part in it just as much as we do, even if they don't get a vote. And I think nowadays people are terrified because they want to make the jury. They want to have that say in the game.

[00:33:36] And it's tough because this point, like in the middle of the season, these these few episodes, they're not the most exciting thing because people aren't going to fall on the sword and try to throw a name out there, make a huge gameplay because they're probably going to get voted off next because they've painted a huge target on their back that they're a huge game player and they want to dictate the vote. So I think it's you know, I think it's terrible for the game itself and for people watching.

[00:34:05] But listen, people have to think and try to put themselves in the player's shoes and be like, you just want to make it to the next vote. You just want to keep making it so you can get that merge buff so you can sit on that jury so that you can your face can be shown in every episode. I mean, of course. I mean, I don't even think my mom wanted me to win the game because she wanted me to look and be on the jury with makeup on and be like, oh, she's not that dirty in real life. Well, the jury, I don't know what they could do about, but should they just give everybody a buff at the merge?

[00:34:34] Do you think that people might make more bold moves at this vote? Yeah. Yes. I mean, why? What's the problem with it? What's the problem with 11 versus 13? Yeah. No, I know. I'm saying, but like, what's the problem? You can still earn it. Do the art like everybody earns it. But it's just it's what's the problem. It's like at this point they need to do a season where the first boot first member of the jury so they can. Oh, like the edge of extinction. Yeah. Yes.

[00:35:03] I mean, I want to see that again because that was awesome because everybody played out how to how to say and who they voted for. And the people watching the jury, I mean, I would trust somebody in their opinion who was first boot because they're seeing everything in tribal. Obviously, like they're not seeing the behind the scenes. They're not seeing confessionals. They're not seeing alliances talking.

[00:35:26] But what they're seeing is how the dynamic at tribal council and they're kind of forming an opinion of their own. And obviously, when I'm getting voted off or if I'm losing a fire making and I'm going out, the first person I'm talking to is the first boot because they've been sitting through it. And they've been kind of thinking in their brain, OK, well, this person from this episode or from this moment has been doing this, has been driving tribal council.

[00:35:53] Because tribal council is not what it was like back in the day. Every I mean, there are a few tribal councils where people will say what they mean. That's why our season wasn't exciting during tribal council. And that's why Jeff hated our tribal council, because nobody would say anything. I wasn't saying anything. I wasn't putting my neck out there and being like, well, I'm voting this person because because that I mean, we're going to get voted off and we're going to paint a target on our back. So it's like we we have to figure out a way to make tribal count. I mean, listen, don't don't get me wrong.

[00:36:22] There has been so many exciting tribal councils in the last few seasons. I'm not I'm not saying there hasn't been. But to get fireworks at every single one, we need to get rid of either. I mean, the shot in the dark sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. I've never been a fan of the shot in the dark. I've never been a fan of it. What don't you like about it? Because I don't like the fact because you you can't tell somebody that they're being voted off or you have to it has to be so sneaky.

[00:36:49] You can't you have to you have to go up and you have to be like, yeah, well, you have to make them feel comfortable so they don't feel scared and they don't play their shot in the dark. So that's why I don't like it personally. But listen, I'm so happy that it works for you. So you feel like, Noel, that you think that the shot in the dark, everything has to be a blind side. And, yeah, you get the blind side moment. But a lot of these tribal councils end up everybody has to be coy and talk around it.

[00:37:13] And nobody can actually say what they really think at tribal council because you always got to be trying to stop somebody from doing the shot in the dark. Yes. I mean, that was a huge reason why season 43 tribal councils never were fireworks is because nobody wanted to say anything. Because if you said something, someone's going to go play their shot in the dark. I mean, I miss the seasons where somebody would go up to somebody and be like, yeah, I'm voting you out. Because then you would see that person fighting for their life and going up to every single person trying to find a crack in the alliance.

[00:37:42] And I mean, obviously, you still get that now. But it's to an extent. You're not getting somebody absolutely fighting for their lives because you don't actually 100% see it and you don't 100% believe it. You're like, well, at least I'll have my fallback and I'll be able to do the shot in the dark. I hated it. I hated it. And I just I just for one season, maybe for 50. Let's see for 50. Let's get rid of it. Let the fans vote. Did the fans vote for that? I don't think it's been up yet.

[00:38:11] They haven't put that one up for a vote. Yeah. Just get rid of it. I mean, that's when you see the cutthroat. That's when you see people just not giving a crap. I'm loving this, that you're coming in with a lot of different takes. Some of them are spicy. Get rid of the shot in the dark. Every player should be on the jury. Do you think in the final tribal council in your season, if every player was on the final tribal council,

[00:38:36] do you think that it would have gotten spicy with Ellie at the final tribal council asking a question for Gabler? It would have been. It definitely would have been. I am very curious. It's crazy because you don't know what, because obviously he's the reason why she went home. So that's always in the back of your head when you're voting for someone. I mean, listen, Jesse voted. Jesse was the reason I got voted off. He drove the vote.

