‘I think I could do this’: ‘Survivor 47’ winner Rachel LaMont shares how her upbringing helped her win it all

Survivor 47 winner Rachel LaMont is “one of the best overall players to compete” on the show according to longtime Survivor host Jeff Probst. That compliment is already enough of an accolade alone, but LaMont’s success on the show is made all the more impressive given how recently her Survivor journey began. 

LaMont was an exceptionally well-rounded competitor, playing both a strong social and physical game (not to mention her excellent hair braiding skills). Her prowess on the island makes it hard to believe she’s only been a Survivor fan for a few years. “I discovered Survivor in 2017 when my husband Derek randomly put it on the TV,” she told Entertainment Weekly. She found herself “immediately captivated by the game” and began researching how to become a player herself.

“I love people, I love pushing myself out of my comfort zone, I love games, and I love money. Why wouldn’t I want to be a part of Survivor!!” 

“And I feel like, from the start, it was just this idea of like, ‘I think I could do this.’ That’s really what got me hooked on Survivor,” she told Parade. She took action, submitting an audition tape and beginning the process to go from fan to Sole Survivor. After some back and forth with the show’s producers, including being named an alternate in season 46, she was finally chosen to be a bonafide competitor in Survivor 47.

When asked what life experiences helped her prepare for the game, she credited her upbringing with giving her the ability to blend in with any crowd. Though she lives in Michigan now, LaMont was born in Thailand and lived there until she was 7. “I was born in Bangkok, and I didn’t speak Thai growing up,” she told Parade. “And we moved to the US for my mom’s job from when I was seven. And so, for the first seven years of my life, I couldn’t speak to my own grandfather. He didn’t speak English, and I didn’t speak Thai or Chinese.” As a result, she learned how to communicate with people non-verbally and how to navigate different social situations at a young age. 

“… I moved to the US and didn’t understand US culture. So I feel like I just was forced to kind of learn to assimilate in in my own way from a really young age,” she shared. Growing up with two older sisters, LaMont felt “like I’ve always been around people that I didn’t actually fit in with, whether it was age or culturally or whatever … And I just feel like all of those things have just made me really able to kind of blend in with a group and just pick up on the vibe, and just be that vibe too.” 

Her multicultural background helped boost her social game and form alliances with other players, even if those friendships didn’t always make it onto our TV screen. Her stellar social game helped her bounce back when the early elimination of her tribemates caused her confidence to waver. It all paid off in the end, and LaMont was easily one of our favorites to watch play the game. Here’s hoping she returns for Survivor 50!