Month: September 2008

Marcus Lehman
28
Atlanta, GA
Doctor

CBS Bio
Marcus Lehman, a young doctor from Jacksonville, Fla. considers himself mentally and physically prepared to compete for his chance to be the sole SURVIVOR.

Recognized as the state of Georgia’s hottest bachelor by Cosmopolitan Magazine in 2006, Lehman strives to achieve the highest levels in all areas of life.

A rower and graduate of Harvard University, Marcus went on to finish medical school at Emory University while developing his interest in triathlons. The single resident physician of Cuban-American descent will eventually work as an anesthesiologist after he completes specialty training, but also continues to develop his interest in medical reporting and acts as a spokesman for preventative medicine.

Marcus describes himself as a romantic who enjoys exercising, playing music, cooking and fine wine, not to mention doing some flirting on his way to finding the perfect girl. Marcus hopes he will be able to use his charm and physical prowess to make it far in the game.

Lehman’s birthday is October 3, 1979.

Ken Hoang
22
Westminster, CA
Professional Gamer

CBS Bio
Ken Hoang gives a new meaning to the term “gamer.” Known to the gaming community as “the King of Smash,” Hoang is a professional at his craft. As the current international champion of Nintendo’s Super Smash Brothers Melee video game, Ken has traveled the world from Japan to Australia to prove his dominance.

Hoang uses his tournament winnings to help support his family. He and his siblings still live at home to help pay the mortgage. It has also led to a strong bond among his brothers and sisters. In fact it was his sister that started his addiction to SURVIVOR.

While he may seem like an interesting choice for a game based in the outdoors, this gamer sees it as an amazing opportunity. Ken is very creative, and has a strong passion for art, a skill he is currently going to college to fine tune. When not playing videogames or brushing up on his art, Hoang enjoys playing with his pets, a Maincoon cat named Kinski and a Husky named Monster.

He loves the fact that he will be considered an underdog because everyone will underestimate his prowess at playing mind games. Nobody would look at him and believe he climbed Mt. Fuji at the age of 20. Ready to exploit his slight physical stature, Ken will trick his fellow players into seeing him as a non-threat, only to smash them if they get in his way.

Ken is single and currently resides in Westminster, Calif. His birth date is October 10, 1985.

Kelly Czarnecki
22
Buffalo Grove, IL
Retail Sales

CBS Bio
Kelly Czarnecki describes herself as a leader by nature. And though she has worked for everything she has, she’ll also be the first tell you that “she gets what she wants and does what she wants.” Don’t be fooled by her girl-next-door looks Czarnecki is a mid-western spitfire who loves the outdoors. Called adventurous and ambitious by her friends, this one-time cheerleader always finishes what she starts because to her there’s always a reward at the end.

Hailing from Buffalo Grove, Ill., Kelly has three brothers who have helped make her both physically and mentally tough. In her free time, Czarnecki loves to camp, hike and canoe. She describes herself as an energetic strong minded achiever for which self-confidence is not a issue. This fashionista can be found at the gym at least five times a week and is skilled in kickboxing, yoga and Pilates. Although most of Kelly’s time is spent focusing on her career goals, she is a self-proclaimed “denim expert,” and hopes to one day open her own clothing store.

Aside from studying fashion marketing at the Illinois Institute of Art, Kelly is also the sales manager at one of the top retail boutiques in Chicago. Czarnecki claims “she is a hell of a salesperson and can talk anyone into anything,” although she also wants them to feel good about their purchase. She believes it is those leadership skills she’s received from her job and schooling that has prepared her for SURVIVOR.

Kelly resides in Buffalo Grove, Ill. and her birth date is April 4, 1986.

Jessica “Sugar” Kiper
29
Brooklyn, NY
Pin-Up Model

CBS Bio
Jessica Kiper prides herself on being flirty and fun. When she is not acting, this 29 year old works as a waitress named “Sugar” at ’50s diners and enjoys singing and making music. Friends describe this single, free-spirit as crazy, funny and cool. Currently, this blonde pin-up model lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. with her dog, “Major P. Pants,” but has spent time living in various places throughout the country including Florida, Rhode Island, Louisiana, and San Francisco and Los Angeles, California.

Jessica can be a bit of a goofball and her laugh is contagious. Although at first glance she may not look tough, despite being adorned with several tattoos, Kiper has been through a lot in her life, including the recent death of her father, whom she called her hero. Despite the struggles she’s faced, Kiper has always come out on top. She is ready to bring her spunk, positive attitude and bubbly personality into the game of SURVIVOR and hopes to grow as a person after the experience and win enough money to “get off people’s couches.”

Jessica was born on February 22, 1979.

Jacquie Berg
25
Santa Barbara, CA
Medical Sales

CBS Bio
Jacquie Berg always plays to win and will settle for nothing less than number one. She’s trained her whole life to play a game like SURVIVOR. Competing in several sports such as gymnastics, water polo, crew, track and swimming, she’s proven herself a leader.

