Orlando woman competes on 38th season of 'Survivor'

32-year-old Florida native says 'It's harder than you can ever imagine'

ORLANDO, Fla. – Aurora McCreary is a survivor.

The 32-year-old Orlando attorney is one of 18 contestants on "Survivor’s" 18th season, Edge of Extinction.

"I cannot think of anything that was more exciting in my life,” McCreary told News 6. "I've gone on different adventures, but this was my dream."

McCreary, a Pensacola native and University of Central Florida alumna, says her unique childhood helped shape her mentality going into the show.

“I am a child that came from the foster care system,” she said. “I was blessed enough to be put in the foster care system with one of my biological brothers and he really took care of me. But it also made me adaptable. It made me go into a situation and just try and put my best foot forward and try and make people like me.” 

And as a lawyer, McCreary also thought her career would give her an advantage.

“I thought being a lawyer -- especially being a divorce attorney -- would prepare me for the drama,” she said.

And being on "Survivor," drama is of course the name of the game.

“When you are voted out, you are going to walk off of tribal and you are going to reach a signpost with a lighted torch,” said Jeff Probst, "Survivor’s" host. “If you've played enough, follow the path and you're done. But, if you want a chance to get back in the game, grab the torch and get in the boat."

“I think going into the show, I wanted to be as open as I possibly could,” McCreary said. "I went into saying 'Nothing is going to stop me, nothing I'm going to hold back. I'm giving 100 percent, if I'm going out there.'”

McCreary said she went into "Survivor" wanting to represent Orlando and show both the strength and the flexibility of our city and emphasizing the Orlando strong motto. She couldn't reveal too many details about the show, but says there are many surprises throughout the season.

“I wanted to be the sole survivor, because I wanted to not just prove myself, but prove to everyone else that there is no box that you should be held in,” she said.


About the Authors:

Donovan is WKMG-TV's executive producer of digital enterprise

Julie Broughton's career in Central Florida has spanned more than 14 years, starting with News 6 as a meteorologist and now anchoring newscasts.

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