Haley Lindell didn’t have decades of survivalist experience when she won FOX’s reality competition series Extracted—in fact, she was an amateur. Rather, she came equipped with a mindset oriented toward self-reliance, adaptability, and gratitude. Lindell can laugh and show vulnerability, but had the mental fortitude to succeed in the harshest environments. In her appearance on Extracted, she showed what strength really looks like and took home the grand prize of $250,000.
What Is Extracted?
Having premiered its first season on Monday, February 10, and wrapped on Monday, April 21, on FOX, Extracted is a survivalist competition series featuring untrained competitors attempting to survive in the Canadian wilderness. The twist is that the contestants’ families and loved ones are watching via a live feed and can “extract” them at the push of a button.
As a background on the show explained, “Extracted begs the question: how far will [a contestant’s] loved ones let them go for a chance for their family to win $250,000?”
Amateur-Turned-Survivalist
Before joining the show, Haley’s entire experience in survival was as an amateur river guide and outdoor enthusiast. She’s been backpacking, gone on river adventures, and lived in a van for some time. She’s hiked for five months, lived in a tent, and can make a fire pretty well—along the way, she’s learned to be adaptable. So, when a new opportunity came along, the answer was clear.
“When an experience like this presents itself to me, all I can do is say ‘Yes! One million times, yes.’ I’m always open to jumping on another side quest, and I love finding new ways to push my limits,” Lindell says.
Overcoming Challenges
While Lindell was excited for the challenge, she had concerns even before it began. Since childhood, she has experienced crippling migraines—typically resulting from a lack of nutrition—which bring incredible nausea and pain. Still, she was determined that this was the only factor that could force her to be extracted—nothing outside of it could cause her to tap out.
Adaptability as Strength
During the show, adaptability indeed proved to be Lindell’s greatest strength. When she didn’t have a sleeping bag, she boiled water and used the canteens to heat her blanket. When there was no food in a supply drop, she found ants and bark. She laughed in spite of the intensity and picked herself back up every day—she even whittled a spoon.
“One of my favorite memories from the show was lighting my underwear and socks on fire. I couldn’t do anything but laugh… We were so depleted at this point, and everything just felt ridiculous. All our stuff was soaking wet, and it was impossible to get our clothes to dry out, so one night, I roasted them over my fire. My genius idea quickly turned into charred underwear and socks,” she says.
What’s Next for Lindell?
Being the winner of Extracted, Lindell learned much from the experience and took away the grand prize of $250,000. She experienced a range of emotions, including feelings of silliness, triumph, and defeat, which could not be captured in a single episode. As a result, viewers across the world resonated with her creativity and indomitable spirit. Looking to the future, Lindell isn’t satisfied with competing in just one reality series.
“It’s been a dream of mine to compete on Survivor,” Lindell concluded, “so I really hope that’s an opportunity that will be possible in the future. I’m ready to crush it in Fiji! So if you’re seeing this, Jeff Probst—what’s up!”