[00:39:03] I would have, I would have given him in the million dollars because I felt like he was playing the best game. But I think it would have played a part. It would have given Cassidy a little bit more if you had somebody directly firing shots at Gabler because Ellie had that type of personality. Ellie, Ellie would have, would have, you know, given him something for him to take. And, you know, our season was just so, it was so tough because, of course, we don't get the hour and a half episodes.

[00:39:31] So, like, everyone's not seeing every little thing. But it was, it was tough in the end because it really came down to the best social game. That's really, as a jury, that's what we thought of. And we thought, okay, who had the best social game? Who was a part of most of the votes? And, I mean, listen, I went in, I went into my final tribal council thinking that I was voting for Owen because I had that alliance with Owen. And I was thinking, you know what? Like, he played a great game in my eyes.

[00:39:59] But I said this in, in one of the interviews. I said, listen, I want the person sitting on the final jury to fight for their life. Like, I want everything. I want to hear it. But, and I forget what Owen said, but he kind of downplayed his game a little bit. And I was thinking to myself, that's not true. Like, and that's when you see me, like, I think it showed, like, me cutting off James. And, like, I was trying to give Owen.

[00:40:25] I'm like, listen, you had the social game where you were trusting me with not having a vote. You told me to take your vote so that we can get somebody off. Or you use the physical beast. Like, if you didn't win, I forget what episode it was. But if Owen didn't win immunity, he was going home. So I was thinking, you know, at the end of the day, I do wish I threw a vote on Owen, of course. Because I believe that he played an incredible game.

[00:40:52] I think he was one of, you know, the most entertaining people to watch from our seasons. I mean, all of his, all of his confessions were incredible. But, yeah, I think it's, it's, it's tough watching. And I think Ellie would have definitely played a part. And I think she, she deserved a shot at sitting on our jury. I don't care what anybody says. But I think if you make it to that point, if you make it to the drop your buffs, give everybody, you don't even have to give everybody a buff. I don't even, I don't know. I don't know what you got to do. But just, just try it for one season. They used to have 13 people.

[00:41:21] All right, no. What was it? They've had 13. Yeah. Nine people? They've had 13. I think they've had 11. I think that, I want to say, was it, was the Edge of Extinction 13 person jury? Yeah, I mean, it kind of makes sense because they don't want, they don't want to do, what is it, five and five if there's 10 jury members? I don't think they care. That's what happened in Ghost Island. And it was a tie and they loved it. Oh, okay. Then why, why is it a thing? I get it. It's like they, they want to make it harder.

[00:41:51] They want, they need a reason. They need to find a way to make the 26 days as hard as possible because it's going from 39 to 26. So I get it. They're trying everything. I shouldn't be questioning anything. I'm just, you know, I'm a fan at this point. You can question it. I played it once. I mean, I thought that I could come in with an opinion and be, I mean, it was crazy though because Dwight was, Dwight was so worried about that. Dwight was worried. He was like, I'm scared that I'm going to get a merge buff and then I'm going to be gone. And I'm sitting there. I'm like, you're fine. What do you mean? And then literally that's what happened.

[00:42:21] And I was thinking, that's insane. That's insane. Yeah. Well, you said that it was very important for your mom to watch you get on the jury and wear makeup. That is survivor an important thing in your family? Oh, my mom is the biggest diehard survivor fan there is. Never miss a season. Never miss an episode.

[00:42:44] It was crazy because she would tell me, oh my God, we need to find a way to get you on the show before I even lost my leg. And I would be like, I'm not applying to this show. I lied on the first episode of Survivor. It's like, yeah, Jeff, I applied when I had two legs and then I applied with one leg. I never applied to Survivor. I was recruited. They actually reached out to a couple of us Paralympians when I was in Tokyo for the Tokyo Paralympic Games.

[00:43:10] And the only thing I could think of is, oh my God, my mother is literally going to die. Because my mom is the type of person that could never play the game of Survivor. She loves it. She has a very strong opinion. But she needs her bed. She needs her makeup. She needs her food. So, obviously, going through the casting process and everything, she was so excited. But it is a very big thing with me and my mom. My brothers, I have three other brothers, they had never watched a season until I was on it. My dad was the same way.

