by Shawn Nowlin
From the outside looking in, it appeared to be a long shot. For Kyle Fraser though, he knew that he had the ability and talent to be the last person standing for Season 48 of “Survivor” and take home the million-dollar grand prize.
In an episode that aired nationally on May 21, Fraser defeated Eva Erickson and Joe Hunter in a 5-2-1 vote to become the Sole Survivor.
The latest winner of the critically acclaimed competition show is a Salem native who now works as an attorney in New York City.
Just to qualify for the show, Fraser had to beat out thousands of individuals.
After making the cut, he had to outlast a competitive group of people from all over the country: Hunter, Sacramento, CA; Erickson, Providence, RI; Stephanie Berger, Brooklyn, NY; Kevin Leung, Livermore, CA; Justin Pioppi, Winthrop, MA; Thomas Krottinger, Los Angeles, CA; Bianco Roses, Arlington, VA; Charity Nelms, St. Petersburg, FL; Saiounia Hughley, Simi Valley, CA; Cedrek McFadden, Greenville, SC; Chrissy Sarnowsky, Chicago, IL; David Kinne, Buena Park, CA; Star Toomey, Augusta, GA; Mary Zheng, Philadelphia, PA; Shauhin Davari, Costa Mesa, CA; Mitch Guerra, Waco, TX; and Kamilla Karthigesu, Foster City, CA.
Contestants who advance on the show usually have a few things in common – a tireless work ethic, high intellect and a strong moral compass.
Filmed on Fiji, ‘Survivor’ gave Fraser an opportunity to utilize his intellect and physical talents.
“I knew that I would play ‘Survivor’ after the very first episode I watched in 2019, because I realized that it represents everything I wanted out of life. It represented a chance to prove myself, connect with people I would never otherwise have the chance to meet, and an opportunity to provide for the people in my life that have always been there for me,” he wrote on his Instagram page.
Continuing, he added, “But I never thought that I would win, and that type of self-doubt is something that I’ve battled for a long time. In reality, I went out to that island wanting to experience the things I envisioned when I first saw the show, but what I got was so much more.”
Explained show creator Charlie Parsons before the first episode aired in February, “The framework for ‘Survivor’ was formed when I attended the all-boys Tunbridge Boarding School in South England as a child where the environment was very much survival of the fittest. I think that all ideas come from personal life or experiences. For me, ‘Survivor’ was no exception.”
Season 48 of “Survivor” in its entirety can be found on Paramount+.
