'Survivor: Kaôh Rōng': Meet the Cast
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Who Will Win?
Who will outwit, outplay, and outlast the rest to be the next sole Survivor? Presenting the three tribes of Brains, Brawn, and Beauty that will be competing in Survivor: Kaôh Rōng.
Peter Baggenstos
Age: 34
Tribe Designation: Brains
Current Residence: Minneapolis, Minn.
Occupation: ER Doctor
Personal Claim to Fame: I’m multinational! My father is from Switzerland and mother is from Jamaica. I’m a Swiss citizen!
Inspiration in Life: People who live an extraordinary life on a daily basis.
Hobbies: Working out, escaping on an airplane to travel, and reading.
Pet Peeves: Bombastic people, “Bros” and know-it-alls.
Three Words to Describe You: Eclectic, tenacious and shameless.
Aubry Bracco
Age: 29
Tribe Designation: Brains
Current Residence: Cambridge, Mass.
Occupation: Social Media Marketer
Personal Claim to Fame: My name (it means "leader of the elves") and the way I pursued my education with my own style. I convinced my advisors at Brown University to let me write a children’s book about a manatee instead of a 50-page thesis and went on to graduate with honors.
Inspiration in Life: My grandmother, Madeline. She dealt with a crazy Brooklyn Italian family and was a hard worker. She was the first Woman of the Year at the New York Daily News and never let anything get her down (she once went back to work the day after a major car accident). She also had a wacky personality – as kids she told us she didn’t eat chicken because “their legs were too close to their butts."
Hobbies: Crayon art, running, meeting locals in new places and astrology.
Pet Peeves: People who are not self-aware, don’t know how to listen actively or give fake compliments. Close second: scented things covering bad smells.
Three Words to Describe You: Beguiling, intuitive and relentless.
Joseph Del Campo
Age: 72
Tribe Designation: Brains
Current Residence: Vero Beach, Fla.
Occupation: Former FBI Agent
Inspiration in Life: St. Judes Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tenn. Primarily deal with pediatric cancers, no child is denied treatment on race, religion or a family’s ability to pay.
Hobbies: Classic car restoration, hiking, backpacking in the mountains, and writing articles about military veterans for a local monthly magazine in Vero Beach, Fla.
Pet Peeves: People who whine!
Three Words to Describe You: Tenacious, daring and vigilant.
Michele Fitzgerald
Age: 24
Tribe Designation: Beauty
Current Residence: Freehold, N.J.
Occupation: Bartender
Personal Claim to Fame: My time at Rock the Earth, where I toured and worked with bands raising money for environmental issues. I was able to travel, listen to amazing music and educate people about important causes.
Inspiration in Life: Harry Potter. His character chose bravery in the face of darkness and adversity. I appreciate anyone who overcomes obstacles without pitying themselves for being dealt a bad hand. Plus, magic.
Hobbies: Traveling, reading and rock climbing.
Pet Peeves: Overpriced alcohol, close talkers and self-important people.
Three Words to Describe You: Quirky, charismatic and adventurous.
Cydney Gillon
Age: 23
Tribe Designation: Brawn
Current Residence: Douglasville, Ga.
Occupation: Body Builder
Personal Claim to Fame: I am most proud of receiving my International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness Pro card at the National Physique Committee Nationals in 2012. I was a junior at Penn at the time and I’d just turned 20. I had to train three times a day, not including track practice, in order to make my dream happen.
Inspiration in Life: My mother. She is the strongest woman I know and her loyalty is forever unwavering. She has been diagnosed with breast cancer twice, and even though she could barely walk from her chemo treatment, she still put me first and flew in to support my bodybuilding show.
Hobbies: Sprinting, lifting/weight training and sleeping.
Pet Peeves: Obnoxious criers, bigots, overly weak people, and basically anything related to closed-minded mentalities.
Three Words to Describe You: Opinionated, driven and disciplined.
Caleb Reynolds
Age: 28
Tribe Designation: Beauty
Current Residence: Hopkinsville, Ky.
Occupation: Army Veteran
Personal Claim to Fame: Defending my country in war and bringing my troops home safely to their families.
Inspiration in Life: I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.
Hobbies: Working out, competing, hunting, and riding horses.
Pet Peeves: Texting while driving and nose picking.
Three Words to Describe You: Gregarious, spontaneous, and hilarious.
Anna Khait
Age: 26
Tribe Designation: Beauty
Current Residence: Brooklyn, NY
Occupation: Pro Poker Player
Personal Claim to Fame: I am most proud of participating in the World Games last summer in Jamundi, Colombia for frontball [handball]. I recently started working with the mayor on a scholarship program for kids out there in Colombia.
Inspiration in Life: Princess Diana because of all the love she had for people. She touched and helped anyone she could. She is my biggest inspiration.
Hobbies: Handball, reading, singing, and playing piano.
Pet Peeves: Arrogance, ignorance, and when someone picks on someone less fortunate.