[00:43:38] But it's crazy because, I mean, my fiance, he was never a big Survivor fan. And now he watches every single season and he has this opinion. But, yeah, my mom was honestly the person helping me kind of figure out how I was going to portray myself on the season, what I was going to do, what I wasn't going to do. But, yeah, that was the—she literally told me, if you get voted off first, don't come home. And I'm like, well, there's a big possibility because everyone's going to look at me. That's a lot of pressure, Mom. Yeah, I'm watching season—

[00:44:07] I'm watching season 21. I'm blanking on her name right now. Oh, my God. Kelly Bruno? Yes. Okay. Kelly, I remember watching that season before I went out and I was terrified. Obviously, it was a different time. But I was like, oh, my God, am I going to get a Nayanka? Like, just not giving a crap that I have one leg. And, like, I didn't want the sympathy from anybody. But I didn't want people to look at me and be like, we need to get her out from day one.

[00:44:37] And you know what's crazy is James was, like, the realest person out there with me because he literally said, listen, nobody's going to want to bring you to the end. I'll bring you to the end. And that never made the edit. But, like, I remember when he said that and I'm like—at first, I was livid. I was pissed. I was going out to everyone. I'm like, get James out. I'm like this. But I'm like, you know what? Like, he was real with me. And it was true. I mean, I wouldn't want to sit next to—I mean, nowadays, it's like I'm not going to get handed the million dollars just because I have a prosthetic leg.

[00:45:05] But you have to, like—I mean, it plays a part. Like, nobody kind of wants to sit that next to somebody with an incredible story overcoming this entire season. And you still voted James out even though he said he would go to the end with you. Yeah, well, it was getting to that point. I mean, him and Owen just kept bickering back and forth. And I was over it. And at that point, I think the only person that I would have tried to vote off in that small group, in the group of five, it would have been Carla.

[00:45:34] But she had the immunity necklace because I wasn't voting off Owen. And I had very good conversations with Sammy. So it was kind of like—and the funniest thing was I remember when I went on—what was it? When I went on my adventure or—what are those called? The journey. The journeys. I can't think right now. When you go on the journeys, it was very funny because I went on a journey with James and Owen. Yeah.

[00:46:00] And so in that episode, it came down to us three kind of going at it. But, yeah, it was just—listen, I regret kind of voting James off because he was being real with me. And he was telling me, listen, I'll—we call them the godfather out there. Godfather James. Yeah, he'd be like, listen, like, I'll get you to the final eight in a while. Like, I'll get—and I'm like, okay, cool, final eight. What's that going to get me? Like, I want to get to the final three.

[00:46:25] Like, and—but no, I mean, I did end up apologizing to him saying I apologize because I thought everything you were saying was just you were blowing smoke up my butt. And you were actually being very real with me, so I appreciated that. So, Noelle, they recruited you. Was it right before your season or was it earlier in the process? So I received a DM on Instagram from Jesse Tannenbaum, and it was in August. It was late August, maybe early September of 2021.

[00:46:55] Okay. And so, I mean—but listen, when I reached back out to him, he's like, listen, just because I'm reaching out to you doesn't automatically mean you're on the show. You have to go through the casting process. Hey, that doesn't mean anything if they contact you. It really doesn't. I mean, I think they were just trying to find some inspirational people. And I remember going up to one of—because I went to his Instagram, and I was looking at the people he was following. And it was a couple of my teammates. And I remember going up to one of my teammates. Her name's Brittany Mason. I'm like, did you get a DM from, like, this person?

[00:47:24] And she was like, yeah, I'm not doing that. Why would I want to go on Survivor? She was like, I would not last a second out there. And I'm like, oh, I want to do it. I've watched every single season. And I think that was the year that they had taken a break because of COVID. And I was just like, oh, my God. So when I was watching season 41, I was going through the casting process. And that's when I'm thinking, oh, my God, am I actually going to have to do this? And in the back of my head, I honestly didn't think that I was going to make the cut.

[00:47:52] I was thinking, you know, they're probably going to let me go last minute because I didn't even know what I needed with my prosthetics and stuff because I told them. I'm like, I know you guys have had two below-the-knee amputees on before me. But me being an above-the-knee amputee, I am completely different. It's a whole different ballgame. For me to be able to do this show, I need two different prosthetic legs. I need to have my running blade. And I need to be able to have a walking prosthetic. And, I mean, production was amazing.

[00:48:21] They were saying, whatever you need, we'll figure it out. I believe they consulted with a prosthetic person, a prosthetist. So that was crazy because, I mean, it didn't make me feel safe. But in the back of my head, I'm thinking, how am I going to do this? Because, you know, prosthetic legs don't mesh well with salt, water, and sand. They actually tell you to stay away from it. And so I remember when I told—I didn't even tell my prosthetic guy that I was going through the casting process. I didn't want to jinx it.

[00:48:49] But so when I got the call that I was going to be on season 43, I called him back up. And I was like, hey, have you ever heard of the show Survivor? He was like, no, what's that? I'm like, great. We're off to a wonderful start. Well, basically, it's the show that you go out and you starve to death on an island. And you have to survive, but also do all these physically grueling challenges with receiving zero food. Yeah. So I'm going to need to do that and figure out a way. Because it's crazy. When I lose weight, that means my leg loses weight.

