The wait was worth it.
Michele Fitzgerald finished playingSurvivor: Kaoh Rongover a year ago.
That sounds like a years worth of torture, but the reward more than makes up for it.
Credit: CBS
Thats because Michele was indeed crowned the Sole Survivor and received the million dollar check that comes with it.
(Also check out our interviews withAubryandTai.)
How unbearable was that?
MICHELE FITZGERALD:It was a heck of a long time.
It was a long, long year.
We were lucky to have this experience and we just got to have it a little bit longer.
Did you know you had won?
I had no idea, so I didnt buy anything.
Ive been living on my regular budget.
I got off the island and I was really, really high on it.
I was like, Wow, I killed it.
And I think I played an amazing game and I felt really confident that I had won.
I had no idea which way it was going to go.
How did you feel about your chances walking into the final Tribal Council?
It took me to be sitting in front on the jury.
You all respect me, then a lot of my concern went out the window.
I just talked to them from my heart and I think that they valued the game that I played.
I felt confident and it got stronger as it progressed.
People started speaking up for me.
It was really, really important for me.
Dont forget about me over here.
That was a double-edged sword.
Unfortunately, Neal got pulled for his medical evacuation and thats a shame.
It would have messed up my mental state to have someone really knock me down there.
Lets say youhadntwon that final immunity and they sent you to the jury.
Whom do you vote for in a final three of Aubry, Tai, and Cydney?
My girl Cyd gets my vote.
But Cydney was my girl from the beginning and shes badass.
She never made herself or her game smaller.
And she came from the bottom.
Talk about an underdog.
I mean, Brawn was really having it rough out there.
And I thought she knew when to shut up and when to speak up.
But nothing against Tai or Aubry, they both played amazing games in their own right.
And totally different games from each other.
But it would have to go to my girl Cyd.
I did beat myself up at first.
And I did wish I was a little more aggressive and little more assertive.
But looking back, my family is all like, Thats you.
You played exactly like you are as a person.
I can only work with what Ive got.
So, what are you going to do with the money?
I am going to fix my car.
Then, maybe a little trip.
For moreSurvivorscoop, follow Dalton on Twitter@DaltonRoss, and also check out our interviews withAubryandTai.
