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Dr. Desiree "Desi" Williams, PT, DPT is a contestant from Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers.

A quiet member of the original Soko tribe, Desi proved to be a resilient and strategic player, aligning with former enemy Joe Mena to survive the Tribe Switch and winning the first Immunity Challenge following the merge. However, these traits ultimately made her a target. Following a tie vote between herself and Joe, she was voted out 7-1.

Profile[]

Retrieved from CBS.com

Age: 27
Hometown: Peachtree City, Ga.
Current Residence: Newport News, Va.
Occupation: Physical Therapist
Hobbies: Traveling the world, participating in pageants, and going to the gym.
Pet peeves: I can't stand people who are all talk. I work my butt off every day so I have little patience for laziness. I expect to see results and have no problem calling someone out if they don't deliver.
Three words to describe you: Congenial, forthright, and unremitting.
What's your personal claim to fame? I became an assistant professor at the age of 26 and a program director at the age of 27. They don't just hand out those titles to anyone.
Who or what is your inspiration in life? My grandmother. A survivor of the Great Depression, the civil right's movement, a divorce, and her second husband's fatal illness, she demonstrated unmatched resilience, resolve, and compassion. But above all, she played as hard as she worked and literally lived each day to the fullest. In honor of her legacy, I attempt to live my life without regrets.
If you could have three things on the island, what would they be and why? First would be Chapstick because there's nothing sexy or seductive about cracked lips (arguably, this could be survival related since it would hinder my ability to seduce the opposite sex). Second would be an unlimited supply of food because I've seen the show and those people get hangry quick! Finally, a masseuse because I love being pampered.
Which Survivor contestant are you most like? Tasha from Season 28. Though Tasha was casted for the "brains" tribe, she had the social skills of the beauty tribe and certainly the strength of the brawn tribe. She played a good game and was undoubtedly a fierce, physical competitor. I was able to relate to Tasha because I also think I'll be a physical, social, and cognitive threat.
What's your reason for being on Survivor? Winning one million dollars! Professionally and personally, I don't love where I am and would be so grateful for a clear path out. I've also told the people close to me that I'd love to spend some time living out of a backpack, traveling, and showering only a few times a week... so being on Survivor would be a dream come true.
Why do you think you'll "survive" Survivor? Charm, wit, beauty, mental fortitude, physical strength—all of these traits and more will ensure I'm the Sole Survivor. Already in good shape, I will show up on the island the strongest, quickest, most powerful and agile I've ever been. Borrowing from my childhood love of puzzles and games or logic and strategy, my mental sharpness will be at its peak. A natural academician, I will arrive having not only watched, but studied the game. If you combine those traits with my will to win and my expertise in gaining feigned camaraderie, I'm nearly unbeatable.[2]

Survivor[]

Originally a member of the Soko tribe, Desi did not face Tribal Council for the first 8 days as Soko won all of the pre-swap challenges. Both Desi and Joe Mena were swapped over to Levu after the Tribe Switch. The two tried to turn Devon Pinto against the original Levu members, but this backfired and led to him taking their enemy's side, instead. At the following Tribal Council, Desi and Joe voted for Alan Ball, and Joe made use of his Hidden Immunity Idol on himself to blindside Alan. Despite voting with Joe, she began to consider flipping on him, which she did tell Ashley Nolan, but this would never come to fruition as they won the remaining Immunity Challenges.

Desi reached the merge with all of her original Soko tribe members, sans Roark Luskin. After a long battle with Ashley, she managed to win the first individual Immunity Challenge of the season. She, along with the other former Soko members voted for Chrissy Hofbeck that night, but former Soko Jessica Johnston was blindsided, leaving Desi and her former tribe members on the outs. Despite coming close, she failed to win immunity at the next challenge, leaving her vulnerable. At the following Tribal Council, Desi voted for Lauren Rimmer, and both she and Joe ended up tied with four votes each. In the revote, Desi was voted out in a 7-1 vote for being seen as a physical and social threat.

At the Final Tribal Council, Desi congratulated Chrissy for winning four challenges and Ben for finding multiple idols, questioned Ryan's social and strategic moves, criticized Ryan's lack of work ethic, and asked Chrissy and Ryan why they allowed Ben to search for idols. Desi ultimately voted for Ben to win, which he did in a 5-2-1 vote over Chrissy and Ryan.

Episode Tribe
Affiliation
Challenge Challenge Type Sit-Out? Result
1 Soko Race to Shore Reward No 1st
Tracks of My Tears Immunity No 1st
2 Crossroads Reward/Immunity No 1st
3 Block in a Hard Place Reward/Immunity No 2nd
Switched Tribes, Day 9
4 Levu Tangled Up Reward No Lost
The Color and the Shape Immunity No Lost
5 Head Long Flight Reward No 1st
Rice Race Immunity No 2nd
6 A-Tension Span Reward No Lost
Discy Business Immunity No 2nd
Tribes Merged, Day 17
7 Solewa Will It Go Round Immunity Won
8 Air Raid Reward No Lost
Ten-Foot Pole Immunity Lost
Voted Out, Day 21

Episode Desi's
Votes
Voted Against
Desi
1 Soko Tribe Immune
2 Soko Tribe Immune
3 Soko Tribe Immune
4 Alan -
5 Levu Tribe Immune
6 Levu Tribe Immune
7 Chrissy Individual Immunity
8 Lauren;
Ineligible
Ben, Devon, JP, Ryan;
Ashley, Ben, Chrissy,
Cole, Devon, JP, Ryan1
Voted Out, Day 21
Voted For
Sole Survivor
Ben

^1 In "Playing with the Devil", the vote ended with a 4-4 tie between Desi and Joe, forcing a revote. Ashley, Chrissy, and Cole changed their votes to Desi on the revote, eliminating her from the game.

Post-Survivor[]

Desi Challenge USA 2

Desi's promotional photo for The Challenge: USA 2.

Trivia[]

References[]

Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers Castaways
 Alan
Levu
S35 alan t
 Ali
Yawa
S35 ali t
 Ashley
Levu
S35 ashley t
 Ben
Levu
S35 ben t
 Chrissy
Levu
S35 chrissy t
 Cole
Soko
S35 cole t
 Desi
Soko
S35 desi t
 Devon
Yawa
S35 devon t
 JP
Levu
S35 jp t
 Jessica
Soko
S35 jessica t
 Joe
Soko
S35 joe t
 Katrina
Levu
S35 katrina t
 Lauren
Yawa
S35 lauren t
 Mike
Soko
S35 mike t
 Patrick
Yawa
S35 patrick t
 Roark
Soko
S35 roark t
 Ryan
Yawa
S35 ryan t
 Simone
Yawa
S35 simone t
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