Tina Marie Wesson is the Sole Survivor of Survivor: The Australian Outback. She later competed on Survivor: All-Stars and Survivor: Blood vs. Water.
She is remembered most for being the first female Sole Survivor. She is also remembered for having been Sole Survivor, the first one voted out, and the final Jury member over her three seasons.
Profile
The Australian Outback
Tina Wesson currently works as a private duty C.N.A. nurse while also working as a full-time mom. Formerly, she worked as a community education director, flight attendant, substitute teacher and a swimming instructor. Wesson obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in therapeutic recreation from the University of Tennessee in 1983. An avid athlete, she is most proud of having completed the Dublin, Ireland Marathon, placed first in the Tennessee State Racquetball Tournament and placed first in her age division in her hometown mini-triathlon, all in the same year (1998). Her quest in life continues to be to "live the life less ordinary." Wesson describes herself as happy, content, adventurous, outgoing, and very much in love. Her favorite hobbies are racquetball, paddleball , running, swimming, and motorcycling. Her favorite television show is Rosie, while her favorite feature films are Out of Africa and Shadowlands. She prefers classic, contemporary Christian, and pop rock music, citing Match Box 20 as her favorite band. While rooting for the University of Tennessee Volunteers, she's always game for a round of Balderdash. Her perfect day consists of eating a good breakfast followed by a ride on her motorcycle to the mountains with her husband and her best friend. After a hike, she'd play racquetball, take a shower, have dinner, see a movie while eating a big bag of popcorn and then head home to bed. She's an early riser. Born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, Wesson currently resides there with her husband, Dale, and her two children, Katie and Taylor. She is a member of the Outstanding Young Women of America and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Her birth date is December 26.
All-Stars
Since being declared Sole Survivor of SURVIVOR: THE AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK, Tina Wesson has been working as a motivational speaker, which has enabled her to travel around the country encouraging people to do whatever it takes in order to live a fulfilling life. She takes her motto, "It is a mistake to not live all you can!," very seriously. She previously worked as a private duty nurse, a community education director, flight attendant, substitute teacher and a swimming instructor. Tina obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in therapeutic recreation from the University of Tennessee in 1983. An avid athlete, she is most proud of having completed the Dublin, Ireland Marathon, as well as placing first in the Tennessee State Racquetball Tournament and in her age division in her hometown mini-triathlon, all in the same year (1998).
Tina describes herself as happy, content, adventurous, outgoing and very much in love. Her favorite hobbies are racquetball, paddleball, running, swimming and motorcycling. Her favorite television show is SURVIVOR, while her favorite feature films are "Out of Africa" and "Shadowlands." She prefers contemporary Christian and pop rock music, citing Matchbox 20 and John Mayer as her favorite artists. While rooting for the University of Tennessee Volunteers and the Tennessee Titans, she's always game for a round of backgammon. Her perfect day consists of eating a good breakfast followed by a ride on her motorcycle to the mountains with her husband and her best friend. After a hike, she'd play racquetball, take a shower, have dinner, see a movie while eating a big bag of popcorn and then head home to bed. She's an early riser.
Born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, Tina currently lives there with her husband, Dale, and her two children, Katie, 16 and Taylor, 15. She is a member of the Outstanding Young Women of America and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Her birth date is December 26, 1961.
Blood vs. Water
Name (Age): Tina Wesson (52)
Tribe Designation: Galang
Relationship to Significant Castaway: Katie’s Mother
Previous Season: Survivor: Australia – winner; Survivor: All-Stars – 1st out
Current Residence: Robbinsville, N.C.
Occupation: Motivational Speaker
Why Did You Want to Return to Survivor and Play with Your Loved One? Survivor gets in your blood. It is a thrill and an honor and a quest to get to play! Then to be able to share the experience with my daughter who happens to also be my best friend, what a gift!
Survivor: The Australian Outback
As part of the Ogakor tribe, Wesson was not targeted in the beginning of the game, seeming to mesh well with all the contestants and was not seen as a physical liability, despite losing the Day 6 Immunity Challenge for Ogakor.
Wesson proved to be a strategic player when she managed to convince allies Keith Famie and Colby Donaldson to force a tie between Mitchell Olson (who was aligned with Amber Brkich and Jerri Manthey) and Famie, whereby Olson would be voted off due to his previous vote at the Day 12 Tribal Council. She eventually made it to the merge, where her strategic prowess was believed to be the reason of the ex-Ogakors subsequent success over the ex-Kuchas by systematically eliminating them, while having a perfect timing to eliminate two of their own at the same time, in that case, Jerri Manthey and Amber Brkich.
After Brkich's departure, Wesson, Donaldson, and Famie took control and eliminated the remaining two Kuchas, Rodger Bingham and then Elisabeth Filarski, at the next two Tribal Councils. After the Final 3 immunity challenge, Donaldson continued his winning streak and chose to eliminate the unpopular Famie instead of Wesson, which cost him the win (which many fans believe that he could have won if he had chosen Famie instead).
Wesson became the Sole Survivor in a 4-3 vote, in which she gained the votes of Famie, Filarski, Manthey, and Alicia Calaway.
