Cape Girardeau native to compete as castaway on 'Survivor' season 35

Jessica Johnston describes herself on the CBS website as tenacious, congenial and adventurous -- traits that hopefully will work to her advantage in her most recent endeavor.

A 29-year-old Cape Girardeau native and current Louisville, Kentucky, resident, Johnston was selected last fall to be a cast member for the upcoming season of CBS' "Survivor."

With the first episode set to air at 7 p.m. Wednesday, this will be CBS' 35th edition of the outdoor reality competition show, with this season themed "Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers." Johnston will start out as a member of the "Healer" tribe, a choice most likely attributed to her position as a nurse practitioner with a neurosurgery group in Louisville. She also is the owner and founder of a health and wellness brand she titled "Belovist" (@thebelovist on Instagram, belovist.com).

Although thrilled to be chosen to compete on "Survivor," Johnston originally had another of CBS' reality competitions in mind.

"She was interested in 'The Amazing Race,'" said Vickie Johnston, Jessica's mother. "So, two years ago, she and a partner went through the whole screening process. They sent in a video for 'The Amazing Race,' and they were contacted by one of the scouts. ... They went to Los Angeles and went through the whole screening process for 'The Amazing Race.' They made it to the very end ... but they were told they did not match the theme for that year."

Jessica Johnston's name remained in a pool of applicants, though. In the spring, she was contacted by the network asking whether she would like to participate in the next season of "Big Brother," which she declined.

"Last fall, they contacted her for 'Survivor' and wanted to know if this is something she would be interested in," Vickie Johnston said. "She called us and said, 'What do you guys think about "Survivor"?' ... I felt like she would do well; that would be just right up her alley. So she went to Los Angeles again."

After a series of interviews and tests, Jessica Johnston was chosen to participate in the latest season and left near the end of March to head to Fiji for filming.

"When they got to LA, they had to turn in their phones," said Jeff Johnston, Jessica's father. "They didn't get their phones back until they got to the airport to leave L.A. at the end."

One of 18 castaways, Johnston eventually returned to Louisville on Mother's Day weekend and has kept the season's happenings a secret.

Jessica Johnston said she was unable to comment when contacted by the Southeast Missourian.

Johnston, a 2005 graduate of Cape Girardeau Central High School and fall 2010 graduate of Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky, always has had a disciplined and strong-willed personality, her mother said.

"She's very determined -- this is what she wants to do, this is what she's going to do, and these are the steps that she's going to get there," Vickie Johnston said.

After graduating with a bachelor's degree, Jessica Johnston eventually decided to return to school and earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice, or DNP, at the University of Kentucky in 2015. There, she found her passion for fitness and wellness.

"That's one thing that impresses us with Jessica, is she really got into fitness when she was working on her doctorate and she basically started going to the gym just to help her cope with the stress of managing work and school, and just really got into it. And it's just right up her alley; she is probably one of the most disciplined people you will ever meet," Jeff Johnston said.

Originally from East Prairie, Missouri, Vickie and Jeff Johnston never expected one of their children to be on a nationally-broadcast television show.

"It's just like, 'What? We're from East Prairie, and we've got a kid fixing to be on "Survivor,"'" Vickie said. "Yeah, it's surreal."

But Jessica Johnston is no stranger to other daring feats, such as skydiving or bungee jumping -- but she always makes sure to call and let her parents know before taking another big leap.

"Every time we tell her: 'Sis, you cannot tell the grandparents until after,'" Jeff Johnston said with a laugh. "So it doesn't surprise us that she would be selected to be on a show like 'Survivor.' It's right up her alley because she loves adventure, and she's so self-disciplined."

"Survivor" will be broadcast weekly through December, with the live finale broadcast from a CBS studio in Los Angeles.

"In December, the last show -- part of that is taped and then part of that is live. The reveal will be live, so [Jessica] will be going to that," Vickie Johnston said. "We have tickets to go to that, also."

The Johnstons have a plan in place to support their daughter on social media throughout the season as well.

"One of the things, in order to ever be chosen back, they want you to be a fan favorite. So we hope to make her a fan favorite, and we're using hashtags, #TeamJessica and #JessicaSurvivor35," Vickie Johnston said. "So if someone is a fan of hers or wants to support her in social media, after each episode that airs, we're just posting something on Facebook [with the hashtags]. We'd like to see a hometown girl get to go twice."

Though it may feel surreal to have their daughter on national television, the Johnstons said they are proud of the hard work and determination Jessica has shown, and they are excited to see it play out each week.

"It's kind of crazy. We're proud of her," Vickie Johnston said. "Any time you have a child that is doing well and that is succeeding and can look at a goal -- she's more goal driven than I am -- but she's worked hard, she's worked very hard, so we're glad that she's getting to experience this."