I recently had the chance to interview Jolanda Jones from Survivor Palau. Jolanda was the first castaway voted off on her season, and has managed to be quite successful after she did the show. She entered the political sphere in Houston, saved a person’s life and is in the midst of throwing one of the biggest reality events of the year. Her charity event is called the ‘Houston Survivor Challenge’ and it will also mark my first celebrity appearance since becoming the host of Reality Obsessed (which makes it a major event for me as well). Here’s what Jolanda had to say about it all.
Murtz Jaffer: Hey Jolanda, it has been awhile! I believe the last time we saw each other was the Survivor event in Stratford right?
Jolanda Jones: Yes, Murtz. We last saw each other in Stratford, Ontario, Canada.
MJ: I am sure that most people remember you from Survivor Palau, but a lot has happened since the show. You’re a councilwoman in Houston now right?
JJ: Yes, I’m Houston City Council Member, At Large Position 5. In other words, it’s city wide. Houston is the fourth largest city in the USA with a population of over 2.2 million people. It’s a daunting job but somebody’s got to do it. Besides that, I love helping people. Did you always have an interest in politics and how did you get started? No, I didn’t grow up wanting to be a politician. Various friends had been begging me to run for office since 1995. I didn’t see the point. Then I had time to see that government doesn’t always work for the common man so I decided to run to fight for the rights of the common man.
MJ: Speaking of Survivor, there was a story about you that made national headlines around the country a couple of months ago, when you saved a woman from her burning car (after it veered off the highway). Can you tell me more about what happened?
JJ: Yes I can. My son and I were driving one night really late. My son saw a car fly off the freeway. It dropped about 100 feet. I didn’t believe it but my son was insistent that he saw what he saw. Consequently we went looking for the car. I personally didn’t believe that anyone could have survived that fall.
Eventually the car burst into flames. My son and I ran to the burning car. There were two men already there but they couldn’t get the woman out of the car. They were pleading for me to help them. The woman was also crying and screaming for us to save her and not to let her die.
We tried to pull her out of the driver’s side window but she was pinned. She screamed every time we tried to pull her out. I finally was able to figure out how to un-pin her. I put my body in the burning car and applied my weight to the driver’s seat to try and pry open or create space for us to pull her out. Once I did that, we were able to pull her out through the driver’s side window. I caught her so she wouldn’t fall to the ground. I ran with her for about 50 yards to get away from the burning car.
The car exploded right after we got her out.
It turns out it wasn’t a woman, she was a 17 year old senior high school student. She has a long way to go. She had severe injuries and multiple surgeries await. Her family invited my son and I to their Roshashana celebration last week. We happily and thankfully attended. We now consider ourselves family.
MJ: Clearly, you are a leader and while this actually was a detriment on Survivor (and your dismissal is what many people point to as being the reason for the Ulong tribe’s abysmal performance), your driven personality has resulted in a lot of success after the show. Do you agree?
JJ: Yes, I probably should have watched more Survivor to know not to show my strength before I was on the show. That probably would have led to a different strategy. One of my successes is to help the U’jana Conley Foundation for SIDS and the Buffalo Bayou Partnership. The way to do that this year is to talk to you about is the Houston Survivor Challenge.
MJ: Can you tell me more about the event and what attendees can expect?
JJ: Yes, we’ve toned it down some after Hurricane Ike but the core event, The Houston Survivor Challenge, is still a go. We have squeezed a game of Survivor into one day, with teams, land, water, team building & intellectual challenges, tribals and one ultimate survivor. Our challenges are built to fit the locale. Also the team names have something to do with something uniquely Houston. The teams are composed of some applicants who apply and reality TV stars. It’ll be fun. The application deadline is October 15th. There will be interviews and a vetting process just like on the real Survivor. The final contestants will be kidnapped and not allowed to speak to each other just like on the real show. They’ll find out stuff at the moment it’s about to happen just like the real show.
There is also an Ike component after the Hurricane. We will be collecting canned goods and other non-perishables for families affected by Ike. Further we are trying to work with the City of Galveston to see if we can come down there and do some charitable work to help them recover.
MJ: The event takes place from October 23 – 26. Can you walk me through exactly what is going to happen on each day?