Voting History
| Tina's Voting History | ||
|---|---|---|
| Episode | Tina's Votes |
Voted Against Tina |
| 1 | Ogakor Tribe Immune | |
| 2 | Kel | - |
| 3 | Maralyn | - |
| 4 | Mitchell; Mitchell1 |
- |
| 5 | Ogakor Tribe Immune | |
| 6 | No Tribal Council | |
| 7 | Jeff; Jeff2 |
- |
| 8 | Alicia | - |
| 10 | Jerri | - |
| 11 | Nick | - |
| 12 | Amber | - |
| 13 | Rodger | - |
| 14 | Elisabeth | - |
| 15 | Ineligible | - |
| Jury Votes for Tina |
Alicia, Elisabeth, Jerri, Keith | |
| Sole Survivor, Day 42 | ||
^1 In The Killing Fields, the vote ended with a 3-3 tie between Keith and Mitchell, forcing a revote. Tina did not change her vote at the revote.
^2 In The Merge, the vote ended with a 5-5 tie between Colby and Jeff, forcing a revote. Tina did not change her vote at the revote.
Survivor: All-Stars
| “ | It's our game now, get off our playing field! | ” |
—Jenna Lewis, in reference to the returning winners, including Tina | ||
As part of the Saboga tribe who lost immunity in the first episode, Tina, a previous winner, was immediately targeted. She was chosen to be eliminated over Survivor: Africa winner Ethan Zohn, as he was needed for strength in challenges. Tribemate Jenna Lewis, who showed disdain for the possibility of a former winner winning again, and Jerri Manthey, who had conflicts with Wesson in their first season orchestrated Tina's elimination. With the very first votes against her, Tina was voted out of Survivor: All-Stars in the first episode, by a 4-2 vote.
Voting History
| Tina's Voting History | ||
|---|---|---|
| Episode | Tina's Votes |
Votes Against Tina |
| 1 | Jenna L. | Jenna L., Jerri, Rudy, Rupert |
| Voted Out, Day 3 | ||
Survivor: Blood vs. Water
Voting History
| Tina's Voting History | ||
|---|---|---|
| Episode | Tina's Votes |
Voted Against Tina |
| 1 | Candice | - |
| Galang Tribe Immune | ||
| 2 | Galang Tribe Immune | |
| 3 | Galang Tribe Immune | |
| 4 | Galang Tribe Immune | |
| 5 | Laura M. | - |
| 6 | Kat | - |
| 7 | Laura B. | - |
| 8 | Ciera | - |
| 9 | Vytas | - |
| Tyson | Caleb, Ciera, Hayden, Gervase, Laura M., Monica, Tyson | |
| Voted Out, Day 24 | ||
| 10 | On Redemption Island | |
| 11 | ||
| 12 | ||
| 13 | ||
| 14 | ||
| Returned, Day 36 | ||
| 14 | - | |
| Gervase | Gervase, Monica, Tyson | |
| Voted Out, Day 38 | ||
| Voted for Sole Survivor |
Tyson | |
^1 In It's My Night, Tyson used a Hidden Immunity Idol on Gervase, negating Tina's vote against him.
Post-Survivor
Tina's book.
- On January 6, 2002, Tina, along with Gervase Peterson, appeared on a celebrity edition of The Weakest Link. She didn't win, but did receive the house minimum of $10,000 for her charity.
- Tina wrote an inspirational book entitled, "Out Live, Out Laugh, Out Love".
- In 2001, Tina also graced the cover of the July–August issue of Racquetball magazine.[1]
- In Summer of 2009, Tina, along with the other first eighteen Survivor winners, appeared on a TVGuide special 'Survivor Winners: Where Are They Now?'
- On December 3, 2013, Tina's son, Taylor Lee Collins, died in a car accident.[2]
Trivia
- Tina is the first winner to not get a single vote against her in Tribal Council.
- Tina currently owns the old Barramundi tribe flag after a deal with Colby Donaldson that whoever won would have the right to own the flag. She claimed that it still smelled as it did during the game.
- As revealed at the reunion, Tina was not originally chosen to compete in Survivor: The Australian Outback. She was an alternate, who was called to the show only a week before filming began.[3]
- Tina's luxury item in The Australian Outback was a backgammon board.
- Tina was the first winner to win Survivor without winning Individual Immunity.
- Tina is the first former winner to return in a future season to get voted off in a subsequent season.
- Tina is the first contestant to finish in 18th place in a season of Survivor.
- Tina is the oldest castaway in Survivor: Blood vs. Water.
- After the tribe switch on Blood vs. Water, Tina is the only person to have a relative on their same tribe, as her daughter Katie was assigned to be on Galang.
- Tina is the only person to return twice after being crowned Sole Survivor. She won The Australian Outback and returned for All-Stars and Blood vs. Water. Other Sole Survivors have only appeared once after winning their seasons.
- Tina is the only castaway to play in multiple seasons of Survivor that were longer than 39 days.
- Tina is the only Sole Survivor to be voted off more than once, once in All-Stars, and twice in Blood vs Water.
- Tina is third winner to become a member of the Jury on a subsequent attempt. She follows J.T. Thomas and fellow Blood vs. Water castaway Aras Baskauskas.
- Tina is also the only former winner to return from Redemption Island.
- Tina lost 18 lbs (8 kg) during her time in Blood vs. Water.[4]
- Tina, along with Rupert Boneham, Colby Donaldson Jerri Manthey, and Rob Mariano are the only five castaways to compete in seasons with 16, 18 and 20 castaways.
- In the first season that she played with Rupert, she got last place and she got fourth place. In the second season thay played together, she got fourth and he got last. Both times they were on the same starting tribe
References
| Preceded by Borneo File:S1 richard t.jpg Richard Hatch |
Sole Survivor Titleholder The Australian Outback File:S2 tina t.jpg Tina Wesson |
Succeeded by Africa File:S3 ethan t.jpg Ethan Zohn |
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