Local girl from anderson is a member of this seasons cast of castaways.
A local 'Survivor' splash
TV previews
BY JOHN KIESEWETTER | [email protected]
She did WHAT ?
What did Anderson Township native Michelle Yi do to her "Survivor: Fiji" teammates that host Jeff Probst says has happened only twice before in eight years?
"She has a huge impact on her tribe right away," says Probst, host of CBS' reality series returning Thursday (8 p.m., Channels 12, 7).
"It's something that's rarely seen on 'Survivor.' I don't think it's happened other than two times in the history of our show," said Probst in a telephone conference.
Probst declined to elaborate. He says the incident on the beach happens "early on" this season.
Yi, 23, a diminutive University of Cincinnati fashion design senior and competitive rock climber, was called "feisty" by Probst.
Her friends here agree. They also say the Hyde Park resident and 2002 Turpin High School graduate is very strong-willed.
"She doesn't take no for an answer. She'll find a way to get what she thinks needs to be done. She gets her point across, but I've never seen her angry, rude or mad," says friend Sarah Lade, 22, of Colerain Township, also a senior at UC's College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning.
"Yet she does have a softer side that allows her to befriend almost anyone," says Philip DiCiero, 23, of Hyde Park, who has known Yi for six years. "Her smile is contagious."
Those who know her aren't surprised that she's on a reality show.
She was an alternate for "The Amazing Race" in 2005 with her older sister, Helen, who lives in San Francisco.
Yi, who taped "Survivor" last fall, is not allowed to speak to the media until she's eliminated - or wins the $1-million prize.
Living thousands of miles from family is nothing new to Yi, her friends say.
Her father, a former Cincinnati research and development executive, and her older brother Mike, also a Turpin grad, live in California.
Her mother is a Taiwan-based author, talk show host and lecturer specializing in children with attention deficit disorder, Helen Yi says.
Michelle calls her mother "her hero" in her CBS biography (www.cbs.com/primetime/survivor14/).
Friends say she likes to travel, particularly "bouldering" in New Zealand or touring Europe with Lade in December after taping "Survivor."
Her favorite foods range from "Korean BBQ to Cincinnati Skyline Chili, with a particular weakness for ice cream and sushi," CBS says.
Yi's frequent lunch buddy, Tyler Beck of Hyde Park, says she also enjoyed modeling her DAAP designs when they took a UC photography course together last year.
"I think she's perfect for that show," says Beck, 27, an Internet content engineer. "She's got the attitude and the drive. She's quite competitive."
Probst and her friends say that Yi's size and age - she's the youngest of the 19 castaways - makes her a deceptive contestant. DAAP professor Margie Voelker-Ferrier calls her "Mighty Mouse."
"She has a way of talking that makes everything sound like a question, and I think people might disregard her," Probst says. "But she's a bit more of a player than I think people realize, and she shows that with her effort early on."
"She doesn't look like she would do well," Beck says. " She's quite intelligent, no matter what she sounds like. She knows what she's doing."
Dont normally watch these shows too much, but I might just follow along to see how she does.
Go Bearcats!