Three Words to Describe You: Loyal, kind-hearted and perfectionist.
Darnell Hamilton
Age: 27
Tribe Designation: Brawn
Current Residence: Chicago
Occupation: Postal Worker
Personal Claim to Fame: Graduating from college. It has been a long and hard road, but I did it! I was horrible in high school because I didn’t give a damn, not because I wasn’t smart. Now I have finished college and not only that, I did it with a 3.47GPA while working jobs all day and night.
Inspiration in Life: Growing up, I never had a hero, just examples of what not to do. If I had to pick a hero, it would be Jesus, someone who was willing to sacrifice himself for the good of others even when they didn’t deserve it. That’s real.
Hobbies: Gaining knowledge, fishing, and working out.
Pet Peeves: People who talk too much and habitual liars.
Three Words to Describe You: Confident, anomaly, and rebellious.
Alecia Holden
Age: 24
Tribe Designation: Brawn
Current Residence: Dallas
Occupation: Real Estate Agent
Personal Claim to Fame: I made a bucket list of adventures I wanted to accomplish. I went out and did it; bungee jumping in Indonesia, hang gliding in Rio, skydiving, jumped off the stratosphere in Las Vegas, face to face shark diving in Australia, and interacting with uncaged tigers in Thailand.
Inspiration in Life: My grandpa and grandma are my inspiration in life. My grandparents pastor a Baptist church. Doctors, firefighters, and nurses; they all save lives physically, but my grandparents lead people to be saved eternally. They are my heroes.
Hobbies: I like to seek out and accomplish adventures all over the world.
Pet Peeves: People who lie and can't be straight up. I tell it how it is and expect the same. Also negativity. I’m all about positive vibes and energy.
Three Words to Describe You: Fearless, ambitious, and adrenaline junkie.
Neal Gottlieb
Age: 38
Tribe Designation: Brains
Current Residence: Sausalito, Calif.
Occupation: Ice Cream Entrepreneur
Personal Claim to Fame: I started Three Twins Ice Cream with my life’s savings of $70,000 in 2005 at age 28 after returning from the Peace Corps. I couldn't afford employees, so I did everything myself at first. I opened another shop, then another and then built a factory in 2010 to start selling pints to grocery stores, and have since opened a second factory. We're now sold in grocery stores in all 50 states, have a team of around 100 and sales this year that will be about 100 times sales from the first year, despite almost going broke during the economic downturn and unrelenting competition. I am proud of the growth, taking on the challenges, being creative, treating employees well, giving a great deal back and inspiring others through my version of the American dream.
Inspiration in Life: I am not much for heroes, but the person who has come closest to obtaining hero status is my Uncle Larry. I admire him for the deep and devoted love that he had for my aunt. Despite being a tough guy, he has never been afraid to cry or share his feelings. I admire him for his larger-than-life deeds, like finding 55 pounds of cocaine off the coast of Florida (he’s a former cop and turned it in). I admired him because of his Popeye-like muscle on his forearm, which I later found out is actually a tumor, but I didn’t know that as a kid. But more than anything, I have always admired him for being himself.
Hobbies: Traveling, indoor rock climbing, and one-upmanship.
Pet Peeves: I am not really one to complain and therefore don’t have too many pet peeves but I do have very little patience for whiny people and hypocritical bible thumpers.
Three Words to Describe You: Incorrigible, witty, and kind.
Elisabeth Markham
Age: 27
Tribe Designation: Brains
Current Residence: New York, N.Y.
Occupation: Quantitative strategist (I write computer programs that forecast stock prices and trade automatically).
Personal Claim to Fame: Building a blackjack card-counting team. We started with 10 people investing $2,500 each and it grew the bankroll to over $500,000 in less than a year.
Inspiration in Life: My badass grandma, who was incredibly smart, social, savvy at business, and loved by everyone.
Hobbies: Gambling (for profit), everything outdoorsy, strategic board games, and traveling far off the beaten path.
Pet Peeves: Racism, sexism, and homophobia. People who refuse to learn from evidence and won’t listen to logical arguments.
Three Words to Describe You: Thoughtful, smart and adventurous.
Debbie Wanner
Age: 49
Tribe Designation: Brains
Current Residence: Reading, Penn.
Occupation: Chemist
Personal Claim to Fame: Being the first in my family to graduate college, learning was always valued, but not formal education. My family was/is dysfunctional, to put it mildly.
Inspiration in Life: I just adore Tia Torres of Pit Bulls and Parolees – talk about Survivors!
Hobbies: Working out (hiking and running), flying, snowmobiles, horses, boating, playing piano, rescuing Boston terriers and tortoises, juggling, and reading, especially American and Roman history.
Pet Peeves: The idolization of garish, repugnant, and supercilious people – like the Kardashians; pets as fashion accessories; apathy – don’t just talk about doing it, do it, and help make the world a better place.