Berg thrives off pressure and has gone as far as competing against sales executives with 10 years experience to land her dream job as a medical device sales representative. Berg, one of the youngest people in her industry, is also a writer and charity organizer.

Constantly on the go, Jacquie admits she doesn’t like to sit still and is full of life. Her hobbies include running, swimming, surfing and boating. She describes herself as enthusiastic, adventurous, sweet and extremely positive. Her biggest pet peeve is people who talk about their big dreams but do nothing about it. She believes we all have control over our own destiny.

Berg confesses that she performs her best when in extreme situations and can’t wait to overcome the physical and mental challenges SURVIVOR will offer.

Berg grew up in Minnesota and is currently single and lives in Santa Barbara, California. She has a B.S. in business administration from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Her birth date is September 10, 1982.

Gillian Larson
61
Temecula, CA
Retired Nurse

CBS Bio
Retired after working as a registered nurse for 41 years, Gillian Larson has never satisfied her appetite for adventure and travel despite her wide array of experiences throughout her 61 years. She has traveled through 46 countries and all but a few U.S. states, much of it backpacking. This adventurous “granny” can climb and rappel 4,000 foot mountains and swim with the Great Whites. Not only is she versatile, but she is competitive by nature and feels as though she is an perfect fit for the game of SURVIVOR, having applied 15 times, always believing she would one day be selected.

Married 37 years to her husband, Ron, Gillian has three married daughters and four grandchildren. Born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, she was awarded several academic and athletic honors. Gillian met her husband in Germany and moved to the United States. The couple has relocated 18 times and currently resides in Temecula, Calif. since 2001. Her proudest achievement is her awesome family.

When she isn’t scuba diving or hiking through the mountains, Gillian enjoys travel, writing, photography, gardening, spending time with her family and her eclectic group of friends who range from 2 to 92.

For her 60th birthday, she got a purple butterfly tattoo on her left hip. A very good swimmer, this SURVIVOR-addict feels that she has what is takes to be the oldest winner yet.

After SURVIVOR, Larson’s new goal is to be a motivational speaker, focusing on “believe in yourself and you can achieve anything”

Gillian’s birthday is February 24, 1947.

Danny “GC” Brown
26
Portland, OR
Maintenance Man

CBS Bio
Danny Brown deems himself a true SURVIVOR, having overcome a difficult childhood including homelessness, and a mother who constantly moved both him and his brother to temporary housing. However, despite his hardships, Brown was resilient and optimistic.

As a child, Brown learned to swim and fish in the Colorado River and developed a lifelong love of the outdoors. He said he would quit his job to live outside if he could. His hobbies include producing music, fishing and traveling. He enjoys playing basketball and lifting weights whenever he gets the chance. He describes himself as adventurous, outgoing and silly, and he doesn’t like dishonest people.

Brown currently works as a maintenance supervisor for the apartment complex where he lives and claims that making it through the week there is a challenge in itself. His job consists of cleaning, painting, plumbing, electrical repairs and customer service for the tenants.

He believes that his determination, hard work and social skills can get him to the end.

Brown lives in Portland, Oregon with his girlfriend, Shannan. He shares his home with his dog Chica, a cat named Scout and five snakes. His birth date is July 13, 1982.

Dan Kay
32
Boston, MA
Lawyer

CBS Bio
Dan Kay has come a long way from his blue-collar roots in Boston. Born and raised in Walpole, Massachusetts, he was very involved in athletics, especially football, skiing and track. While in high school, Dan played on a varsity football team, which had a long tradition of winning, a tradition that has helped shape his strong work-ethic. He graduated from The University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science & English and later would earn his law degree from Syracuse University College of Law where he was also a member of the Moot Court Honor Society.

Charismatic, hard working and goal oriented, most of Dan’s traits were formed from the influence provided by his parents and a select few coaches and teachers. As a young boy, his father became disabled, leaving his mother to care for his family and, eventually, his ill grandmother, all while working as a full-time nurse. In addition, Dan credits his mother’s work ethic and unselfish attitude for his strong desire to overcome any obstacles in his career and personal life.

Dan has practiced law in Boston for five years, which helped him to purchase several investment properties. However, dedicating so much of his time to his practice left him depressed and feeling less than fulfilled with his life. Prior to leaving for SURVIVOR, he sold off a number of investments and spent time away from his job, in an effort to focus more on himself and his friends and family. He believes this recent awareness, along with having an increased appreciation for the people in his life rather than material possessions, will help him succeed not only in his personal life, but on SURVIVOR.

Attractive, athletic, single and a lawyer, Dan is set to make a big impression on his competitors. Dan’s hobbies include skiing, running, biking, weight training and cooking. Currently, he is training to compete in his first triathlon.

He is single and lives in Boston. His birthdate is June 30, 1976.