LIBERTY Darrah Johnson of Liberty may not have beenthe "sole Survivor," but according to people from herhometown, she made a lasting impression for herself and Mississippiwith her appearance on the CBS reality television series.
Out of 16 contestants competing for the prize of $1 millionand a new sport-utility vehicle, Johnson made it to the top fourand competed for 37 of 39 days, up until the final episode.
"It's been a great experience and I would do it allover again," Johnson said after being voted out of the game.
The show was set in the Pearl Islands of Panama, once dominatedby pirates, which carried the theme for this season's series.
Area fans of the show and the hometown castaway watched theseason finale Sunday night on a big-screen television at her oldhigh school, Amite School Center in Liberty.
Some who knew the attractive 22-year-old mortician said theshow portrayed her accurately as a soft-spoken, athleticcountry girl who could carry herself in physical challenges andspeak frankly when pushed to do so.
More than 100 people packed the ASC gym, wearing T-shirts bearingthe survivor logo and Johnson's name. Some waved poster boardsbefore media cameras, cheering Johnson on during her last appearanceas a "Survivor" castaway.
Johnson left the competition early in the final episode, becomingthe 13th person voted out of the game this season, leaving threeothers to vie for the prize.
Sandra Diaz-Twine, a mother of two from Ft. Lewis, Wash., tookit home.
Johnson had made a name for herself during the final weeksof the show by winning three-straight "immunity challenges,"which meant she could not be voted off the show by other contestants.
Most of the challenges required a great deal of physical strength,a steady aim and tenacious stamina.
Some folks back in Liberty said that's where Johnson'srural roots came through for her.
"That's some of that Amite County hunting,"ASC student Heather Burg said of Johnson's victory of animmunity challenge that required her to shoot targets with a pirate'smusket.
However, Johnson's final immunity challenge didn'tdeal with shooting targets or squeezing her skinny frame throughthe bars of bamboo cages. It was a game of trivia, which she failedto win, and that left her vulnerable to being voted off afterother castaways considered her a threat because of her successin past challenges.
"If they would have had another athletic event, she wouldhave won that, too," said Wayne Smith of Osyka, whose daughterKasie played softball against Johnson in high school.
Johnson's local celebrity status also made an impressionon current students at her old school.
"She's so awesome," said ASC student LaurenWestbrook, who said she knows Johnson from church events. Westbrooksaid Johnson's mainly low-key appearance on the show portrayedher accurately.
"We were a little disappointed," Diane Van Normanof Liberty said after Johnson was voted off the show. "Needlessto say, we wanted our little hometown girl to go all the way."
Van Norman said she has talked to some people from the areawho added "Survivor" to their list of routinely watchedTV shows because Johnson was on it.
She added that she was greatly offended by castaway Jon Dalton'sinfamous plot to scheme his way into winning a reward from thetribe by having a friend say his grandmother had died, when infact, "She's at home right now watching Jerry Springer."
Johnson's grandmother, a friend of Van Norman's andher mother Lena Tuberville, died during the airing of the "Survivor:Pearl Islands."
ASC cafeteria worker Kim Womack said poor TV reception at herrural home prevented her from watching "Survivor," buta former student's appearance on the show always became ahot topic of discussion around campus and someone for Amite Countiansto cheer for.
"I'm very proud of Darrah," she said. "She'sour favorite survivor."
