User blog comment:Wafflefreak/Final Castaway Competition/@comment-24659809-20190619082246

Name (Age): Chavela Fischer (48)

Hometown: Duncanville, TX

Occupation: Pharmacy Technician

Personal Claim to Fame: Living through and escaping an abusive relationship with my son. I met Hank in '92, and we got married within a year, then had Bryan right around '94. I was young and naive and very, um, in love with this man. Was, being the keyword. I knew he had some trouble with alcohol in his past, but as far as I was aware, he was past it. A little bit after Bryan was born, though, we were a little more in trouble financially than we had been and he started drinking again. We got in more fights, and everything started to spiral. I tried to salvage our family, but it just didn't happen. The night he hit me I knew we had to get out. So, as the abuse continued I got my affairs settled, rented a house in the town over and vanished. Hank and I were divorced a year later. After my dad died and my mom couldn't walk well enough to support herself, Bryan and I moved in and that's how it's been ever since. I'm lucky enough to have married a much better man, and the four of us have some differences now and then but overall, we're much happier.

Inspiration in Life: My parents. Both of them served in the navy for many years, which is actually where they met. They didn't have a whole lot of money, but they had a community and family that was always there for them, just like they were always there for their family and community as well. Also, no matter what happened to them or whatever their financial situation was, they were always there for my brothers and me. They raised us to be good, strong, self-sustaining people and that's exactly who we are as a family and who I am as a person.

Pet Peeves: Disloyal, or otherwise wishy-washy people. If people want to screw me over and change their minds on whether or not they want to be my ally, they might as well just stay out of my way. Also, people who just sort of crack under pressure. It sounds harsh, but if you can't take the heat get out of the kitchen. Life is intense and can be very unforgiving. Survivor is the same way. You want to be mopey and sad and self-pitying? Go for it. Just don't be that way around me, I have things to get done and people that need to be supported. Now, with that said, if someone is at a point where they are drowning in some way and I feel obligated to help them out, I am there with a hand they can grasp on to.

3 Words to Describe You: Strong, Honest, Supportive

Reason for being on SURVIVOR: The money. The fact of the matter is that my mom can't work, my son barely works, and my husband and I are paid barely enough as it is. (If my employer sees this and is unhappy with how I phrased that, they can go ahead and raise my salary to hear an answer they'd prefer) I need the cash in a very bad way, and if push comes to shove, I will knock down whoever I have to so I can support my family.

Why Do You Think You Will Win SURVIVOR?: I am a strong person, incredibly loyal, and even though I have a tough shell, I swear my heart is not made of ice. I'm willing to play whatever role I need to in order to make it another three days in the game. On top of this, I'm a planner and I'm in no way an inactive person. I'm constantly on my feet and on the go, running marathons (I do a yearly marathon for charity through my church), planning and cooking meals, being a group leader at my church, among other things. I think being quick on my feet, as well as in my head will help me out in this game.

More About Chavela:

Chavela is a person who, despite constantly seeking the next paycheck and path to keep her family above water financially, carries a sense of pride and inner strength that refuses to let her grovel for anything and makes it hard for her to accept help from others, even if she is incredibly willing to give it back to those who she deems needing support. This, on top of her trust issues from her first marriage and stubborn nature, has built up a shell that can make Chavela come off as stuck-up or arrogant before you get to know her. She also is the type of person that tends to hold in her beliefs with people she is not as comfortable around. So, when people anger her and make her upset, she will tend to bury these feelings inside until they boil over into passive-aggressive comments. In regards to camp life, the elements, or surviving the game, Chavela has an incredibly strong work ethic and is no complainer. She will fight very hard to make sure the shelter is well done and, if put in the position of needing to scramble and work for votes, would push very hard to stay in the game.