[00:49:17] So I was thinking, you know, how am I going to keep my prosthetic legs suctioned onto my body while I'm continuing to play the game? And he was incredible. We were figuring all these different ways to make it work. And, I mean, we did make it. I'm kind of glad that I got voted off when I did because it was getting very tough for me to keep my leg on. I mean, I could keep it on in the morning. But then once—I mean, it's very hot out there. Once I started sweating, it was done. I was, like, holding my leg on.

[00:49:44] But, no, I was just—I was grateful for the opportunity. And I was grateful that they—that, you know, the casting team believed in me when I didn't believe in myself at first. Because I never would have applied to Survivor. Because I had never seen somebody like me play the game before. And I think that's why it's so amazing that you're seeing more and more people being casted with these physical disabilities or people going through, you know, struggling moments in their lives. Because a lot of people relate to that.

[00:50:14] And then they get to—they get to see it happening. And then they think, okay, well, if this person can do this, then why can't I? I'm going to apply. So I think it's—it was—it was the best moment of my life. Honestly, Survivor was so incredible. And just getting to play it, I'm just—I'm so grateful. Because, I mean, it—it did—like, it's not like it opened up any, like, any new doors for me. But I got to meet all these incredible people that I never would have met in my entire life. And I loved everybody I played with.

[00:50:43] I told myself going out there, if I get voted off, don't be bitter. Just because, you know, receiving an opportunity like this is once in a lifetime. And I was just grateful for the opportunity. But I also told myself, you can't get mad at people for lying and backstabbing you when you're doing the same exact thing. Of course, if I made it to the final three, I probably—it would have been a tougher pill to swallow. But, yeah. Yeah. I know you said that you would have never applied had it not been for them reaching out to you.

[00:51:12] But when you were going through the process, at any point, did you have doubts or second thoughts about, like, should I even be doing this? Oh, absolutely. Every single time I had an interview. And every single night, I was thinking, do I actually even want to play the game of Survivor? Like, obviously, in the back of my head, I'm like, such a cool experience. Yes, I want to do it. But then I'm putting myself and I'm exposing myself to this entirely new experience.

[00:51:39] And, you know, me as a person, I am the type of person to rely on my loved ones, my team back at home. I am that type of person that will admit that I would not be where I am today without all the people that have taken the time to help me get to where I am. And going out and playing Survivor, I knew that I was going to be by myself. You are completely cut off from the outside world. I can't just call my fiancé or my mom and be like, listen, I'm having a tough day. Can you help me out with this? I was solely going to be by myself.

[00:52:07] And that terrified me because that had never happened up until that point in my life. I was always, I'm the type of person that needs, I just need an outlet. I need somebody to vent to or something like that. And it's crazy because when I went out there, I found that in my tribe mates. And they welcomed me with open arms. And I'm thinking to myself, how lucky am I to have to be playing with a group like this that isn't just seeing me as somebody with a disability.

[00:52:35] They're seeing me as somebody who's a human being. And that's why I value my relationship with Nneka so much. I mean, on the show, if you watch my season back, it kind of looks like they're kind of pitting us against each other. But she was one of my favorite people out there because everything that she said, she was glowing. And everything she said was with wisdom.

[00:53:03] She just, she was like the motherly figure to me. I mean, that's what my mom told me too when I went out there. She's like, just find a mother. Find a mother and relate. Like, that's why if Lindsay made it to the merge, I probably would have clinged on to Lindsay because Lindsay kind of, Lindsay has blonde hair just like my mom. My mom has blonde hair. But so, yeah, I mean, it was just overall an incredible experience because here I am thinking I can't do this. Why, why am I, why should I be able to do this and not even wanting to get casted?

[00:53:33] But then once I got casted, I was like, this is for a reason. This is something that's bigger than myself. I need to go out there and I need to, I need to not only prove to the world, but prove to myself that I can do something like this. And that's exactly what I got. I bet you must have gotten so many people reaching out to you on your Instagram and people with all sorts of different stories when your season was on. Absolutely.

[00:53:59] I mean, I still get, I mean, I don't get flooded with DMs, but every now and then someone will come up to me in the airport or something and they just say, and the only thing they talk to me about is my comeback challenge. The comeback challenge that I had when I was losing and then I ended up winning. But during the season, every single week I had people in my DMs. I mean, people with disabilities and people who were parents and had kids with disabilities.

[00:54:25] And I remember I got a couple of DMs saying my daughter, who was an amputee, points to the TV every single Wednesday night and says, mom, she looks like me. Maybe I can do this show one day. So that's why the episode with Ava, when that went viral, I mean, it brought me back. It brought me back to my moment. And I'm thinking, oh, my God, all the people that she is going to help right now is astonishing.

