“Survivor” inspires students toward success

Sheena LeMay / The Bulletin

Chad Crittenden of "Survivor" Season 9 speaks Wednesday night at Albert Taylor Hall about being on survivor and going through life as an amputee. Crittenden was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor on the bottom of his right foot which resulted in the removal of his leg below the knee.

Chat Crittenden, a former cast member of “Survivor, Vanuatu” spoke during a student success seminar last night in Albert Taylor Hall. His presentation, entitled “From Surgery to Survivor,” informed students of the power of the will to survive.

“No matter what obstacles people face, I think that hearing a story like mine can help in any situation,” Crittenden said. “Others can see that there are open doors.”

Crittenden, a California native, was diagnosed in 2002 with Synovial Sarcoma, a rare and often fatal form of cancer. In order to live, Crittenden was told that it was necessary to amputate the lower portion of his right leg. Crittenden went ahead with the surgery and began the process of recovery.

While recovering from surgery, Crittenden decided that he must create a timeline for himself. In this timeline he would establish a set of goals for himself and dates that he wanted these goals accomplished.

“When I was recovering, every day was a sick day,” Crittenden said. “I decided that I needed guidance (and) some plans. I needed to figure out what I was going to do.”

Crittenden began completing his goals immediately. He began training as an athlete and competed in a triathlon and other sporting events. It was after the triathlon that Crittenden decided to try out for “Survivor” as a way to show the public that people with disabilities are just as capable as anyone else. Crittenden was asked to participate in the show and was a contestant on “Survivor, Vanuatu,” which was season nine of the series.

Many students found Crittenden’s message to be a source of inspiration.

“He was fun to listen to and very inspiring” said Amy Nixon, freshman elementary education major.

Although many consider Crittenden inspirational, he has a hard time viewing himself in the same way.

“It is tough for me to embrace myself as inspiring,” Crittenden said. “Things happen in life and you have to look at the big picture. There is always someone who has it harder than you do.”

There were several reasons that the event organizers thought that Crittenden’s story would benefit students.

“I feel it is important to bring individuals to campus who can share their life experiences with students,” said Stacey Braun, student success coordinator. “And not only demonstrate how they overcame challenges in life, but also motivate students to be empowered by life’s challenges and not give up on their dreams.”

Braun introduced Crittenden to a crowd of about 25 students gathered to hear his story and to see a television personality in person.

“I actually did watch Survivor, so I thought that it would be fun to come and see him speak,” said Erin Ferguson, freshman history major. “It’s also something to do and free, which is always nice.”

Crittenden arrived by boat alongside the other survivors on Vanuatu, an island in the South Pacific, at the beginning of “Survivor.” The survivors were greeted by a local tribe and invited to join an in elaborate ritual ceremony. At the end of the ceremony, Crittenden and the other survivors left to find their campsites in two teams, men against women.

In his first days on the island, Crittenden did not reveal to his teammates that he was disabled. He wore pants to hide his prosthetic leg and pulled his weight alongside the other contestants.

During the seminar, Crittenden reenacted the revealing of his handicap to his team. He began his program in a button down top and khaki pants. He later sat down in a chair onstage and converted his pants to shorts by zipping off the lower portion of his pants to reveal his prosthesis. Crittenden said that he will often reveal his disability after he has the chance to prove to others that he is able-bodied.

“I wanted to demonstrate or prove to the guys of ‘Survivor’ that I could do what they could do. I could do what the other guys do,” Crittenden said.

He also said that nearly all the men on his team were incredibly accepting and encouraging. They treated him as one of their own.

Following his prosthetic reveal, Crittenden showed students a series of clips from his time on “Survivor.” The clips illustrated the various challenges that Crittenden was able to compete in and his ability to be an active member of his team.

After “Survivor,” Crittenden went on to become a stay-at-home dad with his children and complete his ultimate goal – creating an indoor soccer league.