Survivor: Nicaragua Cast
It's a battle of the ages as the younger La Flor tribe squares off against the elder Espada tribe. Will youth or experience prevail? Survivor: Nicaragua premieres Wednesday, Sept. 15, at 8 p.m.
Get the full story here, and then read on for a closer look at the Castaways—we interviewed all of them on set in Nicaragua!
Alina Wilson:
La Flor
Age: 23
Occupation: Student/model
Residence: Downey, Calif.
"I'm the kinda girl who wants to prove that I'm a badass," the swimsuit model told me in Nicaragua. "I just go right in for the kill."
Ben Henry:
La Flor
Age: 24
Occupation: Bar owner
Residence: Los Angeles
"I think it's time that the young guns take over," said the self-described Hollywood "player" who's reportedly dated Holly Montag and Dakota Pike. "I'm gonna bring in a new style."
Brenda Lowe:
La Flor
Age: 27
Occupation: Business owner
Residence: Miami
"I don't mind getting dirty," said the former cheerleader for the Miami Dolphins (a team Jimmy Johnson also coached). "I love to work...I feel like I have to always do something."
Chase Rice:
La Flor
Age: 24
Occupation: NASCAR jackman/singer
Residence: Charlotte, N.C.
"I'm putting my money on Chase to win," Jeff Probst said about the easygoing former college football stud with the charming Southern drawl.
Dan Lembo:
Espada
Age: 63
Occupation: Property management
Residence: Watermill, N.Y.
"I've been conniving my entire life," the Brooklyn Italian (aka "Mr. Connected") told me. You can see his Sopranos-style audition video here.
Holly Hoffman:
Espada
Age: 44
Occupation: Swim coach
Residence: Eureka, S.D.
Her husband's a congressman and her two daughters are pageant stars (Miss South Dakota and Miss South Dakota Teen), so now it's Holly's time to shine. "I've raised all my kids...I want to do something before I get too old. I want to play Survivor and try to win a million dollars."
Jane Bright:
Espada
Age: 56
Occupation: Dog trainer
Residence: Jackson Spring, N.C.
The recently widowed Southern straight-shooter said she's competing "mainly to show my daughter life may give you all kinds of bumps and roadblocks but you keep trying and you do it."
Jillian Behm:
Espada
Age: 43
Occupation: E.R. physician
Residence: Erie, Pa.
A nationally ranked cyclist and doctor, Jill also has two sons. "I want to come here for the moms with one kid on each leg and big barf on their shoulder," she said. "I'm there for the moms who can still compete and still be competitive."
Jimmy Johnson:
Espada
Age: 67
Occupation: Retired NFL coach/TV sports broadcaster
Residence: Islamorada, Fla.
The two-time Super Bowl champ is a Survivor superfan...and awesome personified.
Jimmy Tarantino:
Espada
Age: 48
Occupation: Fisherman/government seafood inspector
Residence: Gloucester, Mass.
Fans voted for Jimmy T to win this year's online Survivor video casting call. Time will tell whether the Massachusetts mariner will be as popular with his tribemates.
Judson Birza:
La Flor
Age: 21
Occupation: Student/model/musician
Residence: Venice, Calif.
This surfer dude may have mistaken Survivor for summer camp: "I like to have fun. I like group activities. I'm very much gonna try to get everybody in the tribe to just hang out and enjoy each other."
Kelly Bruno:
La Flor
Age: 25
Occupation: Medical student
Residence: Durham, N.C.
"I'm here to prove I'm as good as anyone else," the amputee and Ironman triathlete said in Nicaragua. "That's been a big motivation for a lot of things in my life."
Kelly Shinn:
La Flor
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Hometown: Mesa, Ariz.
"Oh my gosh," the University of Hawaii pre-med (?!) student said about, well, everything, including her discovery at the mall by Survivor casting director Lynne Spillman.
Marty Piombo:
Espada
Age: 48
Occupation: Wine industry executive
Residence: Mill Valley, Calif.
The former Yahoo! exec expects to be portrayed on the show as "dark and villainesque," but he's not complaining. "I definitely don't want to be the guy nobody remembers when they show the final vote. That would suck."
Matthew "Sash" Lenahan:
La Flor
Age: 30
Occupation: Luxury broker
Residence: New York City
"I'm probably the most all-around talented player to ever play this game," boasted Sash, "my charisma, my athleticism, my boldness—I have everything." Sash, who describes himself as a "black man in Harlem" (because no one else will), worries about being "dubbed a second Coach" when he "entertains" his tribemates with his improbable adventures.
NaOnka Mixon:
La Flor
Age: 27
Occupation: Physical education teacher
Residence: Los Angeles
"I'm gonna be faker than faux fur," said the collegiate track star from South Central L.A. "I don't like the pritziness—I don't really like cheerleaders, but I can adapt to my environment." With two cheerleaders on her team (Brenda and Kelly S), NaOnka is going to have to work hard at being a chameleon.
Shannon Elkins:
La Flor
Age: 30
Occupation: Business owner
Hometown: Lafayette, La.
Married for 11 years and the father of three, you won't see Shannon employing Parvati's flirting strategy—at least with women. "My wife would rather see me hugging and cuddling a dude. My boys can call me a fag [but] I know I'm straight." Wow. Survivor really isn't doing Lafayette, La., any favors.
Tyrone Davis:
Espada
Age: 42
Occupation: Fire captain
Residence: Inglewood, Calif.
"If you operate from a standpoint of integrity you reap the benefits of that," says the native of South Central L.A. "I don't believe in stepping on others to ascend to another level."
Wendy DeSmidt-Kohlhoff:
Espada
Age: 48
Occupation: Retired army officer/nurse
Residence: Fromberg, Mont.
"My first goal is to not be voted off first," the bubbly goat rancher said before the game began. "I like to sing and I like to dance, and my husband said, 'If you sing and dance, you're voted off first.' He said everyone who sang in the past has been voted off."
Yve Rojas:
Espada
Age: 41
Occupation: Stay-at-home mom
Residence: Kansas City, Mo.
The mother of two has no problem with deception: "My daughters think I'm in northern Minnesota getting my yoga certificate," she confessed. "I told them, 'It's 500 hours, so I'll be gone a while. There's a lot of hippies there, so they don't allow modern technology.' So how do I feel about lying? I think I've gotten pretty good at it. Lying shouldn't be this easy, right?"