[00:54:52] And it's going to be so good for the whole survivor community to see a moment like this. Ava actually reached out to me a couple months, no, right after her cast got released. And she told me her story, how she has autism. And I remember the next time I went to a survivor watch party and there was a gentleman there that had autism. And I told him, I'm like, well, in the upcoming season, you're going to see somebody with autism on. And his face lit up.

[00:55:21] And he was like, that's incredible. That's amazing. And I'm like, that means you should go home and you should submit a video because Ava is paving the way for people like yourself to believe in themselves that they should go on that show. So that's why it's just it really hit home for me watching that moment with her and Joe.

[00:55:40] You know, I wish I had I mean, I didn't have a Joe like a father figure out there, but I had, you know, I remember when I got stuck in the net, everyone was rallying behind me, picking me up, hugging me. It just shows you how incredible the survivor game really is because it's so cutthroat. But it also is everyone realizes that it's bigger than themselves, especially in those moments. Yeah, I think that that's what really speaks to people.

[00:56:04] It's like there's like a humanity in these moments, like the Joe and Eva moment has been something that's really transcended the show. And everybody's been talking about it. And I don't know, there's something about that. The game is so hard and so cutthroat and so competitive, but that whenever there's a moment where and you see it like in these like videos where it's like something happens, like in a little league game where, you know,

[00:56:29] a kid like can't run down the first baseline and they like stop to help them when there's a moment that's like outside of the game where people show humanity in a super competitive environment that it's just so emotional for people.

[00:57:14] It really is. You don't have a prosthetic leg. It's somebody struggling in a moment and never quitting, never giving up. And somebody watching that who's going through a difficult time, of course, they're going to sympathize with that. And they're going to think, OK, well, if this person was able to overcome this, then what's stopping me from believing in myself and never quitting? So I think it's it's moments that are crucial.

[00:57:36] And it's so funny, actually, I was just talking to Jesse a couple of days ago and Jesse was saying, if I was out on that season, season 48, I would have voted off any I would have voted off Joe or or Eva after that episode and split that duo up. Oh, my God, Jesse. Jesse, we thought it was bad when he voted out Cody. Let's try to throw Jesse under the bus. But I thought that was we should edit that out.

[00:58:01] No, not in like a bad way, but it's like, you know, that's why this season is special. You know what I mean? Because if you had gameplay like people that didn't care about any of that, they're going to want to vote them on. For sure. And that's the situation that the other players have to navigate of like, OK, I'm sure that they're on some level. Everybody there is touched by that experience. But then also, like you saw in your season and you experienced that everybody has their own reasons why they want to win and why they want to play hard.

[00:58:30] And so that now how do I how do I navigate that situation of like, well, am I going am I going to potentially now now I can't vote out Joe or Eva and I have to go to the end with them and lose to them? I mean, I wish I was in this season because that was my nail in the coffin when I had my big comeback moment. Everyone was like, get her out, get her out because she's gaining too much momentum. I just had the James vote. And then I had this emotional comeback challenge win and everyone was like, I don't want to sit next to her at the end.

[00:59:00] Like she's she's she's starting to build her resume. So, I mean, but I think it's it's it shows you that Survivor is also, you know, we actually have human beings playing this show. It's not it's it's not people are robots and have no emotions. And I think that's what makes this season so special. And that's what really builds this bond of castaways and these people playing this game together because they're going to be bonded forever.

[00:59:24] They're going to be able to share this moment and be able to look back on it and be like, I was a part of this historic moment in Survivor making Jeff Probst cry. Like, I'm just yeah, but I mean, just it's it's it's very special. So, Noel, as an athlete, how much did going on Survivor? How much were you concerned about it affecting your career in terms of like, I know how hard you train for your athletic competitions.

[00:59:52] I know how much that Survivor can take out of a person where you, I'm sure, have like a diet and exercise regimen and then to go do, you know, 15, 16 days on Survivor. What day did you go out? 18, 19, 19, 19. Yeah.

[01:00:12] And then I'm sure that did a number on so much of your training that how do you how do you do that as somebody who takes their competition so seriously? You know, it was. So when I went on Survivor, it was during an off year. So we didn't have world championships. We didn't have the Paralympic Games. And I was thinking, all right, I have a whole extra year to train for world championships. Like, I'll be fine. I'll be able to get my body back.

[01:00:38] And it's crazy because, like, when I told my coach I was going out there for Survivor, he told me, well, you're still going to nationals. And my nationals, my national championships were two weeks after getting home from Survivor. My prosthetic legs weren't even fitting at that point. And he still made me go and I got my ass kicked. I mean, I couldn't even run down the runway or run down the 100 meter without my leg kind of slipping off. But I didn't realize because obviously, like, I could get my muscle back. I can get in the groove of things, like, in a couple months.

