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| Natalie and Nadiya Anderson |
From Hartford Courant
Natalie and Nadiya Anderson started out as the annoying
"twinnies" on the 21st season of the popular CBS
reality show, "The Amazing Race." They didn't win, but the now
28-year-old sisters went on to be on the show's 24th season's
"All-Star" version. Again, they didn't win.
Then they were invited to compete in the reality-show
blockbuster "Survivor." And while Nadiya, a nonprofit project
coordinator, was the first one voted out on the show's 29th season
last year, twin Natalie, an aspiring physical therapist, becoming the
sole survivor and the million dollar-winner of "Survivor: San Juan del
Sur, Blood vs. Water."
But what makes them special? Well, they will be doing a
Q&A and a meet and greet at Mohegan Sun's "Amazing Race" casting
call on Wednesday, April 8, but more importantly, the two are graduates of West
Hartford's Hall High School. Raised in Sri Lanka and now living in New Jersey,
the "twinnies" had a few good years right here in Connecticut, and as
they prepare to come home again as celebrities, Natalie was more than
enthusiastic to Spilled the Beans about all things West Hartford, reality shows
and winning a million dollars.
Q: Not too much is ever written about the fact
that you and your sister did live in West Hartford and graduated from Hall High
School. So spill!
A: We were born in Sri Lanka, and when we were
13 we moved to the United States and West Hartford, and graduated from Hall
High School before we both went on to Fordham.
Q: And in high school were you two — well, as
exuberant and, well, there is no other word — annoying, as you were when you
were first on "The Amazing Race"? Or were you different in high
school?
A: In our yearbook, I think there was something
written about us being unique. And we were big into sports. We ran track, and I
was captain of the swim team. We were just all about sports then. When we were
in school none of the teachers believed we were related, because Nadiya was so
studious and quiet, and I was, well not. Because we are twins, although I am
older than she is, we used to switch classes all the time and sometimes the
teachers would realize it, but most of the times they didn't know they had the
wrong twin in class. We never did it on dates though.
Q: You have been filming or watching yourselves
on three reality shows in just a couple of years. What has life been like?
A: Anything but normal. Life has pretty much
taken a back seat to the shows and the appearances and everything else. But it
has been unbelievable fun.
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| Natalie Anderson |
Q: "The Amazing Race" sounds like a
blast but "Survivor," I don't know. Everyone looks pretty poorly by
the end of that show.
A: "The Amazing Race" is wonderful
because you meet so many amazing people and see so many incredible places. It's
hectic but you do get to sleep and eat regularly. In Survivor, it is so hard
and it sucks while you are in it and you don't know why you are in it. I lost
35 pounds on the show and my hair was falling out. We would get two teaspoons
of rice for breakfast. That was it. My sister and I are both cross fit trainers
but as a result of the show, my muscles were gone and I am still working on
trying to get that tone back. My sister knew I must have gone far into the show
when she saw me because of all the weight I had lost. The living conditions
during the show are way worse than what you see on TV. And a lot of the
contestants pick up stomach parasites.
Q: But you won a million dollars, so tell me — what
it is really like?
A: You can't bring anything but the clothes on
your back. My life was school at the time, so I had to wear a stupid dress, but
I had on Nike compression shorts and a sports bra underneath.
Q: What I don't understand is you are faced with
very, very physical challenges and then you have female contestants wearing these
skimpy two-piece bikinis that make no sense when you are climbing, sliding in
mud, wrestling, etc., etc., usually against guys. What the heck?
A: We're dressed like that because we don't get
to choose our bathing suits. You request what you want but wardrobe hands you
what the show wants you to wear. So for me, I wore my sports bra as a bathing
suit top over the one I was given. I think it worked as an advantage for me. I
didn't care what I looked like, I think it was less threatening, and I think it
made for a better alliance with the guys.
Q: The Blood vs. Water version of the show is
meant to pit relatives against each other. You and Nadiya did "Amazing
Race'' together and it would seem being separated on "Survivor'' had to be
so hard emotionally, no?
A: I was shocked when Nadiya got voted out first on
"Survivor." I was feeling so depressed when I found out she was voted
out. I didn't see how I could do anything without her. I tried not to put any
pressure on myself, and the million dollars was kind of on the back burner. But
I think I was one of the mentally stronger contestants on the beach. I made
some strong alliances and it worked. When I got to the final three I knew I had
a shot at winning.
Q: So the million dollars, are you sharing it
with her?
A: After I won, I talked to my finance guy, and
I can't just split it with her but I give her an allowance each year. So she
has to be nice to me. I'm kidding. I am trying to figure out whether to finish
school for physical therapy or open a Cross Fit business in Sri Lanka. That
would be such a commitment. I did take my family to Las Vegas on vacation. That
was a big splurge.
Q: I know it is always said there is some kind
of special bond between twins. Is that true for you two, because sometimes on
"The Amazing Race" you guys were sure less than nice to each other?
A: We do our share of arguing, as you probably
saw on the show but we make up so fast. We have a volatile relationship and
there are no boundaries when it comes to what we say to each other. We were
both dating guys in college but then with all this TV stuff that all stopped
and right now, I don't have the energy. But we have each other and we have an
older sister Nientara. We are all very close.
Q: You will be here Wednesday at Mohegan for
"The Amazing Race" casting call. Will you be visiting West Hartford?
A: We visit all the time. We were there at
Thanksgiving. We always come to visit friends and hang around at the bars like
Grants. We went to our 10th high school reunion last year and that was a blast.
Friends have followed our journey and we speak at schools in Connecticut where
our friends from high school are now teachers. The kids are so into the reality
shows. And it is so much fun to be recognized.
Q: The word "twinnie" is your
trademark now. I'm surprised you have not been courted to appear on some other
reality show.
A: Actually, VH1 has approached me and my sister
about doing a new reality show, but we can't do anything on that until our
contract with CBS is done. And I would love to do "Big Brother.'' And if
"The Amazing Race" or "Survivor" invited us, we
would do either again.
Q: As people prepare to descend on Mohegan Sun
in hopes of making it onto "The Amazing Race," what's your advice as
the guru of reality TV contestant-ship?
A: You and your partner have to have a unique
relationship. It has to move people. I know this season there were "blind
date" couples, and I'm not so sure if that is really going to work out so
well. But when you and your partner come to the audition, you have to be
authentic about your relationship. Don't fake it. And you have to be able to
narrate your life's story well. You have to have personality and when you talk
about yourself, you have to do it well.
Q: Besides being a Hall High School graduate,
what are most people surprised to find out about you?
A: I am into country music, I played rugby at
Fordham, and I still swim as part of my workout. That part of my exercise
routine helped me in every aspect of both games.
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