Eric Hafemann (Kama Tribe)Age: 34
Hometown: Chicago
Current residence: Livermore, California
Occupation: Firefighter
Hobbies: Backpacking, basketball, woodworking, and pretty much anything outside.
Pet peeves: My biggest pet peeve is people taking themselves too seriously. Come on, relax people. I try to remember that 99.9 percent of the time I am NOT the smartest, coolest, most interesting, deserving, or important person in the room.
Three words to describe you: Enthusiastic, outgoing, and spontaneous.
What is your personal claim to fame? I am extremely proud of my profession. It was a lot of hard work and took some serious grit to get where I am. I'm proud of that, and what I am now a part of. Good people! I'm also very proud of being a good dad! I had one of the best fathers on the planet, so I have big shoes to fill. So far, it's going pretty good.
Who or what is your inspiration in life? The first person that comes to mind is my older son Levi. Levi is an amazing kid. A couple months before he turned two, he was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Simply put, he has some challenges that most kids don't and yet he is the most joy-filled, free-spirited, hard working kid I know. He really is a special human and I get to be his dad. How rad is that! He is all the motivation I need!
If you could have three things on the island, what would they be and why? A picture of my family to remind me why I am playing and why I need to play so hard.
A book. Something to feed my mind and something to keep me grounded. Most likely my Bible.
A surfboard.
Which Survivor contestant are you the most like? I have to say Tony Vlachos. I don't think we are very similar people but I think we agree fundamentally on how you play the game. Tony was a grinder from start to finish. He understands that EVERY piece of the game, EVERY moment, EVERY situation has value and can be used to influence your outcome. I think most players only identify the most obvious parts of Survivor as pieces on the board when in reality, every last detail is a movable piece. It's going to be my goal to be "ON" all the time in the game. In other words, to never stop playing. I plan to work angles everywhere and with everyone... all the time. I think this is how you win, by paying attention to the details and then playing off of them. Tony did that I think, and so will I.
What's your reason for being on Survivor? My primary goal of being on the show is for the adventure of it! Adventure is something that is important to me, and something I think I will always pursue. But this adventure is a unique opportunity to practice the things I preach to my sons. The show will give me an opportunity to show them that hard work pays off and that pipe dreams are absolutely worth chasing! This show is a special platform to tell a really good story!
Why do you think you'll "survive" Survivor?I think I have a lot of skills that serve a team well. I have a strong work ethic, I'm good with my hands, I'm strong and physical, and I think I'm good at making people feel valued. Another thing I'm good at is keeping [and] bringing people together. I think I have the gift of mediation, which will be huge in Survivor! Someone has to keep the alliance glue sticky... I just might be that guy.
