So on the way out, Jesse and Gabler were hugging you and giving you compliments. But to say you looked disappointed in your Final Words would be an understatement. What was going through your head after you realized you were blindsided?I mean, I think it just happened so fast. And I’m so happy that I didn’t cry in front of them. I was able to give everybody a hug. But when you walk down that path, that’s when everything hits you. And so I really couldn’t just not cry. But I wasn’t sad. I mean, it was me being proud of myself. It was me doing everything I can possible to play the game that I wanted to. It was me having no regrets. And I did want to play the game a certain way. And I think I definitely, I lived up to my expectations. Obviously, your biggest goal is to make it to the end. But I mean, I got to play the game of Survivor; I got to play one of my favorite games. I mean, I was just, it was all really bittersweet. But then having the exit interview, I’m like, “Don’t cry, don’t cry.” That’s why I couldn’t even look at the camera. I was like, “If I look at this film, I’m just gonna cry.” But, I mean, I have nothing but love and appreciation for everyone who played the game. And I mean, getting voted off and having everyone hug you, that’s respect. And that’s the best way to go out. So I was just I was really fortunate enough to have that at least. It seemed like you were really on a hot streak these past couple of days, between using your Steal-a-Vote to mastermind the James blindside, then coming from behind to win the Reward Challenge. Were you aware that people were perceiving you as the newest biggest threat?I mean, I remember thinking before my vote off, “Okay, if, if this next vote goes how I want and I can get the player that I want to be voted off, I’m starting to get a really big case as to why I should win this game.” And so I was thinking, “I just need to make it through this next vote.” I knew that there was going to be a couple of votes that were gonna go on me from the girls. But I mean, what they don’t show is Jesse does an incredible job. He was going to me and then he was going to Karla and he was literally telling us what we were each saying; he was not lying to us. But he had great relationships with me and had great relationship with her where we both are really comfortable. And we don’t think that he’s going to betray us. I mean, when I hugged him, especially and he said, “I had to do it,” I mean, I totally respected it. I wasn’t mad.Jesse and Cody were kind of my number ones out there aside from Owen, obviously. But I thought we were making Vesti strong. And I mean, I had great relationships with them. So I never in a million years would think that they would that they would backstab me when they did. But hats off to them. I mean, I guess Cody just never really trusted me to begin with. But I think if Jesse told me, “Okay, Noelle, jump off a cliff,” I would have jumped off a cliff for Jesse. I would do anything. I don’t know what it is. It’s his face. It’s just everything. He’s just so trustworthy. And this guy literally backstabbed me twice before voted off both of my number ones. But I’m still like, “Jesse, what do you want me to do?” So it just comes to show you how well he’s playing the game. But I mean, you have great relationships with everyone. I mean, the conversations that I had with Karla, just about life and family. I had a really unique bond with her. We actually really got along; we just never worked together. Probably my number one regret regret is not working with Karla, because I think she could have made me see how well Jesse and Cody were playing the game.I have to admit I’m surprised that you were so close with Jesse and Cody, since as you mentioned they got rid of your closest ally not once, but twice! What kept you loyal to them in spite of that?I think it might have been just bleeding red for Vesi. I’m a loyal person. But each explanation that they had, like when they voted off Justine, like Jesse pulls me aside immediately, and he said, “Listen, this has nothing to do with you. I didn’t trust her. And she was showing me that I couldn’t trust her.” So I was like, “Okay, had nothing to do with me, I could still work with Jesse.” When the Dwight vote came. I mean, I remember coming back from Tribal Council and looking at them and be like, “Alright, time to talk.” They just did a great job at just making it, making it known that it has nothing to do with me. Like, I honestly forget the reason why they voted off Dwight, because he was a really great player in the game. And he was really smart. He was gonna be a challenge beast, because he was going to be someone that was going to be really difficult to be in individual immunities. But when they came back after that, I wasn’t separating myself. I mean, that was my one and only flaw. I should have seen that coming. But I still saw myself on the minority side of the votes. I was still not in the majority of the seven. So when I went after James, I wanted to get James out because he was he was such a great player, and he had the Knowledge is Power, and I didn’t want to deal with it. And so when I came back for to camp, I went up to James. He was the first conversation I had, and I was like, “Listen, whatever name you want me to write down next Tribal, I will do it to gain your trust. I will give you information.” Voting off Jeanine, that probably hurt my game a lot. Because she was also one of my number ones. We were very close. I mean, literally in the tribe phase, me and Jeanine would make eye contact. I don’t know what it was, it was just like immediate. So we fought to the merge, but I needed to use what was beneficial for my game moving forward. I needed to vote Jeanine so that James could trust me a little bit. Because I had an inkling when we got to Final 10, it was going to split. And everyone knew I had my advantage. So I really wanted to get rid of it. I wanted to do it in a cool way. So having James on my five I was like, “This is it. This is the moment I need. I just need one person.” But then I came up with the idea of stealing Owen’s vote so that the Knowledge is Power wasn’t going to be played and so that Karla wouldn’t play an idol for James. That was all kind of what was going through my head.Yeah, let’s get into that move to use the Steal-a-Vote. What was the reaction from everyone