JJ: Thursday, October 23rd – VIP Reception
Friday, October 24th – Media
Saturday, October 25th – Survivor Challenge Event
Sunday, October 26th – Charity Work in Galveston
MJ: You have quite a list of reality celebrities that will be coming, including my pal Eliza Orlins (Survivor Vanuatu). Who else will be there and how did you decide on who will be coming?
JJ: In addition to Eliza, there are Vecepia Robinson, Winner, Survivor Marquesas; James Clement, twice voted Fan Favorite, Survivor China/Fans vs. Faves; Twila Tanner, Runner-Up, Survivor Vanuatu; Katie Gallagher, Runner-Up, Survivor Palau; Erik Reichenbach, Survivor Fans vs. Faves; Ami Cusack, Survivor Vanuatu/Fans vs. Faves; Bobby Jon Drinkard, Survivor Palau/Guatemala; Alexis Jones, Survivor Fans vs. Faves; Tracy Hughes-Wolf, Survivor: Fans vs. Faves; Michael “Mikey B” Bortone, Survivor: Fans vs. Faves; Bruce Kanegai, Survivor Exile Island; Coby Archa, Survivor Palau; Rita Verreos, Survivor Fiji/Miss Venezuela; Lea “Sarge” Masters, Survivor Vanuatu; Tyler Denk & James Branaman, Winners, Amazing Race10; Eric Sanchez, Winner, Amazing Race8; Nikki Obrien; Amazing Race5/Miss Teen Texas; and Natalie Bolton, Survivor Micronesia, Brady Finta, Survivor Vanuatu; Rory Freeman, Survivor Vanuatu; Brooke Geraghty, Survivor Vanuatu; Bobby Mason, Survivor Exile Island; James Miller, Survivor Palau; Cristina Coria, Survivor Cook Islands; Leslie Nease, Survivor China; Kelly & Christy, Amazing Race 13; and Uchenna Agu, who along with his wife Joyce, won Amazing Race All Stars, will serve as the host of the event.
MJ: Can you tell me more about the Buffalo Bayou Partnership and the U’jana Conley Foundation?
JJ: Buffalo Bayou Partnership is a non-profit that oversees Buffalo Bayou improvements. The Partnership coordinates the integration of major amenities into the Bayou greenbelt and seeks ways to increase community involvement through pedestrian, boating and biking amenities, permanent and temporary art installations, and other natural and built attractions.
In May 2002, The U’jana Conley Foundation for SIDS was founded after U’jana Conely died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrom on August 18, 2000, at 11 months and 13 days old. She was a perfectly healthy baby. Her parents, Uchenna and Eddie vowed to not let her death be in vain.
The U’jana Conley Foundation is a 501(C) (3) nationwide voluntary health organization, dedicated to:
• Eliminating SIDS
• Raising public awareness about SIDS
• Providing assistance for families with high-risk infants by funding SIDS research and support services
• Providing resources for families and family members touched by SIDS
Through grant making process and personal pledge to effectively cause change, by:
1. Identifying the cause(s) of SIDS leading to its eradication.
2. Educating the general public and healthcare providers about SIDS, decreasing behaviors that lead to high-risk factors associated with SIDS.
3. Helping manage the treatment of and provide needed services to high-risk infants from low, socioeconomic families.
4. Helping lead to a substantial decrease in the number of infants lost to SIDS For further information, please contact us at: 281.431.8259
5. Assisting families of and friends of SIDS victims.
6. Helping establish statewide protocols and procedures for those investigating the sudden and unexplained death of infants.
MJ: Where can people get more information about the event and purchase tickets?
JJ: www.ujanaconleyfoundation.org
MJ: Now, I am not sure if you know this… but a lot has changed since the last time we saw each other! I have my own show in Canada now called Reality Obsessed. Did you ever think that was going to happen?!
JJ: No, I never knew you wanted your own reality TV show but nothing about you surprises me. You’re a special kind of guy!!!
MJ: I am also happy to announce that the Houston Survivor Challenge will be the first celebrity charity appearance I will be making since the show premiered, and I couldn’t be more excited!
JJ: Thanks Murtz. I’m looking forward to having you here as my special guest.
