A local contestant who reached the end of the 49th season of Survivor and finished in third place says the experience left her feeling at peace, proud of how she played the game and ready to move on, Sage Ahrens-Nichols told KIRO 7 News in a postseason interview.
Sage, who is from Olympia, said watching herself on television over the course of the season was emotional at times but ultimately affirming.
She attended the live finale event and later finished watching the episode, saying she now feels a sense of closure.
“For me, I try to live by the mantra ‘detached from the outcome,’” Sage said. “Of course, I’ve had feelings. But in this moment, I feel at peace.”
Throughout the season, Sage became one of the more memorable personalities on the island, known for leaning into discomfort and being unapologetically herself.
She said that was intentional, even if it made some viewers uneasy.
“I like normalizing the discomfort because that’s where the growth is,” she said. “You don’t grow being comfortable.”
Sage said feedback from her inner circle mattered far more to her than public reaction.
She deliberately avoided online comments and focused instead on the people closest to her.
“Their words have been so meaningful,” she said of her friends and family. “They’ve expressed so much pride in me, and so much appreciation of, ‘Yeah, that’s the Sage I know.’”
Looking back on her time in the game, Sage said she would not change how she played, even though many of the moves she wanted to make never came together.
“Literally nothing that I wanted to happen worked out,” she said. “You can only push so hard. I’m one person.”
She pushed back on the idea, shown at times during the season, that she held significant power in the game, saying several major votes would have gone differently if that had been the case.
Still, Sage said her approach would work well in a different group dynamic and that every season of Survivor brings its own challenges.
Sage also addressed how editing shaped viewers’ understanding of the game, saying entire strategic relationships and discussions were left out of the broadcast, particularly surrounding a key vote that changed the direction of the season.
“That was mind-blowing to me,” she said. “All of our strategic relationship was completely edited out.”
As for the future of the franchise, Sage shared her perspective on how returning players might fare in Survivor 50, noting that early alliances and starting tribe placement can heavily influence success.
For fans hoping to follow in her footsteps, Sage offered simple advice for the audition process.
“Literally be yourself,” she said. “Know who you are at your core, be confident in that, and stick to it. And never give up.”
Now that her Survivor journey has ended, Sage said her focus has shifted back home.
A self-described homebody, she said her long-term dream is to pursue a doctorate in either behavioral neuroscience or philosophy, though she acknowledged the financial hurdles of higher education.
“That would be my dream,” she said. “I love learning.”
For now, Sage said she is content being back in Washington with her dogs, reflecting on an experience that took her from Olympia to the end of one of television’s longest-running reality competitions.
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