By: John Powell – GlobalTV.com

She didn’t make the medal round but it wasn’t for lack of trying.

Katrina Radke, the Olympic swimmer, college professor, therapist and author, has the unwelcome and unfortunate honour of being the first Survivor to be voted out this season.

“I care about people and am vibrant and energetic but I felt dead in that group. It was a very different energy. They are all great individuals but sometimes the game brings out the worst in people.”

As a member of the Heroes Tribe, Katrina was sent packing before audiences got to learn much about her. Addressing those question marks Katrina says she was working people and did search for the Idol as she knew things didn’t look good.

“I was searching everywhere. I dug all around the well. I climbed trees and was running all over the place because it is a pretty big island,” Katrina told Global.

Not only did she search for the Idol for two solid hours but she did try to form partnerships right from the start but her offers fell on deaf ears.

“I did work people to try to get an alliance going but some people just didn’t seem ready and they had this perception that the older people had to go first,” she said explaining how the tribe had already decided her and Chrissy Hofbeck’s fates.

John Powell: Well, the others had already placed you and Chrissy in a box. They were calling you the Mom Squad..

Katrina Radke: “Yeah, that was bizarre.”

John Powell: Definitely. They were defining you and Chrissy, putting you into roles even though you and Chrissy were not that close.

Katrina Radke: “I think she fit the notion of a stereotypical mom while I am definitely a mom but I am more of an athlete than she is. If you look at us, we are just very different. It is funny when people have that perception of you.”

John Powell: If people cannot put you into a box, they get confused and that breeds fear. Did you try to break through those perceptions?

Katrina Radke: “Oh, yes. I ended up telling them I am an Olympian and JP [John Hilsabeck] and I were the ones opening up the coconuts for everyone. If you have the time, you can break those perceptions. I went into the game very open and I think that scares people especially if you are not ready for that.”

John Powell: You have had time to reflect on things. What do you think went wrong? Was it the dynamic of the tribe?

Katrina Radke: “Our tribe was very interesting. I probably would have fit better in one of the other two tribes. With that being said, the alliances shift so fast. You could be on a Reward Challenge and align with those people just because you are together. It is a funny game that way. I think if I had been out there for longer, I would have been able to get people to drop their perceptions. I can definitely connect with people, I care about people and am vibrant and energetic but I felt dead in that group. It was a very different energy. They are all great individuals but sometimes the game brings out the worst in people.”

John Powell: Would you rather have been on another tribe? If so, which one?

Katrina Radke: “I would have picked the Healers not only because of the people but that also resonates with me because of my role as a coach and a therapist. I would have loved to get to know those people.”

John Powell: Do you have any regrets?

Katrina Radke: “There is nothing I would change about who I was and how I played. There was a lot of stuff that the viewers at home didn’t get to see. For example, I was talking to Ashley [Nolan] on the beach. Alan then gets nervous and that is when he got Ashley and JP and the whole strip search happens. He then tells Ben that I told him they have an Idol. I had to call Alan out on that. At Tribal he apologized to me in private but at Tribal nobody in my tribe though wanted to tell the truth about anything.”

John Powell: What Survivor memories will you carry with you going forward?

Katrina Radke: “I loved the turquoise beaches and the ocean air. It was so beautiful. I can close my eyes and see it. I got to spend some time with the Fijian people after and that was really powerful. I was able to spend time with families and children at a church and it was like my own little Reward Challenge. I had all these kids sitting with me and it was a really loving experience.”

Watch Survivor Season 35: Heroes v. Healers v. Hustlers Wednesdays at 8 et/pt on Global.

CATCH UP NOW: Survivor Season 35, Episode 1: “I’m Not Crazy, I’m Confident” | Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers