Meet the 'Survivor 44' Cast! Heidi Lagares-Greenblatt Says Her Struggles Moving to the U.S. Have Prepared Her
The 43-year-old engineering manager is playing for "people who may sound different and look different."
Heidi Lagares-Greenblatt has more experience on an island than most in Survivor 44, having spent more than half her life in Puerto Rico. The 43-year-old engineering manager struggled in her initial move to the states, but overcame the obstacles to create both a community and a successful career. And she hopes to bring that fortuitousness to the game, hoping to bring the money home for her family, Latinas in STEM, and anyone who may be judged for their accent.
Read on for my interview with Heidi, and make sure to check in with Parade.com every day for interviews with this season's contestants and other tidbits. Survivor 44 premieres on March 1 with a special two-hour premiere on CBS.
Related: Meet the Full Cast of Survivor 44
Interview with Heidi from Survivor 44
Why are you here on Survivor?
I am here on Survivor because I'm following my dreams. I am a latecomer to Survivor. And from the moment I watched one episode, I was hooked. So then I ended up watching every season from the beginning. And I've been wanting to be on this show since I saw it for the first time. I want to represent my people, my family. I want to represent Latinas out there, Latinas working in STEM, and all those people who may have an accent, may sound different, and look different.
What's your history with watching Survivor?
So some of my neighbors started doing a poll, just selecting the winner from the beginning. And in all honesty, I had never watched an episode. But when I watched the first one, I got into it just because of that. So when I watched the first episode, I was like, "How did I never know about this?" I moved to the U.S. in 2003. So I didn't watch it from the beginning. I watched halfway through, and then I ended up going back to season one to see what it was all about.
Give me one Survivor winner and one non-winner who you identify with the most.
So I would say a winner would be Sandra. She's from Puerto Rico. And she represented! She's almost like the pioneer Latina who actually won. And I look up to her. Something different with me, hopefully, will be that I won't sit out too many challenges. But definitely, she's one of my favorites.
With a non-winner there are a few of them. One that I truly like is Angelina. A lot of people saw her as villainous, but I truly like her. I mean, her negotiations changed the way that this game is played. We've seen the negotiations for rice later on in other seasons. So I truly enjoy her. She's all about female empowerment. And I love that, and I identify with that a lot. And I think I'm a little biased with Latinas.
What's your favorite moment in Survivor history?
This is not my favorite because of what happened. But this is my favorite because I have washed with my family multiple times just to have conversations. The moment when Zeke was outed was so powerful. It was so sad, but at the same time, so powerful for me to have conversations with my kids. And I truly see that as a line I do not want to cross. He got to a personal side. It's a game at the end of the day. We're gonna play hard, but it is a game. And I really do not want to bring any personal items like that where it should not be my position to do something like that. So I take it as a teaching moment more than anything.
What's one life experience you feel has prepared you most for the game?
Definitely moving to the U.S. I moved after college. I could barely speak the language; I pretty much had nothing. I didn't have any money; I didn't have a bed. Pretty much nothing other than an offer for a job. So that's why I moved. And I struggled. I moved to the middle of New York, and I didn't have a car; I didn't have anything. So, in the beginning, I had to struggle a bit and hustle quite a bit in order to get myself going. And that struggle and adaptation that I had to do to move to the U.S. from Puerto Rico, I'm very proud of that. It's made me who I am. And I think a lot of what I've learned from that moment can be used in this game.
What excites you the most about the new era of Survivor?
I love the speed. I think when I watch the old episodes versus the new episodes, the new ones are like, "There's no time to breathe." And, in all honesty, that's my life. I mean, I'm a full-time employee. I have two kids. I do all kinds of things on the side, so I'm always on the run. And I love the pace. I really, really do—a lot of the wrinkles and the unexpected. Expect the unexpected. It's really what it's all about. I also love the evolution of the game, how diverse it is, and how they share the stories of the people. That's why I'm here, because it inspires me to be here. The people in the past inspire me. And I hope to inspire some people in the future as well.
What do you think people will perceive you as?
I think they may perceive me as a little bit on the seasoned side. I get the sense that I may be on the older side compared to everyone else. So seasoned is not a bad thing, because it comes with a whole lot of experiences. But I'm bubbly. I love people. I love talking to people. I love listening to people. So I hope they perceive me as someone energetic who's willing to play hard. But at the same time, being authentic with their friendships and just work hard in camp and the challenges. So I hope they see that I'm working hard. But in the beginning, I cannot be too hard because that'll kick me out! (Laughs.) So I just gotta play my timing right. But hopefully, they find me authentic.
What type of player are you looking for in an alliance?
I'm looking for actually a partner that may be quite different than me. So I'm on the short side. I want to pair up with someone on the tall side. I am on the older side, so I want to pair up with someone on the younger side. So that's my plan coming in, to pair up and find someone that complements me, and I can complement them. And hopefully, we will have a good friendship behind it too.
How eager will you be to look for advantages in the game?
I want to keep my composure. But I am eager. We will all have our eyes open and ears open to find them. And I truly hope to find at least one. The secret behind this is going to be to actually not share the secret with everyone. I feel like in the last few seasons, everyone shared every time they found an advantage or an idol, and it bit them. So if I find one, my strategy coming in is hopefully not sharing the secrets.
What is the one thing you told yourself you wouldn't do in this game?
I will use the example I used in a previous question, which is hopefully not cross that personal ethical line. I'm going to play hard. If this is a game of deceit, I will play the game. But there's always that ethical personal line that I do not want a cross. I used Zeke as an example, and that's one line that I really truly hope that I will not cross.
What's the best advice you received before coming out to play?
The best advice I received was from my close people: My kids and my husband. From my kids, if you find an idol, do not please do not share it with anybody unless they are with you and they notice it. From my husband, it was more along the lines of, "Your physical ability will take you so far. What's gonna take you beyond your abilities will be your mind. So use your heart and your mind to stay strong, and just make sure that will take you farther than any physical ability you have."
Can you come up with your own weird phrase that could be said at a challenge to unlock an idol?
That's a great question. I always say how I'm gonna use "Heidisms." Because my first language is not English, so sometimes I try to translate phrases from a different language to English, and they just come out like, "what did you just say?" So I feel like I may say something along the lines that may be true in my native language and get mistranslated. It will certainly be something that will not make sense.
What celebrity or fictional character would you want to come out for a Loved Ones visit?
I would love Lin Manuel Miranda. He identifies as Puerto Rican, although his parents are truly the ones that were born on the island. But that would be a dream come true. I absolutely love him. Love everything he does, love everything he stands for. That would be a true dream come true.
Next, check out our interview with Survivor 44 contestant Frannie Marin.
