“She will always be with me in my family always, no matter what.”
Robert Voets/CBS
Fate brought them together on day one ofSurvivor 48.
And thenJeff Probstbrought them together again 10 days later in themost emotional scenein franchise history.
Joe Hunter and Eva Erickson on ‘Survivor 48’.Credit:Robert Voets/CBS
But when that moment finally came, Joe was powerless to help.
But Joe could only watch helplessly from afar.
EVA ERICKSON:So really just right away.
Joe Hunter and Eva Erickson on ‘Survivor 48’.Robert Voets/CBS
I just met her and that’s who I am at my core.
It’s just absolutely amazing and it’s the biggest honor I’ve ever received.
It chokes me up every time I think about it.
David Kinne, Star Toomey, Eva Erickson, Mary Zheng, and Charity Nelms on ‘Survivor 48’.Robert Voets/CBS
How were you all feeling about separating at the tribe swap?
EVA:I get very nervous for change.
That’s another thing with my autism, is that transitions are hard.
David Kinne, Charity Nelms, Eva Erickson, and Mary Zheng on ‘Survivor 48’.Robert Voets/CBS
And so now, as an adult, I’ve gotten through that.
I can transition through things mostly well, but big changes are really hard.
And just the thought of: What do I do now?
Joe Hunter on ‘Survivor 48’.Robert Voets/CBS
I’m like, “What am I going to do?
Im going to have to tell more people?
Do I want to do that?
Eva Erickson on ‘Survivor 48’.Robert Voets/CBS
How do I know that I can find someone I can trust?”
I am going to have to go forward somehow."
That was quite a shock.
Eva Erickson on ‘Survivor 48’.Robert Voets/CBS
It was just Eva.
I had already bonded with her so much.
I did not want to leave her.
Joe Hunter and Eva Erickson on ‘Survivor 48’.Robert Voets/CBS (2)
I was nervous for her.
I felt like this was such an outside-the-game situation.
And so I was hoping that she was just going to be okay.
EVA:Yeah, it was both a personal, emotional struggle and strategic game struggle.
That also was huge.
Let’s go through what we saw last night.
Yeah, I am an athlete.
I’m no stranger to adversity and challenges and having to push through something.
I’ve played hockey my whole life.
Why can’t I do this?
What’s wrong with me?"
Just getting spiraled out of control where I start to lose my grounding.
And this is not something that happens all the time.
Because in cross-country, just like inSurvivor, there’s no breaks between the race.
And it is so intense and all these people cheering for you, and it’s so supportive.
There’s people all over, people passing you, all these things.
And in high school, this would just build in my brain if I’m getting passed.
Why can’t I do this?"
And it’s the closest thing to what happened onSurvivorhere.
But the response that I received onSurvivorwas so different than when I had in high school.
And in this, you’re going full-force, there’s no stop.
It is impossibly hard to calm my brain down in that moment.
Everything was taking off because the challenge is over, but my brain is still going.
Because for me, empathizing with you in that moment, that was maybe the hardest thing to watch.
JOE:Yeah, it was absolutely awful.
Because I know how badass Eva is and how competitive she is, and also just a great athlete..
So that was one.
And then two, I hadn’t seen it either, right?
And then I’m just like, “What do I do?
Do I just go: You know what?
I’m going home.
I’m just so laser-focused and I’m fixated on her and I couldn’t stop looking.
And then I got a little unfairly annoyed at her tribe because I wanted them to calm down.
And I didn’t want to also expose her.
I didn’t know where she wanted this to go.
Is she going to be able to work through this?
So then I was like, “How do I do this?
I don’t want to hurt her either.”
It was hard to see somebody care so much about in pain.
JOE:She did a great job.
You kind of see it.
When she told me before what to do, I was intensely listening.
She told me exactly what to do.
She did a great job and I just literally was just trying to do that.
And so we’re kind of talking like this, like that, and just like she practiced it.
She told me exactly what to do, and I’m so thankful for her to do that.
And I just tried to do remember exactly what she said.
And I just wanted to do exactly what she said.
EVA:Joe did a fantastic job there.
And yeah, we had only had that one conversation way back.
And him listening and caring so deeply was so important to me.
And in that moment, I was very unaware of what’s going on.
My brain is elsewhere.
I’m just stuck in this loop.
Star is right there telling me, “you could do anything.
You did it.”
She’s so happy for me.
And Mary’s giving me a hug, Charity’s giving me a hug.
But they don’t understand on the same level that Joe does.
I wasn’t able to vocalize that.
It is hard when you don’t want to break the rules.
He could not have stepped in earlier, we’re not supposed to cross tribal lines.
I am often only receptive to help from those that I truly trust.
And so there’s really not somebody else who could have stepped in and done this.
How do you want this to be handled?”
I want this to be shown that I can handle my own situation.
I didn’t need anyone to be like, “Okay, let’s put this on pause.
Let’s let Eva calm down.”
No, life doesn’t stop.Survivoris a reflection of life.
You go in with a plan, Eva, but plans change onSurvivor.
So what was that like when you did that?
That was a amazing feat in itself that I’m so proud of.
And that’s not a response that I’ve received from strangers very often in my life.
What’s wrong with you?"
What was going on there for you as you heard her open up to the group about that?
To see her opening up, I was going to lose it.
I just couldn’t.
or she’s worried about me.
And so I was like, “Just get it together, dude.”
What was it like for each of you watching this all play back on TV?
And I felt so loved by them as they watched it and watching everybody cry around me.
I kind of told my parents about, “Oh, there is a big autism event.
I want to be there to watch it with you guys.”
But they didn’t know what was going to happen.
They had no idea.
And my dad thought that I was going to lose this challenge.
He’s like, “Oh, she’s going to get upset.
She’s not going to be able to make it through the challenge.”
You were not going to stop.
You are going to get this."
And my daughter loves Eva and has latched onto her and just sees herself in her.
My daughter really is a spitting image of her.
It’s a trip and she’s just a beast.
And my daughter just said, “That’s my daddy.”
So my cup is full.
I am just so blessed that they got to see that and we got to experience that.
And it’s exactly the person I want them to see, and I’m so fortunate.
So it was just an intimate setting.
So we got a couple hundred bucks to send to the charity of her choice.
So that was a pretty powerful night too.
EVA:Thank you so much!
I see Jade in you.
I want her to grow up and be just like you."
You’re evenmorebadass now.
EVA:I love Joe more than anything.
I am so thankful to have met such an amazing man.
He really is my superhero.
That’s coming up.
We’re going to get there, and I’m so excited for that.
And I am just so, so grateful.
JOE: Just simply put same.
She’s not just a friend, she’s family.
She will always be with me in my family, always, no matter what.
