Finding Your Number One: A Special Valentine's Day Blog

by Zach Fifer | Executive Table Member and Lead Production Assistant

Communication. Trust. Belief. Support. Understanding. And, of course, love. 

When we dive into an LRG, most of us hope and pray for a number one that has all these attributes. But what happens when our number one in the game is also our number one in life? 

This week, The Fire We Carry is thrilled to offer a special Valentine’s Day blog. I had the privilege of sitting down with married couple Allen and Kadie Yannone to talk everything LRG, relationships, trust, what it is like to play and watch the love of your life play a Survivor LRG, and whether couples should play LRG together.

Allen and Kadie met before all the games began in 2012 during a production of Rent. Allen was Roger. Kadie was Mimi. The rest was history. They got engaged shortly after and began looking toward their future together. While theater served as their shared passion, both Allen and Kadie soon transitioned to new, more stable careers and began growing their family.

Fast-forward to the pandemic in 2021, Allen suddenly found himself introduced to the ORG world. While gaming wasn’t super big between Allen and Kadie, they quickly discovered how playing these immersive games of social deception scratched a similar itch that acting did. After Allen played the Online Reality Game, Kadie, who watched Allen play every step of the way, knew she needed to dive into the action. They had caught the bug. 

The next summer, Allen and Kadie began applying to LRGs,- hungry for the real, in-person experience. They had been cast in a secret couple twists in Can You Survive, but before they could play their first LRG together, Kadie got called in as a replacement in Survival Challenge. And let’s just say, these two have been gaming legends from the start.

Kadie: “So Allen and I had been cast as the couples twist, and so we didn't know who was going to be in Survival Challenge. So we planned this whole devious scheme of, because Allen was coming to watch me. We were like, we don't know who's going to be here. This is our 1st experience. So like, you can come watch, but like, be in disguise, don't, because if someone here is playing in the game, we'll blow the whole twist. We had this whole, like scheme because he was dropping me off…So I got into the back seat and I pretended he was my Uber driver. Drop me off at the game.”

And that’s what they did…or at least tried to do. Allen wore a mask, sunglasses, a hoodie, and kept hidden under his umbrella that first day. But by day two, things started getting more interesting, and the hoodie got a little looser. The umbrella went away. And Allen couldn’t help himself. By day three, Allen’s cover was blown.

Allen: “I'm buddying up with everybody there. And, of course, at this point, it’s infectious. I couldn't hold it in any longer, Zach. I was just so proud of my wife slaying.”

But that excitement and pride didn’t materialize in the battlefields of Macomb - it shot up from the strong foundations Allen and Kadie have made together as a couple.

Allen: “It scared me. I was worried for her.” 

Kadie: “The week before, I was like, if I quit, will you still love me? and you were like, yes, but don't quit.”

Allen: “I had an Airbnb in Macomb close to the, to the fields where I could get there and back and and watch everything and, you know, I watched all the 1st day stuff and the 1st night, when I say it rained, Zach, it poured out. I was up all night listening to the rain on my Airbnb thinking to myself, Katie's out there, wet, like her 1st night ever, sleeping in the woods. This is happening. It's, it was, it was awful, and the next morning, Zach, when, you know, I'm sitting in the, in the, um, under the pen or whatever, and, you know, you see all the players come walking in, and she had the biggest smile on her face, and I said to myself, holy shit, she's making it to the very end of this game.”

Since that first LRG Kadie played, Allen and Kadie have yet to play a game without the other either watching or playing alongside them. And when asked which they prefer, it was clear they love the support from the sidelines, but playing with your loved one in the game complicates things.

Kadie: “When you have someone on the other side, it's bittersweet. I would always win and then be like…is Allan good over there? It's just not as fun when you're playing for more than yourself.” 

The support system these two have built for each other is beautiful. I was lucky enough to see it first hand this summer when Kadie competed in SurFifer: PROM!. Allen was there, this time with their two young boys in tow, silently supporting and cheering Kadie on the entire time. To see such a dynamic support system in play was empowering. There would never be an embrace or words exchanged, always with plenty of space between them, but occasionally Allen and Kadie would lock eyes, Allen would let Kadie know everything is good with the kids and the outside world, and Kadie would dive back into the game recharged and refocused.

As we got to the end of the interview, I had to ask, “Do you guys, as the couple that has like played these games together and have supported each other, do you think all couples should play LRGs together?” And without skipping a beat both Allen and Kadie screamed, “NO, no, no!” And Kadie added, “Definitely not.”

Allen: “We know exactly what each other is thinking. We know how we each react to things and the best part is we know how to help each other out when we're reacting to specific things… I mean, we've been married for a long time and that definitely comes into play. Um, You know, a lot of people who would come in as couples to play. I think it would cause problems in the game, not outside. That's just immature. But it would cause problems in the game, not truly understanding exactly what needs to be done or not truly understanding the needs and the wants of the other person.”

Allen and Kadie clearly have passion. Passion for LRG, and also passion for each other. They love watching each other play just as much as they love feeling the support of their partner from the sidelines. And at the root of it all is trust, communication, and love. 

I left this interview feeling inspired. Valentine’s Day always sprinkles love in the air, and after talking with Allen and Kadie, I realized there are a lot of similarities between choosing your number one in life and choosing your number one in a game. In order for either to be successful, you must be open, vulnerable, supportive, reflective, and honest. You must build trust and never break it. You must have fun and enjoy the lighter moments. And you must always be ready to be there for your number one when they need you. 

We Carry the Fire thanks Allen and Kadie Yannone for taking the time to share their experiences with us and for providing us the sweetest of Valentine’s in this love-filled season. From all of us here at the blog, we wish you the Happiest of Valentine’s Day!