2 minute read
Survival of the Fittest
Survival of the Fittest
Fanshawe graduate becomes the first Canadian to win Survivor.
In 2021, Erika Casupanan (Multimedia Design and Production alumni, 2011) defied the odds, winning the 41 st season of the television show Survivor.
Robert Voets/CBS
Erika’s family moved from the Philippines to Canada when she was one year old. Watching Survivor became an escape after her grandfather passed away, and she decided she would one day compete on the show.
In 2020, Erika’s dream came true when she sent in an audition tape and made the cast. She studied the game and spent hours training. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed her season until 2021, and when filming began, it was a different experience than she expected.
Robert Voets/CBS
“In 2020, I wanted to be the perfect player,” says Erika. “By the time I played the game in 2021, I didn’t really care about that. I embraced flexibility. I focused on people skills and getting to know those around me. This mindset shift ultimately got me to the end of the game.”
Her experiences ranged from excitement when host Jeff Probst would call her by name, to fear when she was exiled to an island by herself. Then, the elation of being named “Sole Survivor.”
Robert Voets/CBS
“A lot of people counted me out,” recalls Erika. “One of the best parts about winning was when women, particularly Asian women, told me how inspired they were by me just believing in myself. I’ll never forget what it felt like to be underestimated and then to succeed.”
Robert Voets/CBS
