TEMECULA: Local woman to compete on 'Survivor'

Popular reality show to debut Thursday

By JENNIFER KABBANY - For The Californian | Saturday, September 20, 2008 4:45 PM PDT ∞

TEMECULA ---- For the last eight years, 61-year-old Gillian Larson has taken extreme measures to learn how to become a "Survivor."

She has read 64 books on survival techniques, munched on insects and worms, and learned how to fish with her pants. She's reconditioned herself against her fear of snakes, climbed cargo nets with her grandchildren, and practiced walking on tightropes.

She has started campfires in the backyard of her central Temecula home, learned how to find water in certain plant stems, and made sure to walk and swim daily. She's hiked the Grand Canyon, rappelled off a cliff, and taken a dive with great white sharks.

In short, the retired nurse and traveler, who has journeyed through 46 countries, said she has done everything she can to become an expert survivor.

"Everywhere I went, I'd say, 'How did you build that roof or put together that satchel,'" Larson said. "When they asked why, I'd say, 'Because some day I am going to be on 'Survivor.'"

Eight years and 15 auditions later ---- after letting her hair turn gray to interest producers with an "active granny" angle, wearing a bright orange "talk to me" T-shirt for the show's scouts to spot as she traveled the globe and asking friends around the world to e-mail producers ---- Larson finally got the call in early May.

Her dream, her passion ---- some would say her obsession ---- was finally going to be fulfilled. She had been chosen as a contestant for the hit CBS reality show "Survivor," now in its 17th season.

"Dream it, believe it, prepare for it, do it," said Larson, adding that's exactly what she did to earn her spot on the show, which taped during June and July and debuts Thursday at 8 p.m.

Show rules stipulate that Larson cannot talk about her time filming the show in Gabon, Africa, or how far she got in the elimination contest that pits 18 people against each other for an ultimate prize of $1 million.

She is, however, allowed to talk about why she wanted so desperately to get on the show, and what she calls her eight-year "journey to 'Survivor.'"

Growing up in South Africa as the only girl amid brothers and male cousins, Larson said she had a competitive, active spirit at a young age. She's always played sports and loves games.

She met her husband, who was in the U.S. Air Force, in Germany. In 1986, she became a U.S. citizen.

A mother of three, Larson's midlife years were spent working 60-hour weeks, looking after her daughters during the day and then working nights as a nurse.

The first time she saw "Survivor" and witnessed the physical contests that contestants play, she said she decided she had to get on the show. Thus began her quest to be noticed by producers among about 30,000 applications each season.

Despite the steep challenge, she never gave up. People would tell her she was too old, that producers wanted the young and the beautiful for the show.

But that just motivated her more, she said. She always liked a challenge.

For example, when she was young, she badly wanted to climb a large jacaranda tree in front of her home, but her parents said no.

"They said, 'You can't climb that tree ---- it's too big; you'll fall down, you'll get hurt,'" Larson recalled.

One day when no one was looking, Larson pushed a crate up to the tree, then climbed into its branches. Larson said the way her parents tell the story, when they finally spotted her, she shouted down, "See, I did it. If you want to do something badly enough, you can."

That philosophy has stuck with Larson all her life and helped her achieve her goal.

"I was absolutely determined," she said. "So many people take a back seat in life. I believe in grabbing it by the tail."

When people ask why she wanted to be on the show, she answers: "To represent baby boomers, and show them they can compete against 'the boobs and the butts.'"

But more important, she says, she wanted to do it simply because she could.

"This is a free, amazing country," Larson said. "So many people don't recognize our freedoms, don't recognize our opportunities. They ... take them for granted. People have fought and died for what we have."

Some question whether she took up all the traveling and crazy adventures to further her chances of getting on the show.

"No," Larson said. "That's my way of life."

Larson's husband of nearly 38 years, Ron, vouches for his wife, touting her spirit, energy and love of life.

"She grabs each day," he said. "If she died tomorrow, she wouldn't have any regrets."

He said he is not surprised his wife finally was picked for the show.

Although the show's outcome is not yet known, Larson can say about her time filming it that, while it wasn't a "cakewalk," it was easier than she thought it might be. "I'd studied the game," she said. "I knew what to expect."

One of the 64 books she read on survival during her eight-year preparation phase was Richard Gerrig's "The Psychology of 'Survivor,'" which offers a glimpse into the way contestants think and react to different personalities. The book is not authorized by CBS.

Larson said she knew going in that she had to act a certain way to stay in the game.

She didn't want to come across as too prepared on the chance it might upset fellow contestants. She said a chapter in the Gerrig book about "adopting strategic mediocrity" was something she kept in mind before heading out to tape the show.

On the Web site www.survivor.com, show host Jeff Probst talks about Larson, saying that "charm is her strength because she's likable in doses, and that's her liability.

"Does she know when enough is enough? You can only hear someone say 'I'm from South Africa' so many times before you want to say, 'Why don't you go back to South Africa!"'

Lori DelliColli, director of publicity for CBS, said this season the show revolves around themes of "good and evil."

"Survivor" is watched by an average of nearly 10 million people each week, she said.

Larson said she is a bit anxious about how the editing process might portray her, but "I know who I am, and people who know me know who I am."

She plans to parlay her experience on the show into becoming a motivational speaker.

"If you believe in yourself, you can do anything," she said.