Profile Story on Survivor Contestant Trish Dunn

6
SEO: Trish Dunn values relationships on “Survivor” When Trish Dunn competed on TV Show “Survivor: Pearl Islands” in 2003, she came bearing only the clothes on her back, as the game’s rules mandated. Despite this adversity, Trish realized people need each other more than food or material items. Trish Dunn survives on relationships with tribe members “Survivor” contestant values people over material items By: Megan Landau A breeze chilled the air as the sun disappeared below the horizon of the Gulf of Panama. Trish Dunn shivered. Her stomach growled. Her once empowered attitude faded into feelings of vulnerability when she realized she possessed nothing except the damp, tattered clothes on her back. Trish sat among seven strangers, only bonded by their membership in the “Drake tribe” of “Survivor: Pearl Islands.” As she surveyed her surroundings and wondered how she would survive, Trish thought to herself, “Wait a minute, I’ve got to start figuring these people out.” Ten years after “Survivor: Pearl Islands,” Trish feels the lessons she learned while competing remain woven into her personality. The contestants had almost no food for many weeks and wore rags by the end of the experience. However, they did not care about material products. Instead, they found the competition and camaraderie they shared were of upmost importance. Competing on “Survivor: Pearl Islands” helped Trish Dunn realize her relationships with people prevail over her possession of material commodities.

description

During my News Writing and Reporting for Public Relations course, I was tasked with writing a profile news story on a person with an interesting story to tell. I found Trish Dunn, who was a contestant on Survivor in 2003. After extensive interviews with Dunn and research on her season of the show, I wrote these mainbar and sidebar stories.

Transcript of Profile Story on Survivor Contestant Trish Dunn

Page 1: Profile Story on Survivor Contestant Trish Dunn

SEO:  Trish  Dunn  values  relationships  on  “Survivor”    When  Trish  Dunn  competed  on  TV  Show  “Survivor:  Pearl  Islands”  in  2003,  she  came  

bearing  only  the  clothes  on  her  back,  as  the  game’s  rules  mandated.  Despite  this  adversity,  

Trish  realized  people  need  each  other  more  than  food  or  material  items.    

-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐  

Trish  Dunn  survives  on  relationships  with  tribe  members  “Survivor”  contestant  values  people  over  material  items  By:  Megan  Landau    

A  breeze  chilled  the  air  as  the  sun  disappeared  below  the  horizon  of  the  Gulf  of  

Panama.  Trish  Dunn  shivered.  Her  stomach  growled.  Her  once  empowered  attitude  faded  

into  feelings  of  vulnerability  when  she  realized  she  possessed  nothing  except  the  damp,  

tattered  clothes  on  her  back.  

Trish  sat  among  seven  strangers,  only  bonded  by  their  membership  in  the  “Drake  

tribe”  of  “Survivor:  Pearl  Islands.”  As  she  surveyed  her  surroundings  and  wondered  how  

she  would  survive,  Trish  thought  to  herself,  “Wait  a  minute,  I’ve  got  to  start  figuring  these  

people  out.”  

  Ten  years  after  “Survivor:  Pearl  Islands,”  Trish  feels  the  lessons  she  learned  while  

competing  remain  woven  into  her  personality.  The  contestants  had  almost  no  food  for  

many  weeks  and  wore  rags  by  the  end  of  the  experience.  However,  they  did  not  care  about  

material  products.  Instead,  they  found  the  competition  and  camaraderie  they  shared  were  

of  upmost  importance.  Competing  on  “Survivor:  Pearl  Islands”  helped  Trish  Dunn  realize  

her  relationships  with  people  prevail  over  her  possession  of  material  commodities.  

 

 

Page 2: Profile Story on Survivor Contestant Trish Dunn

Third  time’s  a  charm  

The  Dunns  gathered  around  their  TV  to  watch  the  premier  of  “Survivor”  in  May  

2000.  Trish  was  intrigued.  As  a  sales  representative  and  marathon  runner,  she  thought  she  

possessed  the  strength,  perseverance  and  interpersonal  skills  to  be  a  successful  castaway.  

  Enamored  by  the  concept  of  the  first  reality  show,  Trish  applied  for  the  third  season  

of  “Survivor.”  The  casting  team  invited  her  to  New  York  for  an  in-­‐person  interview,  a  round  

only  0.27  percent  of  applicants  reach.  Unfortunately,  her  tryout  did  not  continue  past  this  

round.  She  applied  the  following  year,  but  again  did  not  prevail  through  New  York.  

