Discovery "Naked and Afraid" survivalist Lauren Fagen survived a lion attack and returned to South Africa.
Lauren Fagen is one of the survivalists participating in Sunday’s edition of Naked and Afraid. While participants typically survive in groups of two, the newest episode is a unique tribe episode. That means two sets of people will survive in the while for a certain number of days, and then will connect as a group to finish the rest of the 21-day journey.
One thing that sets Lauren apart from the other challengers is that she’s the survivor of a lion attack. When she was volunteering in 2013 at Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, a South African rehabilitation facility, she was then dragged by her legs into the cage while she was cleaning another cage. One of the volunteers saved her life. Lauren was 18 years old at the time. She recovered from the attack but was left with massive scars on her legs.
She found out about Naked and Afraid through a Facebook group of people who survived attacks by sharks and other animals. Producers had reached out to one of Lauren’s friends, but he suggested the Canadian 25-year-old would be a better fit. Lauren talked with producers several times, telling them about her strengths and weaknesses, and ultimately she was chosen for the show.
To find out more about Lauren and her return to South Africa, continue reading below for five fast facts Lauren shared during an exclusive interview with Heavy.com:
1. Lauren Felt ‘Numb’ to Be Around Lions Again
After surviving a lion attack and being around the big cats again, Lauren said she actually felt numb.
“I felt not much at all,” she said, “to the point where it was concerning to me because I started to wonder where my emotions were. I generally have a normal range of emotions, but for the most part I had an overall feeling of numbness, followed by a bit of panic, but it was quick and then the numbness would cover it up again.”
Lauren reasoned that the detachment was a defense mechanism. “I think it works but it’s a defense mechanism that I didn’t really choose to have because I couldn’t get out of it even when I wanted to,” she said.
2. Lauren Didn’t Think She Was Qualified for the Show
Some people who appear on Naked and Afraid live their daily lives as survivalists–and some of them still go home early. Lauren did not think she would be considered for the show, let alone participate in it, but it is something she really wanted to do.
“I’d always joke wit my self and friends that if I ever were to go on reality TV, [Naked and Afraid] would be the coolest and most respectable decision that I could make,” she said.
She was shocked when producers contacted her. “I laughed it off at first,” she said.
3. Lauren Didn’t Connect with Her Partner but She Was Grateful for Him
If Lauren and her partner weren’t forced to be together for three weeks, they wouldn’t be friends today. According to Lauren, they just come from different backgrounds and weren’t able to bond.
“I don’t think that we would be friends if we met in different circumstances I also don’t think that we would be enemies,” she said. “We come from very different backgrounds and have very different ways of dealing with our differences. We really struggled to communicate when things were heavy or when we were upset.”
Lauren had an overall positive attitude about her partner. “In general, we could communicate relatively fine and so that’s more than a lot of partners. I think he brought an immense amount to the table and without him being there I might not have done as well as I did. I’m really grateful. Even though we did have our differences it could have been a lot worse.”
4. Lauren Wished She Handled Her Emotions Better in the Beginning
Looking back, one of the biggest regrets that Lauren had was her attitude in the beginning. Even though she didn’t mean to be negative, she understood that it could come across like she was being pessimistic. She knew that going into the challenge the first few days would be the hardest, so she wanted to give herself the space to be upset about the challenge and how difficult it was to get through in the beginning. What she didn’t realize is how her attitude would affect other people.
“I have been warned about it, but sometimes I felt like my mopiness or my sadness brought other people down. Although I dealt with that in the best way I could by warning people and by being open about it, I realized during the challenge that when my partners–most of whom were stronger than me in a lot of ways–when they needed help, suddenly that pessimism dissipated and I was able to help them and be lively.”
After she got home and was able to reflect, Lauren recognized she “needs to be needed.” “I wish I could have tapped into that or found more ways where I was needed because that triggers me into moping a lot less and having a different attitude,” she said.
5. She Still Feels Like She Has Imposter Syndrome
When asked if she felt like the experience changed her, Lauren said she still feels like she has imposter syndrome, which she described as not feeling like she was qualified, but that’s starting to dissipate.
“I started to realize that after having been accepted to the show and the success that I achieved within the episode that I’ll probably always have that syndrome no matter what I do, which is OK because I recognize it,” she said. “I feel grateful.”
It was easy to forget the extraordinary things she accomplished when she got back to her daily routine, but when she looks back she realizes she’s very lucky. “Like with the lion attack, there’s gratefulness you can continuously tap into,” she said. “It is like a renewable source you can keep dipping in.”
If she could do the challenge again, she would, but Lauren joked that’s easy to say when she’s sitting from the comfort of her kitchen. Ultimately, she would need to meditate for a few days before she decided to take on another Naked and Afraid challenge.
Bonus Fact: ‘Tiger King’ Gave Her Nightmares
During the coronavirus pandemic, most people are indoors watching Tiger King, getting wrapped up in the world of Joe Exotic and Carol Baskin. While Lauren did watch parts of Tiger King, she didn’t get too far into it.
“I watched an episode and then I had nightmares for three days,” Lauren said. “Yeah. I hate Tiger King. I do not want to watch it because it’s too intense. I would rather watch lions roaming around the savannah. There’s something extremely eery about lions rattling the sides of the cage. It just makes me flinch.”
Don’t miss Naked and Afraid when it airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery.
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