Have bikini, will travel.
If you think like Delaware County native Stephenie LaGrossa is on-call for the producers of “Survivor,” it only seems that way.
After surviving 10 tribal councils in Palau and a runner-up finish in Guatemala, the former Glenolden resident flew to Samoa in August for a third go-round on CBS’ trailblazing reality show — an all-star format titled “Heroes vs. Villains.”
One of the most popular players in “Survivor” history, the 30-year-old Archbishop Prendergast alum is a hero – at least for now. In the special two-hour premiere episode, aired last Thursday, LaGrossa survived tribal council but not before dislocating her shoulder in typical Survivor fashion, wrestling for control of a sandbag.
“The Villains are brutal,” LaGrossa said afterwards. “They’ve dislocated my shoulder the first challenge. I mean, really? Like, you’re already on the Villain tribe. Do you have to act like a total jerk?”
A veteran from “Survivor: Gabon,” 29-year-old Jessica “Sugar” Kiper, was the first to be voted off the show.
(WARNING!!! SECOND-HAND SPOILER ALERT!)
A number of “Survivor”-related sites – including spoiler sites with good track records — have LaGrossa going home tonight.
Survivorfandom.com has the Villains winning immunity again. “The heroes boot out Stephenie at Tribal,” the site reports.
Another site is in agreement, adding that LaGrossa will be voted out and not removed on a stretcher.
By all accounts, LaGrossa fully recovered from her time in the South Pacific.
Recent tweets from her Twitter account have her traveling down to Florida to see her fiancee, Phillies pitcher Kyle Kendrick, up to New York to join Survivor castmates for a cameo on David Letterman, and out to GIGI Restaurant and Lounge, an Olde City bar she co-owns.
According to StephLagrossa.com, LaGrossa has been “keeping herself busy with television appearances, personal appearances, modeling and a few business development projects…”
LaGrossa declined to comment for this story due to a confidentiality agreement with CBS.
An All-Delco lacrosse player her senior year of high school, she graduated from Prendie in 1998. She attended Temple University before transferring to Monmouth University, where she was an all-conference lacrosse player.
LaGrossa worked in pharmaceutical sales before taking the plunge on “Survivor: Palau,” which premiered in February 2005.
She started dating Kendrick in May 2008 and joined him on the float for the Phillies parade after the World Series. Kendrick proposed last July in Atlantic City and a Napa Valley wedding is scheduled for November.
After a strong showing in Palau, LaGrossa was invited back for “Survivor: Guatemala,” where she finished second to grand-prize winner Danni Boatwright.
“Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains” airs tonight at 8 on CBS.