  For  Trish,  the  third  time  is  always  the  charm.  Before  departing  on  a  20-­‐mile  training  

run  for  the  2003  Boston  Marathon,  Trish  sat  amid  snowfall  on  her  front  porch  and  

recorded  a  new  application  video.  Trish  finally  

succeeded  in  New  York  and  was  one  of  300  

applicants—just  0.1  percent—to  be  invited  to  the  

18-­‐day  tryout  round  in  Los  Angeles.  

  “In  LA,  you’re  in  a  hotel  room  and  there’s  

nothing—no  TV  or  anything  to  do  for  hour  after  

hour  after  hour,”  Trish  recalls.  “I  guess  they  figure  

if  you  can’t  handle  that,  you  can’t  handle  being  on  

an  island!”  

After  the  final  tryout  round,  the  casting  

team  called  Trish  to  reveal  her  position  as  one  of  

the  18  castaways  on  “Survivor:  Pearl  Islands.”  

 

Trish knows her likability and interpersonal skills helped her score a position on “Survivor: Pearl Islands.”

Photo courtesy of Entertainment Weekly

Page 3: Profile Story on Survivor Contestant Trish Dunn

 

 “My  mom  was  really  excited  when  she  was  chosen,  but  we  had  to  be  really  hush  

hush  about  it,”  explained  Trish’s  daughter,  Reilly.  “We  couldn’t  tell  anyone  unless  they’d  

signed  a  confidentiality  agreement.”  

All  aboard  

In  June  2003,  the  contestants  gathered  on  a  ship  in  the  Gulf  of  Panama  to  take  

promotional  photos  for  the  season.  Much  to  their  surprise  upon  arrival  on  the  ship,  they  

learned  the  game  had  begun.  Unlike  previous  seasons,  the  contestants  were  required  to  

leave  all  belongings  on  the  ship.  

   The  castaways  dove  into  the  Gulf  and  swam  to  their  respective  islands,  one  for  each  

tribe.  While  this  process  tarnished  the  contestants’  clothes,  it  reinforced  why  they  were  

there:  to  play  a  game  and  win  $1  million.  

  As  the  sun  set  and  the  100-­‐degree  air  turned  

cold,  the  Drake  tribe  had  to  find  firewood  and  

create  a  sleeping  arrangement.  Trish  looked  at  the  

strangers  around  her  and  came  to  a  realization  that  

set  the  tone  for  the  rest  of  the  game:  “I’ve  got  to  

start  figuring  these  people  out.  Forget  the  $1  

million  prize,  I’m  not  going  to  get  past  this  night  

without  them.”  

Leveraging  a  lifeline  

  At  42,  Trish  was  the  oldest  member  of  the  Drake  tribe.  While  her  age  seemingly  put  

her  at  a  disadvantage,  her  warm  and  friendly  disposition  awarded  her  the  respect  and  

 “I’ve  got  to  start  figuring  these  people  out.  Forget  the  million  dollar  prize,  I’m  not  going  to  get  past  this  night  without  them.”  -­‐Trish  Dunn  

Page 4: Profile Story on Survivor Contestant Trish Dunn

friendship  of  many  tribe  members.  She  was  meticulous  and  humble  about  publicizing  her  

athletic  ability,  as  to  avoid  being  a  threat  once  the  tribes  merged.  

  Adversity  grew  when  a  fellow  player,  Burton  Roberts,  targeted  Trish  as  the  oldest  

and  weakest  tribe  member.  Trish  knew  in  order  to  withstand  “tribal  counsel,”  she  would  

have  to  create  strong  alliances  with  two  or  three  players.  

  Although  she  withheld  details  of  the  24  marathons  in  her  record,  Trish  revealed  

aspects  of  her  athletic  ability  to  Jon  Dalton,  her  first  alliance.  In  her  fight  to  withstand  tribal  

counsel,  Trish  expanded  her  circle  of  trust  to  three  tribe  members.  

  “You  start  to  realize  that  when  you  pick  two  or  three  people  to  trust,  they  become  

your  everything,”  Trish  explained.  “You  realize  that  you  need  the  other  people  to  help  you  

succeed.”  

From  island  to  mainland  

Trish’s  modesty  backfired,  as  she  became  the  13th  castaway  voted  off  the  island.  She  

retained  strong  self-­‐esteem  despite  her  short  tenure  on  the  show.  

At  a  mere  89  pounds,  the  castaway  was  a  new  woman  when  she  returned  home.  For  

a  year,  she  deserted  her  nice  clothes  and  accessories—she  did  not  need  them  to  be  happy.  

