Lisa Whelchel proves she is a Survivor

Spunky, tenacious, vulnerable, likable and real... these are all words you could use to describe Flower Mound's Lisa Whelchel.  A child star, she first hit the national spotlight as a Mouseketeer on The New Mickey Mouse Club but it was her nine-year role as the preppy and wealthy Blair Warner on The Facts of Life that catapulted her to stardom in the 1980's. When that show ended, Whelchel left Hollywood, got married and spent the next 20 years raising a family in North Texas.

A contestant on the 25th season of the hit TV show Survivor, fans were reacquainted with Whelchel and fell in love with her all over again as she took us along on her very personal journey of self-discovery. While she wasn't named the "Sole Survivor" or awarded a million dollars last night (that honor went to Denise Stapley), she was awarded Sprint's Fan Favorite award and took home $100,000. Not a bad consolation prize.

On last night's finale show, Whelchel revealed that she had recently read a book from Erwin McManus called "The Barbarian Way," which talks about making decisions from your center. She contacted the author and took him to lunch to pick his brain.  She asked, "How do I get out of my own head and learn to go with my gut?" McManus said, "Put yourself in situations where you're not in control and it'll happen." Whelchel said she thought, "Well, "Survivor" sounds like a perfect way to do that..."  The rest is history.

Lisa Whelchel battles Denise Stapley (who was crowned the "Sole Survivor" last night) in a challenge

Congrats to this North Texan for her amazing achievement!!  Whelchel currently resides in Flower Mound. She is recently divorced and has three grown children. She spends her time as a motivational speaker, sharing about her Christian faith and the issues that affect women today. Learn more about Lisa and see where she's speaking next by visiting http://www.lisawhelchel.com.