[01:01:07] But mentally, it took a toll. I mean, it was just it was hard to get motivated. And a lot of people do struggle with this when they get back from Survivor because you play this incredible game and you're on such a high. And then after that, you're like, OK, well, what do I am I supposed to go back to my normal life? Like, what am I supposed to do? So me as an athlete, I'll tell you how I was preparing to even go on the show. So I was trying to figure out a way that would work best for me with the eating portion of the game because I knew that I was not going to be eating.

[01:01:37] And me as a person, if I am overeating and my body gets used to it, I knew that I was going to shut down day two. And it would have been it would have been very difficult for me to carry on. I remember reading an article that Malcolm actually wrote. Malcolm Freiburg. Yes. And this is what he said. He said, I mean, however many times, four times he's been on Survivor. Three so far. Three, three. Three.

[01:02:02] And I remember him saying how he trained for it is he would basically starve all day up until two or three or four p.m. And then he would fill his body with crap. He would not have any nutrients. He would go to McDonald's, get like a four piece or a McDouble, and he would eat something small that would hold him over for the rest of the night. And he would train really hard in the morning, and then he would wait, and then he would eat the crap food.

[01:02:29] So your body gets off of craving nutrients, and you can learn how to perform at a physical, at a like high physical level on an empty stomach. So that's the route I chose to go. I did not tell my coach I was doing this. I was practicing and lifting in the morning, and I had no energy. No energy the whole month leading up to it. And when I went out there, it helped. Okay, so it works.

[01:02:56] I honestly swear by it because on day four or five, you saw people depleting a little bit, and that's when you saw people kind of shutting down, and their body is going into shock. It's like, what's happening right now? And so when your body is not craving the nutrients, and then you're feeding yourself something like coconut, or eventually when you get rice, you're like, oh, my God, what is this great food that you're having? So that is honestly what worked for me.

[01:03:24] And I, food wasn't, I mean, yes, I was starving to death every single day. I was dreaming about food, but that wasn't the toughest part out there for me. It wasn't starving to death. Getting home and getting back into training, it was difficult. And I remember it took me a lot longer than a year to kind of get back in the swing of things. In 2023, we had world championships. The year after I played Survivor, I did not make that team because the whole year leading up to it, I was still trying to figure out ways to get motivated.

[01:03:52] And I needed a failure to kind of get myself back on the horse and to kind of light a fire under my butt. But it took a long time. It's not as simple as, okay, I'm going to get home and I'm going to start working out. I'm going to gain my muscle back. I remember working with my strength coach and Team USA's nutritionist saying, okay, well, I'm back. I just did this show. I don't have any muscle left. I don't know, lost about 15 to 20 pounds. Like, what am I doing? And they were helping me, but it was still mentally, that was the hardest part.

[01:04:22] It wasn't even the physical part. It was just mentally like feeling like you have a place in this world still. And that's what a lot of people don't realize. So it sounds like Survivor takes a huge toll on you and creates all sorts of complications in your career. Noelle, could you even consider going back to Survivor? Would that just be totally a non-starter for you at this point in your career? No, I would do it in a heartbeat, of course. Really? If you get the call, yeah, you get the call.

[01:04:52] You got to go. I mean, obviously- But would people try to talk you out of it? Would your coaches say, Noelle, we're not doing this again? Yes. But what I would say is, listen, it's a million dollars on the line. I don't have a million dollars on the line when I run a track meet. And it's the experience of doing it. And I'm that type of person that says yes to everything now. I mean, especially after doing something like Survivor. Because you never know the relationships that you're going to meet, the experiences. And you do only live one life.

[01:05:20] And that's what I've learned after losing my leg. You have to take every single opportunity that is given to you. But yeah, of course I would do it in a heartbeat. Does that mean that I'll actually get a call to do it again? Probably not. I don't know. I got to do a cool game show with Ryan, Raid the Cage. That was pretty cool. Oh, yeah. I do that. So, yeah. Can you explain Raid the Cage so that it's like that you have time and you get to go and like, what, steal stuff? No. So, yeah.

[01:05:50] You're going up against another pair. So, in this instance, we were actually going up against an Amazing Race team. It was Scott and Lori. They're actually on Amazing Race, the season that's going on right now. Okay. And so, one team goes at a time and one partner does trivia. And based on how many correct answers you get, you get a certain amount of time in the cage. So, say if you have 15 seconds in the cage, you run into the cage, you try to grab as many things as possible with not getting the door shut on you. And you can't see the time that you have. So, you have to kind of gauge it.

[01:06:19] So, my partner was Ryan. And thank God I had Ryan because that dude is so physical. He was the runner? I mean, so you have to do both at least once. Okay. There's three rounds. So, there's three rounds and you have to do each one once. But I knew that I was probably going to be doing trivia twice. And then after the three rounds, the team that has the highest value in prizes, they win that round. They beat the other team. And then they go into the final round of like trying to beat the cage and like just playing tag team. Yeah.

