Iqaluit (May 03/04) - It was early April 23 and Tuja Noah was sitting quietly, her staid office at Community Government and Services a far cry from the scene that played out just two days before.

Tuja Noah eats worms during the competition. - Kathleen Lippa/NNSL photo

Still unable to eat anything, Noah had become the ultimate water-cooler conversation piece after winning the Iqaluit Fear Factor competition held at the Storehouse bar.

She downed a plateful of worms in five minutes, 46 seconds, then bobbed for fish heads in a vat of blood to win.

"I put myself in a mode of meditation," Noah explained about eating those worms. "I just thought, okay, it's a plate of spaghetti."

Besides the rollicking crowd of 200 people who chanted things like: "Ottawa! Ottawa!" to egg-on Fear Factor participants (first place prize was a trip for two to Ottawa) the other contestants were Lazarus Akeeagok, Elisapee Qupee, Darrell Payne, Noah Manomie, and Jason Hall.

Their task: line up and chow down on worms, larvae, caribou feces, and dunk for fish heads and guts in a vat of blood.

Are Fear Factor contestants insane?

Noah is still asking herself why she entered the draw for it, then said yes when asked to take part.

There is certainly no denying the appeal of a "Fear Factor" event for audiences.

Ordinary people who are willing to eat disgusting things are fascinating.

The demand for this kind of event is real, demonstrated by the crowd and the incredible line-up to get in to the Storehouse that night.

Noah, however, didn't notice the crowd.

Once she got up there and was given a plate of worms to eat (you never know until you get up there what you'll have to consume in seven minutes) she was in another world, she said.

Noah's secret to winning was imagining she was somewhere else. There were no worms, no people cheering, there was no trip to Ottawa, and no cash prize. All she knew was that this was a competition, and she was going to win.

Most contestants got sick on stage, or couldn't eat the plate of stuff in seven minutes.

Noah beat them all. During the equally revolting bobbing for fish heads in blood portion of the contest -- where contestants pick up fish heads, maggots, and other unimaginables in their teeth -- Noah used the same out-of-body technique that won her the first part of the competition.

When it was over she went to the bathroom and threw up.

"I spent the rest of the night throwing up," she said. "Drinking water and making myself sick. Every time I thought about those worms, I wanted to be sick. Even now when I think about it, I want to take a shower," she said running her hands over her arms and shivering.

Noah's family has been referring to her as "the savage" ever since.

Shocked and amazed

People who know her, while impressed and amazed, are also shocked and grossed out by the whole thing.

But Noah did win those two tickets to Ottawa along with $4,000 in cash.

Was it worth it? Noah is still thinking about that.

Would she do it again?

"No."

With that, she admitted she didn't want to talk about it anymore. It was grossing her out.

So, she returned to her desk, her computer, and her normal life again. She just hopes her appetite returns to normal soon, too.