Amber Mariano

Amber Joy Mariano (née Brkich) was the sixth placing contestant in Australia and eventually became the winner of All-Stars. She married All-Star runner-up and Survivor: Redemption Island winner Rob Mariano.

Profile
Born in the Pittsburgh suburb of Beaver, Pennsylvania, Mariano went to Beaver Area High School. She is a graduate of Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, north of Pittsburgh, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in public relations, with a minor in speech communications, in 2000. She is a member of Alpha Gamma Delta Alumni having served as vice president and new member coordinator while still in school. She is of Croatian descent.

Survivor: The Australian Outback
Amber was a participant in the second season of Survivor, having auditioned for the season to put off getting a job after college. She was a member of the green Ogakor tribe, and she was quick to fortify a strong friendship with fellow contestant Jerri Manthey, who helped construct an alliance with Colby Donaldson, Tina Wesson, and Mitchell Olson.

Upon the merge, Ogakor managed to use the knowledge that one of Kucha's members, Jeff Varner, had received votes beforehand, and eliminated him, thus gaining a numeric advantage over the other group. Later in the game however, it was decided by a majority of the remaining players that Amber had played "under-the-radar", and she was sent home, ultimately landing in sixth place.

A member of the jury, Amber cast her vote for Colby, who failed to win the million dollars, losing to Tina Wesson.

Survivor: All-Stars
As one of the quieter personalities of Survivor: The Australian Outback, Amber's inclusion in the All-Stars installment of Survivor became a surprise to most fans. She was a member of the red Chapera tribe, a boisterous group including Rob "Boston Rob" Mariano, Sue Hawk, and fellow Survivor: The Australian Outback alumna Alicia Calaway.

In the season's premiere episode, Rob and Amber agreed to form an alliance, with Rob citing his reasoning as: "She's beautiful; any idiot can see that." The group faced its first Tribal Council in the fourth episode where they unanimously eliminated Rob Cesternino. Rob and Amber's relationship was a matter of discussion at the Tribal Council, but Amber claimed to have come to play Survivor, not a dating game.

In the next episode, due to a twist that "dissolved" the yellow Saboga tribe, two of its remaining members, Jenna Lewis and Rupert Boneham joined the Chapera tribe. Rob and Amber quickly fortified a long-term alliance with the tribe's two new members, one of the pair's many "agreements." The Chapera tribe then enjoyed a lengthy winning streak, winning immunity the next three times. The group did lose one member, however, when Sue Hawk opted to leave the game due to an indecent encounter with Richard Hatch.

In the season's ninth episode, a tribal shuffle managed to merely make each contestant switch buffs, with the exception of Amber, who remained on the Chapera tribe with Lex van den Berghe, Shii Ann Huang, Jerri Manthey, and Kathy Vavrick-O'Brien. The tribe went on to lose the next challenge and, in one of the season's more famous moments, Rob said to Lex, "If you take care of her, I'll take care of you." In perhaps an ironic twist of fate, it came down to Amber and her former Outback ally Jerri at that night's Tribal Council. Jerri was eliminated, but Lex stayed true to his deal with Rob, and Amber was spared.

In the following episode, the merge occurred, and Lex was chosen to be eliminated, despite Rob's promise to "take care of him." In the episodes following, Rob and Amber managed to maintain several "alliances," including their agreement with Rupert and Jenna, an agreement with Tom Buchanan, and an agreement with Alicia Calaway. With all these castaways believing themselves to be safe, Rob and Amber proceeded through the game, eventually finding themselves in the final four with Jenna and Rupert.

In the final four, Amber won her first individual Immunity Challenge, and she and Rob convinced Jenna to vote out her ally Rupert instead of forcing a tie. In the final three, Rob won immunity and chose Amber to continue with him to the final two. Facing the Jury, Rob and Amber met much criticism for their gameplay.

In the season finale several months later, Rob and Amber revealed they were still dating, Amber even wearing a yellow "I Love Rob" shirt (and was booed by the audience in the process). Just before the votes were read, Rob surprisingly proposed to Amber and she accepted. It was revealed that, in a 4-3 decision, Amber was the Sole Survivor.

Post-Survivor
As an engaged couple in 2005, Brkich and Mariano participated in the seventh season of The Amazing Race and came in second place. At one point in southern Africa, Mariano and Brkich saw their own photo on a magazine cover. They were also recognized in countries all over the world and assisted by locals who recognized them.

Although Rob & Amber lost the final leg of the race, they placed 1st in the 2nd, 4th, 7th and 10th legs. In 2007, Rob and Amber competed on the All-Stars season of The Amazing Race as newlyweds. After achieving first place for the first three legs, they came in last and were eliminated in the season's fourth episode.

Rob and Amber filmed a 10-episode show for the Fox Reality Channel, Rob and Amber: Against the Odds in 2006, which aired in 2007. Set in Las Vegas, the show follows Rob's attempt to become a professional poker player and features professional player Daniel Negreanu tutoring Rob.

Mariano lived in her hometown, Beaver, Pennsylvania (a suburb 40 miles northwest of Pittsburgh), until her marriage to Rob. Afterward, the couple moved to Pensacola, Florida. In 2006, they also took up residence in Las Vegas, Nevada to support Rob's poker career. In July 2009, Amber gave birth to daughter they named Lucia Rose Mariano. In December 10, 2010, Rob and Amber welcomed their second child, which they named Carina Rose Mariano, which was revealed during the Survivor: Nicaragua reunion show, where Rob was a special guest.