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SURVIVOR Host: There are lots of great questions, so let's get to as many as we can! If you're just joining us, we're chatting live with Survivor John Raymond. To ask John a question, type it in the space below and click "Ask the Survivor." Hi John! Thanks for spending some time to chat with us today. Are you ready for some questions? Survivor John: Absolutely, it's an honor to be here. Thanks for joining in! Visitor: What were your reasons for signing up for SURVIVOR? Survivor John: Growing up in Louisiana, which is the sportsman's paradise, I enjoy camping, hunting, fishing, and I knew it would be a great outdoor experience. But also, growing up as an athlete and being in the ministry gave me what I felt would be the competitiveness and the interpersonal skills to do very well. Obviously, I didn't do as well as I would have liked! Visitor: Why do you feel that you were voted out first? Survivor John: I asked Mark Burnett that same question. He told me that he thought it was obvious that I was comfortable and capable in that environment, and that threatened other people. Visitor: Who did you think was your biggest threat in the tribe ? Survivor John: I didn't see anyone personally as being a threat because we all got along very well. I think I must have missed a few key meetings, and no tellin' who said what. Visitor: John, who do you think organized the plan to vote you out? Survivor John: Interesting question...does this assume there was a plan to vote me out? If so, was there any one leader? I hope to find out one day. Visitor: John, as a pastor...do you really think you had a shot without being conniving and scheming? What was your plan? Survivor John: There's only three rules to SURVIVOR: outwit, outplay, outlast. Everything else is fair. When I play basketball and fake to the left but go to my right, am I being deceptive? Am I out of integrity? Or am I simply playing by the rules? Unfortunately, I didn't last long enough to have to be deceptive, but I hope I would have been a good enough competitor to do whatever it would take to win as long as nobody got hurt in the process. Visitor: How has your church reacted to your being on SURVIVOR? What was the reaction to your being voted off? Survivor John: The Harvest is a great congregation, and they were very supportive of my involvement with SURVIVOR. I think the church needs to step out of its four walls more than it does in order to reach people. My congregation was just as surprised as I was with my early exit, but still very supportive of me and how I played the game. Visitor: John, were you at all thrown off by the beginning twist that occurred? Survivor John: At first I was, but I think our team ended up with a greater level of maturity, and it showed in the Challenge as we left the other tribe in our wake, but we had a breakdown in the last part of the Challenge. Ghandia's a great girl, but the pressure took its toll. Visitor: Why were you so upset at getting picked with Jan's team? Your team did well until the puzzle. Survivor John: I wasn't "so" upset...I just wondered if this team would be as athletically competent as the other team. It didn't take long to realize that we were going to be competitive. In the end, I think I was on the best team. Visitor: Hey John, did you watch any of the first three SURVIVORs? Didn't it seem that the more dominant take-charge ones always are the first to go? Survivor John: So true, but I didn't try to be dominant and I didn't try to take charge. I was simply very comfortable doing what needed to be done in that environment, and others were threatened by that. However, I never sought a leadership role. The team actually asked me to lead in the rowing, and I did what was asked of me. But because I did it well, it showed that I would be a force to be reckoned with later on in the game. It comforted me when Mark Burnett told me that he would've probably done many of the same things I did. Visitor: As a minister, I would think you would have had to learn some people skills, yet on the show, you seemed to be lacking them. Is it the way you were portrayed? By the way, I personally thought the joke with the water was funny! Survivor John: Thank you, I thought it was funny too! But in that degree of paranoia, every word or action is multiplied 100 times. I don't think my people skills lacked in the game, I just think my survival skills overshadowed them. Visitor: Why did you go out on your own? That's reality suicide. Survivor John: Where were you when I needed you?! Actually, we found tarot root and I gathered a few and there were still more, so rather than hold the team up I volunteered to get them for dinner and meet up with the team later. I invited anyone who wanted to join me and accidentally ended up on my own. In hindsight, I would've let the food go and stayed with the tribe. Visitor: How long did it take you to find the water hole? Survivor John: It was about a three, four-hour ordeal, and once again in hindsight I would have made sure I was not the one to find it. Visitor: Why didn't you guys go out with the boat to bring in your teammates? Survivor John: The boat was full of water because it leaked terribly, and it was too heavy for me to empty out by myself. When Brian finally reached the shore he helped me into the boat, and then went out to get the others. Visitor: Out of the 3 nights you were there, how many of them did it rain? Survivor John: One night and one day, as far as I can remember. Visitor: John, what was it like to see the production of SURVIVOR? Survivor John: It was absolutely incredible. I was blown away with the level of organization, professionalism, and dedication of the entire SURVIVOR team. There is no doubt that Mark Burnett has hand selected the best reality production crew on the planet. Visitor: Hey John , what did you think of Thailand as the SURVIVOR location? Survivor John: It was perfect. It was dangerous but beautiful. It was peaceful but torrential. It was better than words can describe and more challenging than you can imagine. Visitor: John, how did SURVIVOR treat you after you were voted off? Survivor John: Incredible! Like a celebrity! They catered to my every need, and I built lasting friendships with everyone I interacted with. Mark Burnett is a very generous and gracious host. And I hope he considers me for any future SURVIVOR that gives a second chance to the previous contestants! Visitor: Who did you bond with most out there? Survivor John: We all got along extremely well considering we were all strangers after the same prize. I hope to stay in touch with everyone. Visitor: So John, how did your tribe first obtain fire? Survivor John: Helen and I started it with the flint and steel that each tribe was given. Visitor: How hard is it to not tell anyone what happened once you get home? Survivor John: Part of me wanted to let my friends know where I had been, but after being gone for two months I had a lot of catching up to do in church and stayed busy enough to avoid the temptation! Visitor: Do you think Jan picked the older people as a strategy, thinking she'd be less likely to be picked off immediately? Survivor John: Jan didn't come across to me as being that cunning. I think she's truly a sweet lady that led with her heart, and I think she made great choices. Visitor: How was it sleeping in the cave during the rainstorm? Did it stay very dry under there? Survivor John: The cave was a great natural shelter. We definitely got the best tribal site. The bats didn't take up much room, and most of the smoke from the campfire escaped. Visitor: John, how much time did the contestants spend in Thailand before the show started? Survivor John: Mark Burnett brought in trained jungle soldiers and survival trainers called Red Berets. We spent a couple of days learning how to survive in the jungle, and then went in game. Visitor: What did you do in Thailand after you were voted out? Survivor John: Scuba diving in the gorgeous Adaman Sea, jungle trekking on elephants' backs and other great activities. It was the vacation of a lifetime! The only thing that would have made it perfect would have been to have my family there to enjoy it with me. I hope I can give them that opportunity one day. Visitor: How long did the Immunity Challenge actually take? On TV it lasts 5 minutes or so, but how long was it in reality? CBS.com |
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