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Survivor season 44 is set to air this week and will feature new castaways as they compete to become the sole survivor of the upcoming season. One of the 18 contestants set to compete in the long-running CBS show is Carolyn Wiger, a drug counselor who was once an addict.
Carolyn states that overcoming her addiction is a life experience that has prepared her for the show. She said:
"I’ve worked hard to become this person I am proud of. I know this game will break me down but I am strong, resilient and most importantly I believe in myself!"
Tune in on Wednesday, March 1, at 8 pm ET on CBS to watch the season premiere of Survivor season 44
Survivor season 44 contestant Carolyn Wiger has been a part of several professional fields
The upcoming Survivor season 44 contestant, Carolyn Wiger, lives in Hugo, Minnesota but is originally from St. Paul. The 35-year-old drug counselor describes herself as passionate, “a little bit loud,” and open.
Carolyn is a graduate of Century College, where she studied chemical dependency counseling, followed by her time at Metro States University in 2008, earning a bachelor’s degree in community leadership and development.
While at the university, she was a part of the after-school program as a coordinator for AmeriCorps Promise Fellow with St. Paul Housing Agency, where she planned and implemented after-school programs for 25 ethnically and racially diverse students.
In 2009, she started interning for American Indian Community Development Corporation Detox Center for seven months, followed by her time at Juel Fairbanks as an ADCT.
The Survivor season 44 cast member worked at Haven Chemical Health Systems, LLC for six years as a LADC and an on-call LADC. She is currently working for Washington County, Minnesota, in the field of chemical health as a drug counselor for the past 8 years.
About being on season 44, she said that she wants to be a part of the CBS show to share her story and “bring hope.”
She added:
"Addiction looks different on everybody and recovery does too. Survivor is so much more than a game to me. It’s the human interactions, the growth and the fun! Of course, I want to be a part of that."
She stated in an interview with Parade that she is most proud of staying sober for the past 13 years and raising her son while in recovery. The upcoming contestant further states that one former contestant that she relates to the most is Noura. She added that she would like to be as strategic as Kelley Wentworth and cutthroat like Parvati, but she is way more like Noura.
She continued:
"My entire life I've been told that I'm too this, I'm too that, I'm too loud…too much. It has been my dream to play this game as myself and Maryanne is proof it can be done. I want to have fun like Tiffany, be lovable like Maryanne, and free-spirited and spontaneous like Noura."
Tune in on Wednesday, March 1, at 8 pm ET to watch the season premiere of Survivor season 44 on CBS.
