For Michelle "MC" Chukwujekwu, Survivor was a case of "better late than never." More than six months ago, the 29-year-old sat down for her first episode, a watch party recommendation. But the fitness trainer and salesperson fell instantly in love with the physical challenges, as well as the complex psychology. And so MC decided going to the island was her MO. But will this self-proclaimed "recovering people pleaser" find herself relapsing in the worst possible way?Read on for my interview with MC, and check in with Parade.com daily for interviews with this season's contestants and other tidbits. Survivor 49 premieres on Sep. 24 with a two-hour premiere on CBS.? SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox ?
Interview with MC from Survivor 49
To start, give me your name, age and occupation.My name is Michelle, but my friends call me MC. I am 29 years old, and I'm a personal trainer and I'm in sales.That's interesting. Are the two related at all?I got into sales just in the last year, because I was like, "I need something with insurance and benefits." [Laughs.] That's how I got into sales, but I still personal train on the side.How did you get into personal training?Fitness has always been a part of my life. I started playing basketball when I was eight years old. And since then, just sports, basketball, track, tennis. I was voted "Most Athletic" in high school my senior year. And then I went to play Division I track and field at the collegiate level. So I've always loved fitness, and I genuinely enjoy working out, even though most people don't. And I wanted to help people in their fitness journey as well.Well, let's talk about the most intense 26-day workout you'll ever go through with Survivor. What's your history with the show, and what made you want to apply?So I have a secret. My secret is Season 47 was my first ever season of Survivor that I ever watched. So I had never watched Survivor, but I just love hanging out with my friends. I wanted an excuse to hang out with them, so I was like, "Let's do a watch party. Let's watch something every week." They were like, "Oh, Survivor just came back on," and I'm like, "Oh, yeah, sure, okay." And then I came in on Episode 3 of Season 47, and I became obsessed. I was like, "How have I missed this my entire life? This has been going on for the last 25 years?" And so I watched all of 47, I binged half of the seasons, old era and new era. I applied, and now I'm here!What made you fall in love with the game so quickly, to the point where you immediately wanted to apply?At first, it was the athleticism, the physical challenges. But also the fact that it was like regular people doing it. It wasn't CrossFit athletes or anything like that. It was a regular human being. And so I loved that. It was cool to see that. And then I was a psychology major. So the sociology, psychology behind it, I was like, "This is fascinating. This is social politics." And at the end, the fact that anyone can win, because it's like you're voting for your winner. It's not who won the most challenges or who did this; it is who the jury votes for. So all of that put together, I was like, "This is an amazing game. This is the best game ever."So, looking back at your very recent deep dive into Survivor, give me one winner and one non-winner who you identify with the most.Okay, so a winner, I would say Yam Yam. I just love him. I loved him from the beginning of his season. I didn't think he was gonna win. And so the fact that he did win, it was amazing. I love that he was himself; he was just funny and humorous. So yeah, I identify with him as a winner. When it comes to a non-winner, maybe Cody. Once again, I loved his personality. He has "LIVIN" tattooed on his butt. I just love people like that, people that are goofy, make me laugh. That's who I identify with, for sure.What's your favorite moment in Survivor history?I did love, in 47, "Operation Italy." I mean, how can you not? But I didn't want it to work. I did not want it to work. But it was just really good TV. And I was watching with my friends; by that point, I was into it. And I was like, "There's no way this is gonna work." And then it did. So that was just an amazing moment.Why did you not want "Operation Italy" to work?I was not rooting for the "Operation Italy" people. I wanted Gen and Andy to go home.Well, you got your wish in the next episode! What's one life experience you feel has prepared you most for the game?I think moving. I moved from Texas to California two years ago, completely by myself. Didn't know a single soul, didn't really have a job lined up. I was just like, I"'m gonna figure it out." And I feel like that's adaptability and that "figure it out" mentality, I feel like that's 100% what you need in the game of Survivor. So I'm gonna bring that. I'm gonna bring it full force.What prompted the move?The short answer is, just because, literally! But I visited San Diego once, and I fell in love. Ten years ag,o I visited. I was like, "I'm gonna move there one day." And I was previously waiting for this job, this gym that I worked with, I was waiting for them to move to San Diego. And they kept delaying it, kept delaying it. I was like, "I'm gonna move without y'all, because I'm trying to get there." So in 2022, I was just like, "Okay, it's time." And I love being outdoors. I love the ocean. I love that you can go to Mexico, but you can go snowboarding, you can go Vegas, you can go surfing. San Diego is an amazing place.
