Rach

Age: 23
From: Glasgow
Occupation: Personal Trainer

What made you want to be a contestant on Survivor?

I had actually never heard of Survivor until the start of this year when I watched the Australian series and immediately knew that this would be something that I would enjoy. My boyfriend and I binge-watched every single series and I fell in love with the show. I love challenges and adrenaline rushes so taking part in Survivor was a perfect match for me.

What qualities did you think you’d bring to the game?

I knew going in that my physical strength would be my strongest attribute. I have a really strong mindset and that is something you need in Survivor. I think people think that it is all about physical strength, but it’s really not. If you don’t have a strong mindset you will struggle, it is one of the most gruelling game shows on earth.

How did you prepare yourself mentally and physically for taking part?

I had just actually come out the back of preparation for a photoshoot, so my body was fatigued from dieting for 15 weeks. I was told that I needed to gain more body fat, so my coach Claire adjusted my plan to help me prepare. I train 5 days a week so I knew I would be physically capable. I wouldn’t say there was much that I did to prepare mentally because you don’t actually know what it’s going to physically be like until you’re there. One thing I did actually practice was throwing and catching. My mum ordered bean bags to my house and I would spend some evenings with my friend Lewis, throwing and catching them.

Did you have a strategy of how you were going to play the game?

The most important thing to me going into the game was to be myself and to know my strategy – you’ll have to tune in to find out more!

How competitive are you?

I am quite competitive. I am competing for the first time in bodybuilding next year which you need a competitive mindset for. I’ve always had quite a competitive side which I’m sure you’ll see on the show!

What kind of challenges were you most looking forward to?

Physical strength challenges – I love feeling and looking strong, especially as a woman I find it empowering. I think people were surprised at how strong I was because I’m quite small.

çHow did you cope with living on a beach with no home comforts?

I actually feel like I coped really well. I moved to Glasgow when I was 17 so I am used to not seeing my family for long periods of time but I was nervous about not knowing what my friends and family were up to. I was slightly scared of the wee creepy crawlies to begin with, but you honestly get used to it and forget they are even there.

How did you cope with the hunger?

I coped with hunger really well, I probably ate more on the show than I did when I was preparing for a photoshoot. There were definitely a few times when some of us were scraping the pot and licking the spoon.

What did you learn from being on the show?

I learned from the show that I really am capable of anything. If someone had told me at the start of the year: ‘you will live on a beach in the Caribbean this summer’, I would have laughed in their face. Being so young and giving up everything in my life to take part in Survivor was huge for me and I was so grateful to have been given the opportunity. It also encouraged me to visit my family a lot more than what I did, I think being away for such a long time made me realise how much I missed them.