While many mothers will be lapping up breakfast in bed and lie-ins this Mother’s Day, three Survivor New Zealand mums will simply be happy to have their youngins back in their arms.
For season two contestants and super mums Karla Karaitiana, Tara Thorowgood and Lisa Stanger, being 9000km away from their children on a deserted Thailand mountaintop was the hardest part of this year’s intensive Survivor game.
Chatting with Woman’s Day, the trio agree that although some of the other contestants might have seen having children as a distraction, it actually fuelled their determination.
Survivor mums L-R Lisa, Karla and Tara.
Karla, who was voted off the island last week and is a solo mother to Rawiri, 16, and Awhina, 9 tells: “I knew coming home to my children was literally going to be the best thing on the planet, but I had to represent my kids and the everyday Kiwi Mum first.”
The reporter-turned-barista, 37, says being a mother meant she conducted herself in a way that made it easy to leave the island proud this week, when she was unanimously voted off during episode two.
Karla was voted off the island last week.
Karla, who also secretly struggled on the island because of a relationship break-up just weeks before she left, says: “While I was there I had the responsibility of knowing that whatever I did could have possible consequences for my children. I very much carried them on my shoulders the whole time.”
Karla went through a relationship break-up only weeks before she began her stint on the show.
Fellow solo mother Tara, 44, was also out to prove that mums can be a fierce and strong-willed bunch.
Mum to Mikyla, 15, Finlay, 13, and Addison-rose, 4, Tara says there was one rule for the contestants on the island – no talking about her kids!
She admits, “I told everyone not to mention them because it made me cry. I tried to dissociate myself from the kids while I was there because otherwise I would’ve been a mess.”
Tara had a point to prove.
Tara, who hadn’t worn high-heels until her Woman’s Day shoot, overcame homesickness on the island by reminding herself that for first time in 15 years, it was about her.
She explains: “I had to switch to the mind-set of ‘I’m doing this for Tara, not the Mum me’. As a solo mum I’ve had to be stronger because I’m my children’s only example at the moment, so it’s made me a greater person and in the decisions I make.”
Tara says Survivor is as much a challenge as motherhood is.
Lisa, who wanted to show Logan there’s a whole world to explore outside their hometown Christchurch, hopes her time on the show will trigger his travel bug.
The 38-year-old explains, “I’d like him to start experiencing it earlier than I did and to see that travel and adventure are something for him, not just other people.”
Kayla agrees. “I was honestly terrified to go and do this but I wanted my kids to know you have to push yourself outside your comfort zone. You’ve got to throw yourself in the deep end because you never know what’ll happen.”
Tara adds: “My claim to fame is my three beautiful children. Motherhood is definitely a super-challenge, just like Survivor is a super-challenge.”
Lisa wanted to show her son there was a whole world out there to explore.
Karla explains that her son was apprehensive about sending his beloved mother onto an unknown island with a bunch of strangers, but her daughter was over the moon.
“Awhina thinks it’s the coolest thing in the world and the hardest part for her was not being able to tell anyone about it. She’s stoaked that she can now!”
She adds, “They’re really proud of me for putting myself out there and I’m hoping that going over will teach them that you can’t let things hold you back.”
Lisa is encouraging her son to start travelling before she did.
If it wasn’t for the support of Tara’s children, she wouldn’t have applied for Survivor New Zealand. She says, “I’ve loved Survivor ever since I watched the first show, so I’ve always been a fan. My son saw the ad on TV and said I should apply and I thought why not!”
The eldest of the contestants, but already a force to be reckoned with, Tara naturally took on a mothering role on the island, saying: “I also bonded quickest with the other mums because it’s a very special thing when you have children in your life.”
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