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Watch, beginning Feb. 7 at 8 p.m., as Tracy Hughes-Wolf (second row, second from left) appears on 'Survivor.' |
By KIM BAER
OK, female readers, brace yourselves.
Picture this:
An ultra-fit woman home builder who wears 3-inch stiletto heels to construction sites.
A blond Bond-girl type who's also a room mother at her two young daughters' school.
A lady whom friends describe as a "walking cup of coffee," who thinks nothing of going out for a run at 8 p.m., after a day spent juggling kids and work.
Makes you wanna hurl, huh?
To top it all off, friends also describe Tracy Hughes-Wolf as a down-to-earth, fun and funny girlfriend with a strong spiritual side.
Next month, the Spotsylvania County native will showcase her strengths on national television.
She is one of 20 contestants who'll compete in the 16th installment of the CBS reality TV series "Survivor."
"Survivor: Micronesia" will debut Feb. 7 on CBS.
The latest "Survivor" has a twist: 10 diehard fans of the show take on 10 former contestants.
Survivor.com has posted comments from show host Jeff Probst about each contender.
Here's some of what he had to say about Hughes-Wolf:
"I don't know how much she wants to share about what she does, because there's a part of her that thinks if she comes on too strong [she] could be seen as a threat. But on paper, this is something you rarely get: Somebody who knows how to build."
Friends are more definitive:
"She's gonna do awesome," said Heather Adams.
"She's tough," said Connie Kelso. "If anybody can make it, she can."
This is how Alan Mendleson, Adams' father and a fellow home builder, put it:
"You know how there are Type A's and Type B's?" he said. "She's a Triple A-Plus personality. She's going to be a fierce competitor."
Hughes-Wolf, 43, lives in Spotsylvania County's Fawn Lake subdivision with her husband, Philipp, and their two daughters, Madison, 10, and Abigail, 7.
While the series filmed this fall, her husband and her mom ran the business and cared for the girls.
Friends thought she was out of state building homes with Habitat for Humanity.
Although she's back home, the show limits what Hughes-Wolf is able to share about her experiences on "Survivor."
This is her first television appearance, but she is familiar with the spotlight.
She was a cheerleader at James Monroe High School and the lead in her high school play "Li'l Abner."
She attended Chowan College in North Carolina, then transferred to Virginia Commonwealth University.
While at VCU, she taught aerobics. She eventually left school to open an aerobics studio. She ran studios in Richmond and Fredericksburg.
Seven years ago, she started Hughes Craft LLC, a commercial and residential construction firm. She finishes about 10 to 12 homes a year. Her homes typically start in the upper $300,000's.
When not running her business, she shuttles her two girls to sports practices and music lessons.
Her drive is born partly out of tragedy, friends say.
In 1982, her brother was killed in a car accident. He was 19. They were very close, and she still talks about him often. His death spurred her to "live life to the fullest," Kelso said.
"To me, she represents what life is all about," she said. "If you try your best, you can do anything."
Kim Baer: 540/368-5028
Email: kbaer@freelancestar.com
