By Clare Marie Celano
Correspondent
While some little girls dream about being a fairy tale princess, others, like Michele Fitzgerald, dream about being a contestant on the long-running CBS-TV reality show “Survivor.”
Fitzgerald, 25, of Freehold Township, decided at the age of 10 that someday she would be on “Survivor” and attempt to navigate her way through 39 days of physical and mental challenges against other men and women in a bid to win a $1 million prize.
And that is exactly what Fitzgerald, a travel agent and bartender, has been doing every week on the current season of the popular show.
“Survivor” places a group of between 16 and 20 men and women of varying ages in a remote location and separates the participants into groups, or “tribes.” During the series, the participants live together and compete in physical and mental challenges against one another in a bid to win immunity from a vote that could remove them from the show.
At the end of a 39-day “season,” one person is voted by his or her fellow contestants as the “sole survivor” and receives $1 million.
The show has been running for more than 15 years and the current season in Cambodia represents the 32nd group of contestants who have played “Survivor.” The season began with three tribes – “Beauty,” “Brains” and “Brawn.” Fitzgerald is a member of the “Beauty” tribe.
Filming on the current season concluded months ago and the final episode will air on May 18. The winner and “sole Survivor” will be determined that night. As of tonight’s episode, Fitzgerald’s dream of winning is still alive, along with six other players. “Survivor” airs at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
When she is not working as a travel agent at Liberty Travel in Woodbridge or appearing on “Survivor,” Fitzgerald enjoys traveling and has a special interest in southeast Asia.
“I have traveled throughout the United States, the Caribbean and Europe, but I have found my true passion is in adventure travel, having those weird, off-the-beaten-path experiences,” Fitzgerald said, adding that she also loves the beach.
Fitzgerald, who is a graduate of Freehold High School, Freehold Borough, has worked as a bartender for Nonna’s in Marlboro and did catering for the Metropolitan Café in Freehold Borough. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications studies from Montclair State University.
Calling herself an “adventure junkie,” Fitzgerald said she wants to take herself out of her comfort zone, which “Survivor” does for those who compete in challenges that are played for rewards and immunity.
She said with conviction, “I may be a Jersey girl, but don’t let that fool you. I have no problem roughin’ it.”
Fitzgerald said she began watching the show with her family when she was 10 years old.
“I would ask my dad to apply as a contestant,” she said of her father, Ralph.
Even as a child, Fitzgerald felt the goal of becoming a contestant was attainable, because the people who were competing on the show “looked so normal.”
“I was watching normal people on the screen, like someone from the neighborhood. They were not famous,” she said. “It seemed possible that anyone could be a contestant. When I turned 21, I applied myself.”
Fitzgerald said she did not do as well as she wanted to during open casting in Atlantic City.
“I was not prepared, but I thought, ‘I’m going to do this,’ ” she said. “Over the next couple of years I gained more life knowledge and became more passionate about the show. I wanted it so badly. I was then able to create a totally raw and totally real video of myself for the show.”
And that is the one that gave her the green light.
Her mom, Linda, whom she called her sidekick, followed her around compiling video footage.
“They (the show’s producers) need to see how your personality transfers onto the screen, how you could be successful and how you would use what skills you have,” Fitzgerald said. “They want to get right to your core, see what sets you apart and how that will influence your game. They need to make sure you are who you say you are in your video when they meet you face-to-face. They need you to be authentic.”
Fitzgerald said there were a number of reasons why she wanted to be a contestant on “Survivor.”
“It’s the ultimate test of who you are, raw in the field, when you are put up against people. You have to weigh out your morals, among other things. I had a sense of who I was, but the show pushed the limits for me. I had to get out there and see how I fit into this. You get to see how many layers you have.
“I can’t think of another extreme situation where someone would be using 100 percent of their strength, strategies and relationship skills. You are always on. Most people have a routine that includes comfort. On the show, you are on high alert 24 hours a day. You have to have 100 percent focus on the goal every day. There is not a moment this singular focus can slip. There is no other goal than that $1 million,” she said.
Fitzgerald said her family was “totally supportive” of her and “very patient.”
“They never told me I couldn’t do it,” she said. “They told me to go for it. I never had any doubt in my mind I could do it and neither did my parents or my sister, Kim, or my brother, Joe, and I appreciate that.”
So what will Fitzgerald do with $1 million if she wins? Travel and volunteer work for starters, because she said the money will give her a cushion.
“A cushion is huge for someone my age,” she said. “This can provide a great foundation for life if you don’t blow it and that’s huge.”