[01:06:49] It was very fun. Incredible experience. Did you win money? We won money. I won a honeymoon. I won an outdoor kitchen set for my house. Thanks to Ryan. It's all right. How much money did you guys win? So, I believe we tallied at like $57,000. $57,000? Yeah. We didn't even. So, that was the first three rounds. So, Ryan beat the record and how much money you can generate in one round.

[01:07:16] I think he got $36,000 in one round. It was insane. But then we ended up losing the final round. Like we got stuff. Or we didn't. You have to beat $50,000. And I think we got like $47,000. But I was just happy to go home with something. But yeah. I mean, it was unreal experience. And I know you said your honeymoon was going to start in India. Where did you win the trip to? Tuscany, Italy. Oh. Okay. Yeah. That's on the way home. Yeah. We won two trips.

[01:07:46] It was Tuscany, Italy. And then it was a trip to an all-adults exclusive resort in Key West. Obviously, I gave Ryan kind of first dibs at everything. But I was like, can I have the Italy trip for my honeymoon? And he was great. He was like, absolutely. Whatever you want. But so, when you're getting like the prizes in the cage, a lot of the prizes, you don't get the actual prize. You get the cash value. So, one of the prizes Ryan won or Ryan grabbed. It was the Rolex watch. It was a Rolex watch.

[01:08:16] But luckily, it was the cash. So, we could just split it. And that's kind of how what we were worried about. It was like, how are we going to split all these prizes? Like, what if this person, yeah. But I was very grateful. Noel, he owes you. You saw him as a lump of clay and you said, I'm going to get you two silver medals one day. Yeah. You know what? Yeah. And he did me. I forget how much money you won for a silver medal, but I think it's close to $30,000. So, he did pretty well. Yeah. Wait.

[01:08:44] Will you get money when you get a medal in the Olympics? Yeah. Yeah. So, it's by country. So, for Team USA, I think gold medal is $37,000. Silver is around probably like $28,000 to $30,000. And then bronze is like $15,000 to $17,000, I think. I didn't know any of this. Yeah. And so, that's why I was heartbroken when I was shy. And you still would go back on Survivor and hurt your chances to win all this medal money?

[01:09:12] Well, now I know what to do when I get home if I ever played Survivor again. I know how to kind of get back into the swing of things. But, of course, Survivor comes calling. You have to answer it. No matter what. No matter where you are in your life. I think it's just such a special opportunity to be able to do it. But, but listen, I mean, if there's any other shows out there, please hit me up. I mean, come on. Sure. That's how I pitch myself. I'm like, hey, you've never had an above-knee amputee on the show. Come on. Let me be in front. What about these world championships?

[01:09:41] You get money if you get medals here, too? You do. Yeah. And that one is, I believe, it's top six. It's top six. It's not as much. I think first place is like $7,000 to $8,000. And then it kind of goes down each by like $1,000 or two. But, yeah. Yeah. You get money. I mean, it's not as much as a million dollars or getting first boot on Survivor. But, hey, it's close. Wow. Well, Noelle, do you have a winner pick for this season? You know, I was just thinking about this.

[01:10:11] Or you have to say Eva because she reached out to you. But Mitch also reached out to me as well. Oh, that's true. He said, yeah. Mitch said that he got compared to me when he was doing his pregame interviews a lot. But I don't know. I'm going to say Camilla for a winner pick. That's a good winner pick. That's who I would pick, too. Yeah. I think she's playing a really great game. And kind of she's laying low when she needs to. So I'm rooting for her. But, again, this cast is awesome.

[01:10:41] I was just saying, like, everybody's likable. I mean, Mary is hilarious. I have to point that out. She's very funny. Oh, my God. And her social media is riot. Noelle, could your training improve if you drank a gallon of milk a day? So this is actually really funny. And Jesse called me the other day. He was like, do you drink milk every single day as an athlete? And I'm like, actually, I don't.

[01:11:06] I'm not a huge milk drinker, but my fiancee drinks it every day. And he is, you know, he's pretty built. And he does a lot of distance running. And he lifts a lot. And he swears by it. Swears by it. Whole milk? None of this 2% crap? Whole milk. Whole milk. Gallon of whole milk. Yeah, it has to be the real stuff. Can't be anything. No processed foods, nothing. Wow. Everything has to be very clean. And, yeah, that's another thing with my fiancees.

[01:11:36] No processed anything. We have to go to Whole Foods. We have to get organic. So what about if you were going on Survivor and you were doing the Malcolm diet and you go get four-piece McNugget or... Oh, he was hating me. He wasn't hating me. He was like, just being like, what are you doing? Like, why is... I'm like, this is going to work. I'm like, I promise you. And you know what he would do? He would cook himself a beautiful steak dinner with all the veggies and potatoes. And I'd be sitting there at eight o'clock at night starving.