after that happened? Did you get the credit for the move like we perceived at home?In my opinion, no. What I was thinking was, “It was unanimous against James. I didn’t even really get to use it.” But the reason why I used it was because I wanted to get rid of it because everyone knew I had it. And if I felt like if I got rid of it, it would lower my threat level. And then I also thought, “I tried to pull off this big move, but it didn’t work.” Because everyone voted for him. But watching it back and like getting to see the conversations that I didn’t get to see on the island, I made it made sense. I was trying to make big and loud moves out there. That’s how I wanted to play the game. And it’s really tough, because everybody else is playing some quiet and really strategic and really smart game, and I’m just a loud person. So I want things done in a loud way. And I mean, I just wanted to use my advantage in a way that no one has ever used it before. But also having everyone realized that I didn’t really use like I didn’t want people knowing. So I was kind of trying to dumb it down a little bit. I went back to Jesse, like, “Yeah, I tried to play a big move. It kind of worked because he got voted off, but it didn’t really work as well.” So I was trying to dumb down my great move. But yeah, I guess it didn’t work. And it was so funny when James got his torch and he was like, “See how far that’ll get y’all.” And I got voted off next.Yeah, the ominous words of James! I want to talk about your choices for the Reward Challenge. In a secret scene, we see you trying to explain to Gabler why you picked Jesse, Owen, and Sami for the reward. But in confessional, you talk about doing it strategically. What was the reasoning behind your picks? Considering that there’s a world where if Jesse isn’t picked, he isn’t told to “get that money, baby” and vote you out?Yeah, Jesse’s son Gio is the reason why I got voted off now. It’s so funny, because walking into the challenge and seeing a balance beam, I thought, “There’s no way that I’m winning this, I’m not gonna be able to get through it the fastest.” So I wasn’t even thinking about who I was gonna pick. When that sandbag landed on that beam and I dropped and I’m having this moment, I’m thinking to myself, “Oh my God, I have to make this decision now.” And I don’t want to do it, because it’s one of the hardest things that you have to do out there. And that’s not something I anticipated. Everyone is staring at you. And they want to eat and they want the loved one letters. I couldn’t even make eye contact with people. I wanted to give up my spot. I mean, if it wasn’t for the letters, I would have been like, “I don’t want pizza.” So my strategy going into it was Owen and Sami were the only ones that had not received a food Reward Challenge. They were the only ones that hadn’t eaten anything other than what we had at camp. And the reason why I pick Sami first is because he wasn’t my strongest ally. And I had the strategy that he’s been kind of a flip flopper. I I can show him, “Listen, use me, I’ll be loyal to you.” And of course, I picked Jesse because of his family of his young kids. And I thought he was my number one at the time. I really thought that Jesse was my ride or die. And I love Owen to death. He was definitely like my strongest ally out there. And he even told me afterwards, “If you didn’t pick me, I would have been fine because we are solid.” But I felt like I couldn’t use the excuse of, “Yeah, I’m bringing people who hadn’t haven’t eaten yet” and not bring Owen, because then people would think it’s strategic. If I had to pick it again, I would have I would have picked Karla 100%. Like I said, I would have done anything that Jesse said. So. I mean, I probably still would have brought him up. But I remember going to the Sanctuary, and I remember asking Jesie, “Do you think I should have brought Karla?” Because I really wanted to separate her and Cass. I thought that they were really strong allies. So that’s why I wanted to split them up anyways and voted one of them out. But I think that was probably one of my biggest regrets is not bringing Karla. I mean, even with Gabler.,Gabler is a very very loyal guy. And he has a family as well. So I was just thinking about Jesse’s young kids. But if I picked Gablre, I think that I could have really gained trust, and I don’t think he would have flipped on me.You spoke in your Final Words about being the first above-the-knee amputee to play Survivor and hoping to change the game for contestants from the disability community. What has the reaction been for your representation, especially after that incredible come-from-behind victory last week?I mean, it has been incredible. So many nice and kind messages. So many people reaching out to me saying, “I’m also an above knee amputee. I’m disabled,.I have cerebral palsy” or anything like that. And they just say, “I think I can do it now.” And one of the best things is I get parents reaching out to me who have kids that are disabled. And they’re watching and they’re saying, “Mom, this person looks like me. And look, I can do this.” I’ve received a lot of amazing messages throughout this whole season. But after last week’s episode, I mean, my phone has been blowing up in such an amazing way. I’m literally on my phone for hours just reading messages. I mean, it’s incredible. That was a big reason why I wanted to play this game. It was because I worke to represent, this type of community in a positive way. And so to be able to have that type of moment that I had on the show with the Reward Challenge, and then also playing a pretty good game.,I mean, that’s, that was something I’m grateful for. The love and support, I have no words. I’m speechless talking about it, but it’s just something I have to be grateful for. Because I know that a lot of people will get voted off of Survivor. I mean, they have critics everywhere. But from what I’m getting, 99% is positive things. And I can’t complain about it; I have to be happy. I mean, I could have gone out a better way. If I had to do it over again, I would not, I wouldn’t change anything. Even though I didn’t win, I was able to still do everything I wanted to in that game, and I was still able to play the best game there is on TV. Next, read our interview with Ryan Medrano, who was also voted out in Survivor 43 Episode 10.
