It was not a good week to be over 40 on Survivor: Samoa. First, Los Angeles personal chef Mike Borassi, 62, was removed for medical reasons after a particularly brutal immunity challenge. Then Betsy Bolan, a 48-year-old cop from Campton, N.H., failed to convince her teammates that Russell shouldn’t be trusted and was voted out because she was labeled the weakest physical link. PEOPLE caught up with Mike and Betsy to discuss conniving teammates and reality show ageism. — Carrie Bell
The challenge looked like a night at the UFC.
Betsy: It was just awful. People get very brutal and animalistic when immunity is on the line.
Mike: It was 10 times harder than it looked and 10 times longer.
Obviously, it was your downfall, Mike.
M: Ya think? When we were standing there after the game and Jeff was talking to us about things and Ben was going on and on about being an outlaw … I actually thought I was dying and going into the light. I was looking for dead relatives. I knew I was in trouble. I knew it was severe dehydration. Severe dehydration paired with extreme exertion blew the engine. I knew I would recoup. An hour after I was taken away, I was fine.
Do you have a choice once Medical says, “You’re out”?
M: I was begging, “Give me more time. I’m coming back.” She didn’t feel my blood pressure was coming up quick enough and I respect her call as a doctor.
Viewers know Russell’s playing all sides. Betsy, when did you catch on?
B: It had an inkling. He gave me a feeling that made my skin crawl. I could not pinpoint any one thing and that was the problem. I didn’t know he’d emptied the canteens or burnt the socks. That’s why it was so hard to prove it to the other girls.
Now that you’ve seen his misdeeds and heard his lies, how do you feel?
B: Validated. I knew he had it in him. I believed him for the first five minutes. I was thinking, “He’s a fireman. This is gonna be a good alliance.” But then I was like, “Wait a minute. Something not right about him.” He’s a snake and to use Katrina, which is such a horrible thing, is vile. People really died and lost their houses and their pets.
M: I don’t like what he did, but I gotta give him credit for having a plan and executing it and making it work. It is like playing poker and somebody is bluffing you and they trick you into believing them. He did that. That is part of this game. Of course he has to live with it when he comes home. Evidently he has no problem with that.
Before Mike left for health reasons, Foa Foa engaged in the “who-is-weaker” debate.
B: It kills me that they considered us the weakest. It’s youth fire, Mike, youth fire!
M: That’s what young kids do. It’s ageism. But we did that when we were young too. Didn’t you see someone in their 40s and think, “Who’s that old guy?”
B: I am strong. Mike’s strong. Maybe we aren’t as quick, but we also have skills and life experience that younger players don’t. They should do an over-40 edition.
M: Yeah the old timer’s game.
B: I was the only one who brought my stuff to tribal so I knew I was going home. Walking to tribal, my bag was banging against my leg and I felt like such an outcast. I have never felt like that and I hope I never feel that way again.
Do you think anyone will wise up to Russell’s schemes?
M: I think people will realize it too late. Like after they’re eliminated.
Did the game have an impact on your lives?
B: I don’t think it really changed me, but I had the time of my life. Everybody should take a total break from life at some point to recharge. It is a reality check. My husband will hate to hear this, but I was so happy out there in Samoa. I don’t know that I’ll ever be that happy again.
M: I was not happy. I was way out of my comfort zone. I was so miserable and uncomfortable. I was sick of being wet and hungry and sleepy. But it tested my fortitude. I was getting too complacent as I got older. I needed something to light a fire under my ass.
Monty Brinton/CBS
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