Don't underestimate the power of 'Survivor' winner Filipina Canadian Erika Casupanan

SCREEN CAPTURE

Filipina Canadian Erika Casupanan reacts when she is announced winner of 'Survivor.'

The latest version of pioneer reality show Survivor was unlike any other season: the winner was of Filipino descent.

Erika Casupanan, 32, of Canada made history when she was chosen the winner of Survivor Wednesday night pocketing the $1-million prize.

“I wanna say that it’s actually a three-way tie between breaking the drought of a woman winning, being the first Canadian winner, and being the first person of Filipino descent to win American Survivor,” she said.

The diminutive Casupanan, a former communications manager, played under the radar developing relationships and gaining the trust of other players who continued to keep the Filipino Canadian around for her vote.

She was more than happy to do their bidding all the while developing her own game plan. By the time the other players realized they had underestimated her, Casupanan's role had grown in importance and was among the final three that inclded to male players, 

“I know that I’m a smaller player, people look at me and probably think I’m not going to be able to physically contribute to the tribe," she told Entertainment Weekly. "So, I had to figure out a game play for mitigating that potential risk but at the same time not being a physical threat, not being out in front as someone who could potentially go out and win a bunch of competitions. I knew that that was my strength too. So I thought, if I know that people are going to look at me and they’re not really going to think that I’m a big threat then how do I use that to really go undercover and fly under the radar,” said the articulate Casupanan.

In explaining her strategy to the panel made up the players she helped oust, she had developed this skill in the corporation boardrooms where others in the room thought she was an intern because of her physical appearance, (short, brown and Filipino) all the while she was in charge directing the discussion.

In preparing for her participation, she got her self physically fit, enrolled in gym classes, took swimming lessons and took up boxing; listened to podcasts and watched every episode of Survivor.

She also quit her job as communications manager.

“It was a sacrifice but it was also one of those things where I felt like it was time for that chapter to end," she told EW.

"What better opportunity is there to start a new fresh chapter then go do the craziest adventure of life? It meant changes in my lifestyle. Something that I use to define myself is now gone. It really set me up to be able to enter the game knowing there was no strings attached. I just am the way that I am,” she said unabashedly.

What will Casupanan do with her winnings?

“My parents worked so hard to make sure I’m in a position to make my dream of winning Survivor come true. So my number one priority is my parents,” she continued. “And then my number three priority is buying some really expensive handbags,” she laughed.

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