Recently Dana Darwish was featured in an article in the National Post, where she discussed her role as a contestant on the popular reality show Survivor. She explained how she is dealing with the public perception of a celebrity who has died suddenly at the age of 35. She spoke about how Survivor has transformed her into a strong competitor, and how the public’s perception of her has changed since her first appearance on the show. However, in an interesting turn of events, it was revealed that Darwish is actually a Canadian by birth. Here is what she had to say:
I’m a Canadian by heritage. I am an athlete, a teacher, a wife, and a mother. The public perception that I’ve become something that I’m not is completely false. The reality is that being born a Canadian gives me certain advantages when it comes to playing sports and being a good teacher. It doesn’t matter what nationality you are, you have to take responsibility as an individual and accept whatever responsibilities that come along with your chosen profession. For me, Survivor gave me the opportunity to do just that and not be defined by my nationality or my profession.
If you were raised as a Canadian, then you know there’s a certain set of rules and social norms that you need to adhere to if you want to succeed in a specific career. But if you were raised as a non-Canadian, then you will come under a different set of rules. My experience with the show has taught me valuable lessons about dealing with people and making them see that what they think about me or the profession that I choose isn’t always the right thing. As an athlete, I know that if I play my sport well, it helps me to reach a level of awareness that helps me get out of a negative situation and continue to excel.