Rachel LaMont crowned winner of ‘Survivor’ and $1 million

SCREEN CAPTURE

Rachel LaMont after she was named Sole Susrvivor.

Updated Dec. 21, 12:30 a.m.

Rachel LaMont earned seven votes from the 8-person jury to become the winner of the 47th season of the reality TV series Survivor.

"I am the kind of person that believes that everything happens for a reason, and timing is everything," she said in a Parade interview after the last episode which aired Wednesday.

"And just being here and seeing all the people here and the vibe of this season, I genuinely feel like this is my season. This is the one that it was meant to be. And it's great."

The 34-yeaar old Bangkok-born Rachel won the competition by winning the final immunity challenge that included crawling through mud and winding up with a puzzle. As the challenge winner, she was assured of being in the final three and the power to choose who would be the second person in the final three, which turned out to be Sue

Rachel also had the power to choose who among would be the third finalist by having the other two -- Teeny Chirichillo and Sam Phalen -- compete aagainst each other by building fire.

As the final three answered the questions from the jury, made up of contestants they helped to eliminate, Rachel's onfidence wavered when Sam gave a convincing argument that he deserved the jury's vote.

‘I am so stressed out that I’m losing right now, but I’m also having so much fun," she told the NY Post. "Just talking, interrupting each other, talking over each other, correcting stuff for the jury. It was so much fun. It was the most dynamic moment.  Even thought truly there was a part of me that was like, ‘Am I about to lose the game at final tribal?’"

"I think Rachel will go down as one of the best overall players to ever compete on Survivor," said host Jeff Probst. "She made the most of every opportunity, and when in trouble, always found a way out. Her dominant challenge performance speaks for itself, and her final argument to the jury about why she deserved their vote was very well-crafted with just the right amount of confidence and humility.

"And in addition to all of those player qualities, she was also a really fun human. I enjoyed talking to her at challenges and Tribal Council."

Rachel, who immigrated to the US with her family at age 7, is married and a graphic artist from Southfield, Michigan. "I basically make apps that you interact with look pretty. So I design what they look like and the colors and all of that good stuff," she told Parade.

It might not be the last we see of Rachel. In a post-game interview with Entertainment Weekly, she responded to the question if she would play again. “How could I not? This is the most incredible adventure. I still think all the time about just sitting on Beka beach in the dirt with my friends around the campfire playing a crazy game, and if they called, of course I would go.”

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