Three Words to Describe You: Relentless, erudite, and Spartan.
Kyle Jason
Age: 31
Tribe Designation: Brawn
Current Residence: Detroit
Occupation: Bounty Hunter
Personal Claim to Fame: Besides my family, it would be becoming an NCO while in the Army. I worked my ass off to get there and I did it in only 3 years.
Inspiration in Life: I don’t have a hero or an inspiration. I am just me, and everything I have ever wanted, I go for. I won’t stop until I get it and I don’t care what I have to do to get it.
Hobbies: Kicking in doors, getting tattoos, and riding my motorcycle.
Pet Peeves: There are so many, but if I were to narrow it down, I would have to say dumb people, lazy people and one uppers.
Three Words to Describe You: Loud, blunt, and hilarious.
Jennifer Lanzetti
Age: 38
Tribe Designation: Brawn
Current Residence: Salt Lake City, Utah
Occupation: Contractor
Personal Claim to Fame: Coming back to life after endometriosis, cancer and drug addiction, getting my engineering degree and starting my own construction technology company.
Inspiration in Life: Martin Luther King Jr. When he spoke, the whole world stopped to listen, whether they liked him or not. That’s the ticket in the world and in this challenge. Be yourself, don’t worry about who is trying to sabotage you. Just keep moving forward and focus on the goal. It takes confidence and big moves!
Hobbies: Riding motorcycles, eating good food, playing board games and adventure racing.
Pet Peeves: Slow drivers, people who chew with their mouth open, when people end a sentence with a preposition, when girls say the word “like,” and a--holes.
Three Words to Describe You: Blunt, not fragile, and bad-ass chick.
Nick Maiorano
Age: 30
Tribe Designation: Beauty
Current Residence: Redondo Beach, Calif.
Occupation: Personal Trainer
Personal Claim to Fame: I’ll always be a better listener than you. Meaning, I listen to people better than you do, I’m more interested in people than you are, and I accept people more than you do. And yes, sometimes I pretend to do these things, but at least I pretend, whereas you just check out and are narcissistic.
Inspiration in Life: I didn’t have a hero last time I applied and still don’t. No human is a hero. I’m my own hero because I love the person I am.
Hobbies: Writing, exercising, and managing web projects.
Pet Peeves: These aren’t necessarily pet peeves, but angry, loud, and rude people who don’t know how to hold a conversation.
Three Words to Describe You: Obsessive-compulsive, receptive, and contrarian.
Julia Sokolowski
Age: 19
Tribe Designation: Beauty
Current Residence: Boston, Mass.
Occupation: College Student
Personal Claim to Fame: My trip to Tanzania. I taught English to a class of 83 third graders and rebuilt and restored classrooms. I also hiked the base of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Inspiration in Life: My 17-year-old brother, Eric. He was born with a heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome and has undergone a series of four open heart surgeries. He is a fighter and my inspiration every day.
Hobbies: Skiing, hip hop & contemporary dancing, and flirting.
Pet Peeves: Really slow walkers and entitled people.
Three Words to Describe You: Outgoing, driven, and versatile.
Scot Pollard
Age: 40
Tribe Designation: Brawn
Current Residence: Carmel, Ind.
Occupation: Former NBA champion. Played for the Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics.
Personal Claim to Fame: Winning an NBA Championship ring and playing in the NBA for 11 years.
Inspiration in Life: My father. He gave me the genetics and the guidance until he died. Roy Williams, my college coach, because he helped me with my work ethic.
Hobbies: Spending time with family, traveling, and riding my motorcycle.
Pet Peeves: People who are late and not loyal.
Three Words to Describe You: Driven, fun, and loud!
Tai Trang
Age: 51
Tribe Designation: Beauty
Current Residence: San Francisco
Occupation: Gardener
Personal Claim to Fame: Being a part of the AIDS Life Cycle ride for the past 13 years. A 545-miles, 7-day camping and bicycle ride from SF to LA to benefit HIV and AIDS services. In total, I’ve raised over $75,000 for the LA LGBT Center and SF AIDS Foundation. I love this grueling, but fun, mental and physical challenging experience.
Inspiration in Life: My parents. They worked so hard to provide for 11 of my siblings. During and after the Vietnam war, we were so poor, we had to eat plain rice with soy sauce for months. Somehow they managed to get us all on a fishing boat to escape communism and luckily we all survived 11 days on the open ocean. In an Indonesian refugee camp, my mom made and sold one cookie at a time to earn extra money for her children. They are the ones that taught me self-reliance and my mom always reminds me “If you have health and both hands, you can never go to sleep cold or hungry.”
Hobbies: Planning dinner parties, cooking for friends, and keeping bees. I am fascinated by the colony’s social structures. I also enjoy reading and discussing fiction in our book club.
Pet Peeves: Foodies, double parked cars, and lazy people.
Three Words to Describe You: Energetic, resourceful, and competitive.
