Golden Bachelor's Sandra Defends Missing Daughter's Wedding — Only to Be Eliminated 1 Week Later (Exclusive)

One week after revealing that she opted to skip her daughter’s wedding to find love on The Golden Bachelor, Sandra Mason didn't receive a rose from Gerry Turner.

Despite the disappointing turn of events, the 75-year-old retired executive assistant tells PEOPLE she doesn’t regret her decision and opens up about the “motivation” behind missing the big day.

“My son-in-law said, ‘Mom, our ceremony is eight minutes. Our marriage is a lifetime.’ He said, ‘You go. Go.’ And of course, my daughter said, ‘Mom, I've got my guy. You go get yours, ’” the Georgia native says. “So they practically shoved me out and said, ‘You got to do this.’ ”

She describes her daughter and new son-in-law as “great people,” adding of their unwavering support, “I’m blessed.”

Sandra admits she was "kind of sad" to not receive a rose before hometowns because she was “hopeful” about the possibility of finding love with Turner, 72. Despite her journey coming to an end, she calls the first-of-its-kind ABC series "a great experience."

She says that her two daughters were her “cheerleaders” throughout the five-week journey and had a similar reaction to her elimination. 

“They had hoped for a better outcome, [a] different outcome,” she shares, adding that they were “pleased that [I] dared to even do this and excited.”

Sandra adds that the experience made her more hopeful about finding love in the future, sharing, “I'm more motivated. I know it's possible. No, it's not just possible — it's probable. It'll happen. And just be open to it. Just embrace it. f you don't buy a lottery ticket, you can't win. Same kind of concept.”

During the Oct. 19 episode, Sandra revealed to Turner the sacrifice she had made in order to be on the show with him — prompting surprise from The Golden Bachelor as well as viewers.

She said it was “something my daughter and I discussed early on,” to which he responded, “I feel very flattered, but that’s a big event.”

The two then called Sandra’s daughter on FaceTime, which she later said during a confessional was “so sweet.” 

“He’s always full of these sweet surprises and he’s so thoughtful. This man is something different.”

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The Golden Bachelor airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.