  “When  you  have  an  experience  like  ‘Survivor,’  

you  realize  material  things  aren’t  important,”  

explained  Trish.  

  To  this  day,  Trish  remembers  how  crucial  it  

was  to  build  relationships  with  her  tribe  members  on  

the  first  night  of  “Survivor.”  She  now  lives  with  an  

attitude  of  openness  and  vulnerability.  

“I  need  to  be  warm,  I  need  to  be  friendly,  I  need  to  open  up  to  other  people  and  have  them  open  up  to  me.  That’s  how  you  get  by  in  life.  That’s  what  life  is  about.”  -­‐Trish  Dunn  

Page 5: Profile Story on Survivor Contestant Trish Dunn

  “After  Survivor,  I  realized  a  life  lesson  that’s  really  important.  I  need  to  be  warm,  I  

need  to  be  friendly,  I  need  to  open  up  to  other  people  and  have  them  open  up  to  me.  That’s  

how  you  get  by  in  life.  That’s  what  life  is  about.”  

###  

(Supplementary  Sidebar  story)    SEO:  Trish  Dunn  runs  South  African  ultra-­‐marathon    Ten  years  after  appearing  on  “Survivor:  Pearl  Islands,”  Trish  Dunn  runs  her  49th  marathon  

on  the  Grassroot  Soccer  team  at  South  Africa’s  Two  Oceans  ultra-­‐marathon.  

-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐  

“Survivor”  contestant  runs  ultra-­‐marathon  in  South  Africa  Trish  Dunn  educates,  inspires,  motivates  with  Grassroot  Soccer    

When  Trish  Dunn  earned  a  position  as  a  castaway  on  “Survivor:  Pearl  Islands”  in  

2003,  she  felt  empowered  and  unstoppable.  This  sentiment  revisited  her  10  years  later  as  

she  ran  along  the  Indian  and  Atlantic  Oceans  during  her  49th  marathon.  

  The  emotional  and  physical  determination  Trish  developed  on  “Survivor”  motivated  

her  to  complete  South  Africa’s  Two  Oceans  ultra-­‐marathon  in  March.  The  team  she  ran  with    

gave  her  the  opportunity  to  donate  money  and  time  to  the  organization  Grassroot  Soccer.      

Many  people  consider  Two  Oceans  the  “world’s  most  beautiful  race,”  due  to  its  

breathtaking  scenery,  ocean  views  and  mountain  backdrop.  Despite  its  beauty,  the  race’s  

35  miles  are  grueling.  In  one  segment,  runners  climb  the  edge  of  a  mountain  for  10  

continuous  miles.  

  “The  race  itself  was  much  harder  than  I  thought  it  would  be,”  admitted  Trish.  “When  

you  reach  the  finish  line,  you’re  dead.  You  can’t  believe  how  hard  it  was.”  

Page 6: Profile Story on Survivor Contestant Trish Dunn

For  the  kids  

Though  the  race  was  grueling,  it  allowed  10  runners  to  raise  funds  for  the  

organization  Grassroot  Soccer.  The  organization  uses  the  power  of  soccer  to  educate,  

inspire  and  mobilize  African  communities  to  stop  the  spread  of  HIV.  Through  their  

partnership  with  public  schools,  Grassroot  Soccer  increases  education  focused  on  clean  

water  and  health.  

Ethan  Zohn  co-­‐founded  Grassroot  Soccer  after  winning  “Survivor:  Africa”  in  2002.  

When  he  contacted  Trish  about  running  on  the  Grassroot  Soccer  ultra-­‐marathon  team,  she  

jumped  at  the  opportunity.  

Trish  raised  more  than  $5,000  on  

her  online  fundraising  page  before  the  

marathon.  After  the  race,  she  helped  

Grassroot  Soccer  establish  soccer  

programs  in  impoverished  communities  

throughout  Zimbabwe  and  South  Africa.  

Since  the  ultra-­‐marathon,  Trish  has  

supported  Grassroot  Soccer  coaches  in  

finding  permanent  jobs  to  ensure  they  do  not  fall  back  into  poverty.  

For  more  information,  visit  the  Grassroot  Soccer  website  at  grassrootsoccer.com.    

###  

Tweet:  Trish  Dunn  completes  ultra-­‐marathon  by  relying  on  support  of  people,  not  things  #survivorwisdom  http://bit.ly/1h25qVl    

Website:  http://survivortd.wordpress.com/  

Trish sports her “Survivor” hat as two zebras wander into her camp in Zimbabwe. The Grassroot Soccer team worked with schools in Zimbabwe to increase education regarding HIV.

Photo courtesy of Trish Dunn