Baby Story Survivor: Vecepia’s Next Challenge

Okay, it’s time for some confessions. When I first found out that TLC was doing a special edition of A Baby Story starring Vecepia Towery, the winner of Survivor: Marquesas, I didn’t exactly leap at the chance to be the one to cover it. Vecepia is, by far, my least favorite Survivor winner. Not even Jenna could edge her out of the bottom of my list. But I also have to admit that A Baby Story is something of a guilty pleasure for me. If I’m at home on a weekday afternoon, I often find myself watching the show, cooing over the cute new babies. I think it’s a woman thing, as several of my female friends do the same thing. So I was torn: spend an hour listening to Vecepia or miss out on the cute baby? In the end, the baby won out. So, let’s get to it.

Meet Vecepia Towery. We know her best as the winner of Survivor: Marquesas, but she is also a wife to Leander Robinson. And soon, she and Leander will take on a new role, as first-time parents.

Vecepia says that her experiences on Survivor will prepare her for motherhood. She has that she learned patience, endurance, and adaptability. She says that she was shocked and amazed that she won. Yeah, she wasn’t the only one; I thought Kathy had it in the bag for sure. She says that her time in the Marquesas made her a better person, and she feels ready for motherhood.

Vecepia and Leander hang out in their backyard reading from Your Pregnancy Week by Week. Vecepia says in an interview that they met through Yahoo! Personals. After her first marriage ended, her brother encouraged her to move from Alabama to California. She did, and put the ad on the internet looking for friendship. Leander read the ad, which he recalls said that Vecepia was looking for someone for friendship and specified that she was not looking to get married. When they met, Vecepia immediately fell for Leander’s vibrant personality. He says that when he saw her for the first time, it was like watching a movie in slow motion. He says that not only does he love her, he also likes her. Vecepia says that their wedding was a wonderful day, and we see some clips from it.

Vecepia and Leander originally planned to try out for Survivor together, but Leander decided not to audition. Vecepia says that she had two advantages that gave her an edge in Survivor. One was that she was in the Security Police in the Air Force. Her military background taught her to live in the elements. The other was her degree in psychology and sociology, which Vecepia says helped her learn human dynamics.

Vecepia says that winning the million-dollar prize changed their lives very little, especially since they had to pay around half of it in taxes. Vecepia says, “A million dollars does not last very long,” and explains that they paid off their house, donated to their church, gave some money to their families, and set up a nest egg for the baby. Okay, I get that she and Leander want to appear like regular people, and aren’t interested in living like the wealthy, but to say that the money didn’t change their lives much just can’t be true. If I were able to pay off my house, let me tell you, having that extra money that I currently pay in my mortgage would make a huge difference. And how many people wouldn’t breathe a sigh of relief knowing that they already have enough money for their child to go to college? There is no doubt that the money Vecepia won has changed her life for the better, and I wish she’d just say so.

Vecepia tells us that she was pregnant once before, but that the pregnancy ended in a miscarriage when she was just seven weeks along. That experience taught her that she and Leander can endure anything together. Leander says that it was sad, but he believes the time was not right, and that it’s up to God what happens. The two of them are really pretty stoic about what had to have been a terrible tragedy, but I guess everyone handles these things differently.

As a hugely pregnant Vecepia plays basketball with Leander, she tells us in a voiceover that her pregnancy has not been difficult, and has in fact been fun. She knows she’s lucky. Leander is grateful that the raging hormones have not changed Vecepia.

Vecepia says that she and Leander found out that the baby is a boy, and notes that the nurse said, “Look at that big thing!” They wanted a practical, likeable name for the baby, so they chose the name Jordan. They hope maybe he’ll be as good a basketball player as Michael Jordan. I bet when you have names like Vecepia and Leander, the idea of naming your kid something a little more ordinary like Jordan is really appealing. On the other side of the coin, my sister Jennifer wanted to give her son a more unusual name, so she chose Devin. Anyway, Jordan is a cool name; I think Vecepia and Leander chose well.

Vecepia says that Sean Rector, her good friend from Survivor, will be Jordan’s godfather. She says that they had a lot in common – personal, ethnic, and religious similarities helped them form a tight bond. Remember all of those times on Survivor that Vecepia and Sean claimed that they didn’t have an alliance and weren’t really that close of friends? I’m just saying. Anyway, Sean says that he was honored when Vecepia asked him to be the godfather.

Vecepia tells us that after Survivor ended, she got a job hosting a show called Survivor Chasers on local TV. On the show, Vecepia discusses and analyzes the current edition of Survivor. Those of you who thought she was a strategic zero on the show might wonder how she’s qualified to analyze strategy.

We see video of a baby shower Vecepia’s friends threw for her. She was totally surprised. One of her friends who hosted it invited people who didn’t even know Vecepia, but admired her from the show and wanted to wish her well.

Vecepia says that she wants to be an open-minded parent. She and Leander walk by the San Francisco Bay, and her belly is enormous. Leander tells us that his mother died when he was very young, and due to injuries, his father was unable to raise him and his siblings. His strict grandmother raised him, so Leander sees the value of a strict upbringing, but thinks children need to know the reason behind the rules. He thinks that Vecepia will be a great mother, understanding and passionate.