[01:12:05] I'm like, why are you doing this to me right now? And he was like, just have a bite. I'm like, no. For Survivor, I would do it. Absolutely. Absolutely. Me being an athlete, I mean, I have a pretty... You would do what? You would drink a gallon of milk a day? That and... But I would do the McDonald's diet again. And I... Because listen, it works. It works. Next person, when they get casted on, you're listening and you get casted. Try it. I never heard that before. And I feel like I've, you know, been in this space for a long time. I never heard that one.

[01:12:34] I need it. My mom is the one who found the article that he wrote. But that's what he... That's what he does. I think he's done both. I think he's kind of... Because then you saw someone like Carson who gained a lot of weight before the show so that there's stuff that you can lose. But I knew going out there, if my body got used to overeating, I also have to look good out there, you know? I'm going to be... That's another thing that I cared about. Yeah. But I knew that my body would shut down. So it's honestly, it's dependent on the person.

[01:13:04] I forget who that other guy was. I believe he was on season 39. And I forget what day it was. It was like he was the model type of looking guy. Was his name Will or Cole? Was it Cole? But one of the days, he completely shut down. Oh, no, that was 35. 35. And he completely shut down and he was like throwing up. But he was like a rock climber.

[01:13:27] And he was somebody who was eating like 7,000, 8,000 calories a day normal in the real world. Yeah. So obviously your body's going to go into shock. So he should have done the McDonald's diet. It would have worked for him. I think it must be harder for like, you know, elite athletes who are burning so many calories for as opposed to like mere mortals like myself who might not have the fastest metabolism. I was born to play Survivor. Put me on the island.

[01:13:58] I've got the reserves to go. So I had no problems. No, yeah. My coach was every day. He was he was like, why are you so sluggish? Like, why do you have no energy? And I was I was definitely afraid to tell him what was actually what I was actually doing until afterwards. And he was like, he was like, I'm going to kill you. Why would you do that to yourself? I'm like, it worked for me. I was fine. Like it was I wasn't craving or I wasn't like dying of food because the Vesey tribe wasn't too great in the beginning of the game. So we didn't have Flint.

[01:14:28] We couldn't we couldn't cook things. All we were eating was coconut. We didn't have food on our island. So, yeah. All right. Noelle, how could people keep up with everything you're doing? You could follow me on my social media at Noelle Lambert. You could follow the Paralympics on social media. Listen, if you don't watch the Paralympic Games, you are missing out. I mean, these athletes are so incredible.

[01:14:52] And just getting to watch it, you're every time I'm in awe when I go to an international Paralympic competition and getting to see all these incredible athletes competing, not just at a level for people who are disabled, but they could honestly perform just as well as able body athletes. And it's just so inspiring to watch. So if you want to keep along or keep up with myself and Ryan, you can follow U.S. Paralympic track and field on social media. And yeah, we're going to bring it home for L.A.

[01:15:22] 2028. Ryan are going to come home with those gold medals. Home field advantage. Home field advantage. And we want to see the whole survivor community there. OK. All right. Well, Noelle, this was such a delight to get to talk to you. I'm glad that we got to do it. But I was telling you before, I've heard you on Bryce's podcast and I know you have great takes, some outside the box takes also. Yeah, they're kind of outlandish sometimes. But people like that. We don't want all samey same. Yeah, exactly. Yeah.

[01:15:52] Well, thank you so much. It's an honor to finally come on. Come on, wrap. I'm so heartbroken that I can't make it this Wednesday to your Boston event. But next season, I'm there. I promise. OK. I don't know if we're going to be there in Boston next season. Not in Boston. I'll come to another one. I'll come to another one. All right. All right. Well, that'll be very fun. Looking forward to that. Of course, I'm going to get on the road on Tuesday and I'll be out seeing a bunch of our patrons on Tuesday night. And then the live show on Wednesday.

[01:16:18] A star-studded show on Wednesday night, Noelle. I love that. More Survivor alumni than I know what to do with. Yeah. I love it. I love it. Yeah. And you're coming to Boston, too. So you got all the Boston personalities. We got all the Boston personalities. There's going to be so many people on the stage that it's going to look like Noelle changed the rules to Survivor and this is what the jury looks like. Every single person is there. You're making me jealous. Come on. I'm going to have huge FOMO now. All right. Well, be on the lookout for that. That's going to be on Thursday.

[01:16:48] In the meantime, Wednesday night, Stephen Fishback is going to be doing Survivor Know-It-Alls with Sam Phelan on Wednesday night. So that should be a fun one. And then I'll have exit interviews as well on Thursday. And you'll get to see our live show from Boston. Thank you so much for listening. Looking forward to seeing what you have to say in the comments. Take care of a good one. Bye. Bye.