Tina Wesson

Tina Marie Wesson was first female Sole Survivor, having won the second season, Survivor: The Australian Outback. She also competed in the Survivor: All-Stars edition, and finished 18th.

Profile
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.

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 Calaway.

Survivor: All-Stars
"saboga"

- It's our game now, get off our playing field!

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.

Post-Survivor
Tina wrote an inspirational book entitled, "Outlive, Outlaugh, Outlove." In 2001, Tina also graced the cover of the July-August issue of Racquetball magazine.

Trivia

 * Tina currently owns the old Barramundi tribe flag after a deal with Colby that whoever wins will have the right to own the flag. She claimed that it still smelled as it did during the game.
 * Wesson became the first female Sole Survivor. She was also the first mother to win.
 * As revealed at the reunion show, Tina was originally chosen as an alternate for the show. She was selected the Monday before the show began to actually participate.
 * Tina is one of six winners (Along with Ethan Zohn, Jenna Morasca, Sandra Diaz-Twine, Tom Westman, and Richard Hatch) to play twice and not be a member of the jury in either season.
 * Tina is one of six winners (along with Sandra Diaz-Twine, Todd Herzog, Yul Kwon , Earl Cole , and Natalie White ) to win Survivor without ever winning an Individual Immunity.
 * Wesson is the first former Sole Survivor to get voted off in a subsequent season.
 * Wesson is the only contestant to win a season and be the first voted off in another season.
 * Wesson is the first person to finish in 18th place in a season of Survivor.