“It was just such a crazy moment in time,” Chappel said of when she was crowned the winner.

“I’m a firm believer in visualization and manifestation, so I allowed myself the opportunity to imagine what that would be like, but nothing came close to what it really felt like to experience that moment. It was something that I’ll never forget,” she continued.

Chappel cites her positive outlook as the driving force behind her decision to participate in the competition.

“A lot of times we think of the worst case scenario to prepare us emotionally for being let down. I like to approach life with ‘what if the best case scenario happened, and how would that feel?'”

NEXT LEVEL CHEF: L-R: Contestants Zach and Gabi in the NEXT LEVEL CHEF “Final Level” episode airing Thursday, May 9 (8:00 PM - 9:02 PM ET/PT) on FOX. CR: Lorraine O’Sullivan / FOX. ©2024 FOX Media LLC.

“I remember going into this thinking I was crazy,” she said of her decision to go for the gold, after having built a career in New York City in a completely different industry.

“New York City isn’t exactly a place where you can just gamble with whether or not you can make it,” she said.

“But, sometimes you have to take risks in life in order to achieve what you never even would have thought possible,” she said.

Chappel got to know that feeling right off the bat, as she was chosen as Chef Gordon Ramsey’s second overall pick, just behind professional chef Chris Tzorin.

“I was like, ‘Wow, he must really have faith and believe in me, so I need to have faith and believe in myself,'” she said.

NEXT LEVEL CHEF: L-R: Nyesha Arrington, contestant Gabi, Gordon Ramsay and Richard Blais in the NEXT LEVEL CHEF “Final Level” episode airing Thursday, May 9 (8:00 PM - 9:02 PM ET/PT) on FOX. CR: Lorraine O’Sullivan / FOX. ©2024 FOX Media LLC.

Another highlight for the area native was when her dish received top billing during the episode, “Don’t Have A Cow, Man,” which required the chefs to prepare a steak dish.

“That’s something I hardly ever make, because I’m mostly a vegetarian or plant based chef, but I remember going in that day and saying to myself, ‘I want to win today because I want to show people what I can do,'” Chappel said.

Although being on the show was an overwhelmingly positive experience, Chappel said the recording process was an arduous one that could be both physically and mentally taxing.

“As a viewer, you’re watching the episodes come out once a week; for me, it’s every day in and day out on set for long hours, and being on camera is really tiring,” she explained.

In those times, Chappel turned to those closest to her for strength, including her boyfriend and her father.

NEXT LEVEL CHEF: L-R: Gordon Ramsay and contestant Gabi in the NEXT LEVEL CHEF “Final Level” episode airing Thursday, May 9 (8:00 PM - 9:02 PM ET/PT) on FOX. CR: Lorraine O’Sullivan / FOX. ©2024 FOX Media LLC.

“My dad coached me in sports all through school, so, he was like, ‘Gab, you just gotta pretend you’re at a tournament right now.’ So I really treated it as if I was in a sports competition because, at the end of the day, it wasn’t far off,” she said.

An additional source of support for Chappel came from her fellow competitors.

“I just feel like I hit the jackpot,” she said. “When you think of reality television, you think of drama and gossip, but it was such a pleasant surprise to have none of that.”

“Everyone was so down to earth, so kind, so supportive and really looked out for each other. I feel incredibly lucky to have walked away with genuine friends,” Chappel said.

But, it was the outpouring of support from the community she calls home that has, at times, moved Chappel to tears.

“Nothing beats hometown support,” she said. “They’ve known me forever. They’ve followed along on this whole journey as I was chasing my dreams in New York, and for everyone to be able to be a part of that was just such an incredible experience.”

“I can’t hear you through your T.V., but I feel and I sense that support and it just means the world to me,” she said.

“I’m just a kid from a small town, but ultimately it’s a gift to be from a close knit community,” Chappel said, adding that her grandparents moved to Jersey Shore from eastern Europe.

“It’s the only town my whole family’s ever really known, other than the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area. “I’m a Pennsylvania girl through and through. There’s no two ways about it,” she said.

For anyone considering taking on a similarly sized challenge, Chappel said being willing to step out of your comfort zone is key.

“You have to be willing to push yourself to see what you can really do and what you can achieve. It’s really hard to make something like this happen if you don’t sacrifice a little bit of comfort,” she said.

Along with an internship, training with each of the chefs on the show, Chappel’s victory also came with her own show, Gabi’s Next Course, the full season of which is now available on YouTube.

“It’s basically the continuation of my mentorship and my education, and that’s coming through the lens of none other than my team leader and coach, Chef Ramsay,” she said.

“Basically, I’m asking Chef Ramsay for inspiration or for help through these certain set of goals I set for myself through an exploration of different parts of New York City,” Chappel said.

Each episode ends with a recipe that Chappel said she is very proud of, and has worked to keep approachable so as to be easy for those watching to follow along.

“My goal right now is to ride out this internship and take it for everything it’s worth, and to continue to become a better chef,” adding that she also hopes to release a cookbook within the next two years.

And, though it may be a ways down the road, Chappel has inklings that her own restaurant may be in the pipeline.

“I think there may be an opportunity for a brick and mortar somewhere, but I’ll be honest, I don’t really see that happening in New York,” she said.

“Perhaps there’s a chance it could happen a little closer to home,” Chappel teased. “I can’t make any promises, and it would be a long time coming, but I will say that there may or may not be some thoughts of what that could look like in the future.”