Kourtney Moon: Survivor exit interview

Kourtney Moon had one of the more memorable exits from Survivor.

The member of the all-women's Salani tribe broke her wrist during the first immunity challenge as seen on last week's Survivor: One World premiere. 

"It’s in one piece. It’s still scrawny, just the way it was before the break," the 29-year-old said when I asked how the wrist is now. 

Although Jeff Probst had told the other castaways that Kourtney's break required surgery, doctors didn't operate; they forced the broken bones back into place instead, a process they had to repeat twice before it worked. "I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy," she said.

She recalled how she knew the wrist was broken when she got to the bottom of the net in a challenge that involved castaways jumping into a net from a platform and then crossing a balance beam.

"My hand was kind of dangling," she said. 

The hard part, she added, was watching it on TV. "I didn't want to see it happen."

But the break has had other lasting effects.

Kourtney, who lives in Austin, Texas, is still undergoing rehabilitation and has been told her wrist will never be 100 per cent. That means she can't pursue her previous career as a motorcycle repair person.

"It's a tough pill to swallow. It did directly affect my livelihood," she said.

Despite that, she feels her brief time on Survivor was a positive experience.

"I kind of see it as a blessing. I met some amazing people and made some lifelong friends. I got to go to the South Pacific, I got to do some wonderful things and how can that be terrible?"

And the injury leaves her open for "an opportunity that may be more fruitful and appealing and longer lasting than being a mechanic.... There are plenty of people that have it much worse than I do. There's no room for self-pity."

Kourtney said the three days she spent with her tribe were fun but chaotic at first.

"There was no order and then throw the crazy social dynamic of that into the mix.

"Sabrina went off and was looking for the idol for three days straight and didn’t really do much. The guys were coming over all the time. Girls were coming over all the time."

Although the all-male Manono tribe seemed tough on its female counterparts on last week's show, Kourtney said, "There was a lot of flirting going on. I didn’t see a lot of the conflict. Most of the conflict I saw was more just like teasing each other.... I'm surprised nobody made out in the first three days, to be honest."

Kourtney was disappointed that the tribes were divided into male/female since she's never been part of a large group of women and has hung around guys most of her life.

"Guys are simple. They’re easy to understand. Girls are sort of an enigma.... They say one thing and mean another and I'm just as clueless as the guys."

Still, she managed to align herself with Nina, Monica and Christina on Salani.

Not so much Alicia. 

"Alicia just kind of rubbed you the wrong way. If she doesn’t like you, it’s even magnified."

Most of Alicia's ire on last week's episode was saved for Christina and Kourtney figures had she not broken her wrist and been removed from the game, Christina would have been the first one voted out.

As for herself, Kourtney figures there are advantages to being sent home for medical reasons on the first episode of the season and not because her tribe wanted to get rid of her.

"Anybody who's ever been voted off first, I'm sure they don’t appreciate (me saying that, but) in some way I maintained a shred of dignity."

Survivor airs Wednesday nights on Global TV at 8 p.m.

(The photo of Kourtney is by Monty Brinton for CBS.)

Comments

[Polonium]

Kourtney. <3

I wish you a speedy recovery. Best of luck!