Related: Meet the Full Cast of Survivor 49As someone who is so physically oriented, how did that affect your prep process to come out here?It did a little bit. I held myself more accountable. I always love to work out. But I held myself more accountable [with] which type of workouts and when I was gonna do [them]. I didn't let myself slack as much. I don't necessarily need or want to get stronger or bigger. But I started lifting heavier again; I need to be as strong as I can. And I started working on grip strength. I started running a little bit more so I can have that endurance as well. So I was always working out, but I just kind of tweaked it a little bit.Anything from the mental aspect?So, no. I kept telling myself, "Yeah, do those puzzles, work on the slide puzzle, do it all." And I did every now and then, but not as much as I probably should. So let's hope it doesn't come down to the wire on that. Give me your biggest superpower and your biggest piece of kryptonite when it comes to this game.I'll start with kryptonite. My biggest piece of kryptonite is [that] I do care what people think. I think everybody does a little bit, right? I always say I'm a recovering people pleaser. I'm trying to be in my villain era and learn how to say no. But that is my kryptonite, because I'm like, "Okay, I want people to like me, but I have to let go of that." But also my biggest strength is I do feel like people are attracted to my energy. And back home, I feel like I'm a lot of people's best friends, even though they might not be my best friend. But I use that to my advantage. I can work with people. So it's kind of the different sides of the same coin. It can be to my benefit, but it could also be to my detriment.Maybe I'm feeding the "recovering people pleaser" side of you. How do you think you'll be perceived in this game?I think when they first look at me, they're gonna see this tall Black girl with locks and muscles. And they might be intimidated at first, or they might see me as a physical threat. But I hope when I smile at them, and then I start talking to them, and they realize I'm a little bit goofy, that they'll be like, "Okay, let me keep her by my side." That's what I'm hoping, fingers crossed.Well, let's turn the mirror around to your competition. Who are you picking up good vibes from in the preseason?Her initials are SS, I think. And so we've been sitting kind of near each other, and she looks athletic. She looks like she played soccer or softball or something like that. And we've shared some smiles. So I'm like, "Okay, let's do this." There's a guy who I called Bruce, as in Bruce Banner, because he's swole. And I feel like he's really strong. He clearly, like, lifts, and that could be dangerous or it could be to his detriment. We'll see. But I mean, if he's on my tribe, that would be nice, because he'll be able to build the shelter and stuff. I was looking at him like, "Oh, he needs to build shelter."How much are you going to incorporate idols, advantages and journeys into your game?When it comes to advantages, I hope I'm on a journey. I hope I get to go on a journey. I know some people feel a little iffy about that. But me, I'm trying to get my Survivor bucket list, to check everything off. I definitely want to find an idol. I've even been looking around here, just trying to practice, "Where would they hide it if it was here?" So, yeah, we're once a day idol hunting. Are you telling anyone if you find an advantage?My first answer is no. But I think you definitely got to read your tribe and the people that are around you. Did someone else get an advantage first, and they shared? It's gonna look really bad if you didn't. But every time I'm watching on TV. I'm just like, "Yo, why did y'all share that?! Come on now!" So my first answer is no.
Related: Everything to Know About Survivor 49If you had the chance to put a twist or advantage into the game from seasons past, what would it be?I don't want to regret saying this. But Redemption Island would be for obvious reasons. I don't want to be alone, but I think it would be a cool aspect to have. And I feel like, yeah, if I end up getting voted off, that would be nice to come back in. I've [also] noticed that Knowledge is Power hasn't been used in a long time. I feel like that's handy, if it can be used right. But, yeah, besides that, honestly, just give me the regular old idols.What's your hottest Survivor take?I know that a lot of people disagree on this one, but I think the new era is better than the old era. And I know it's gonna have people up in arms; I see the comments. Y'all are the people who just don't like change! They want things like, "We're stuck in the old times." I love the new era. The new era is what got me into Survivor. And I mean, everyone's still watching, so clearly, it works. I think it moves much faster, which is much more interesting for me to watch. And 26 days versus the 39 days, you get all you need to get from 26 days, personally. Them not getting rice or anything – I mean, I'm saying this as I'm about to go into it. But let us be hungry! Let us fight for it. Let us want it. So I think all the changes that they made are great. I have no issue with it.Well, let's talk about something that might be an issue. Sometimes, in the new era, there are "disaster" tribes that keep going back to Tribal Council. How much would your game plan change if you found yourself on one this season?You know what? I'm not gonna lie, I don't mind two tribes. I do like three tribes, but I don't mind two tribes. But whenever I'm watching, I imagine myself as that losing team and like, "Oh my gosh, what would I do?" And I probably changed my mind in that moment. But sometimes those people end up going all the way to the end. Like Kenzie, she ended up winning. So it can work out. I think whenever you're on that losing tribe, whenever the merge does happen, people aren't really trying to get you out. They're not focused on you, so that could end up working in your favor. [The premerge is] when it gets tough, because, at that point, you know everyone so well, those are all your besties. As long as it's not me!As a wise woman once said! Going from the beginning ot the end of the game, every juror on Survivor has a different piece of criteria for voting for someone to win the game. Right now, for you, what's the core tenet you would base a jury vote on?It sounds generic, but who played the best game overall? And I know that sounds so generic, but I don't want to vote based just off of relationships. Even if I'm close to somebody, if this person found idols, won challenges, slipped away from being voted off, dang, that was a good game! So I'm sorry. I love you, but I'm gonna vote for this person, because this is the person who ends up who deserves winning it at the end of the day.What celebrity or fictional character would you bring out for a Loved Ones visit?I'm gonna pick Michael B. Jordan because I love him. He's a sexy man. And if that's my loved one, then come on! Come on, MBJ! So I'm gonna choose him. [Laughs.]
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