After learning more about the complicated upbringing of Sifu Alsup from Survivor, you are certain to view the kooky castaway through a whole new lens — ninja moves and all!
After receiving a mysterious vote at tribal council during episode four of Survivor 45, even though Sean Edwards begged his Reba tribemates to vote him out, Sifu began episode five on the bottom of his tribe, not knowing who targeted him that fateful night: J. Maya, Julie Alley, or Dee Valladares.
Nonetheless, even though tensions were high throughout the camp, he did what he needed to do to calm down: a soothing one-two punch of meditation and tai chi.
In a deleted scene from day eleven of the game, posted exclusively by Entertainment Weekly, Sifu gives Survivor superfans a glimpse into his painful past, revealing that tai chi has helped him through some of his darkest moments. Keep scrolling to read all about it for yourself…
“I feel like there’s a lot of nervous tension with everybody around me, and being out here, there’s a wall you hit… It’s not impossible to break past this wall,” Sifu shared to open up the deleted scene, likely referencing the betrayal that he felt after the tribal council that occurred in episode four.
“A lot of my life has led me to this point,” he continued passionately, prior to explaining his complicated upbringing — grab some tissues, because this story is sure to get the waterworks going!
“When I was younger, I was adopted, because my biological mother couldn’t get off of her addiction and had give me up. Growing up, I had a big resentment for that, and then my tai chi brought me back on track,” Sifu dished, choking back tears.
To follow this gut-wrenching story, the 30-year-old began to explain how meditation has been quite the coping mechanism for him, as mentioned previously.
“I look at the meditation and tai chi as a replenisher. It’s restoring that inner Sifu that had the fire, and so every time I breathe, I’m enjoying the sensation of breathing. From there, it sparks to more. I’m alive, and I’m enjoying that sensation of being here and being present. Just allowing all of that to surge through me, gives me that resurrection that I need,” he concluded with a beaming smile.
With strength and resilience like no other, as well as an ability to maturely process his emotions, does Sifu Alsup have what it takes to take home the title of “Sole Survivor” and $1 million cash prize? We will just have to wait and see…
To see how the rest of his journey plays out, catch brand new episodes of Survivor 45 every Wednesday at 8pm ET/PT on CBS.