Amanda Kimmel

Amanda Lee Kimmel is a contestant from, and.

She is notable for becoming the first contestant to last 39 days on two separate seasons. She made it to Day 39 in China and Micronesia. However, due to her lackluster performances in the Final Tribal Councils, she has failed to win.

China
Amanda Kimmel has lived all over the state of Montana. She most recently worked as a hiking tour guide and continues to hone her skills as an artist while learning about the fashion industry. She began modeling in Chicago at the age of 16 where she lived on her own for one year. She previously worked as a make-up artist, retail sales representative and waitress. Her goal is to develop a business within the fashion industry.

Kimmel has competed in many beauty pageants and was crowned Miss Montana USA in 2005 and placed in the Top 8 for Miss Earth in 2006. She's been on the cover of Montana Living Magazine and Pageantry Magazine. Kimmel has been to China twice before to compete in the Miss Kite of the World Pageant in Weifang. She placed as a semi-finalist and was given a key to the city and was heavily promoted on billboards and in news articles. While promoting tourism via these pageants, she did volunteer work at orphanages and other organizations and was also permitted to fly kites off the Great Wall in five inch heels.

Kimmel's hobbies include hiking, designing, drawing and painting. She enjoys rock climbing, snowshoeing, kickboxing and volleyball. Kimmel describes herself as motivated, competitive and determined. She has camped every weekend in Montana since she was three years old. She tries never to leave home without her cowboy boots.

Kimmel just moved from Kalispell, Montana to Los Angeles and is living with her sister, Katrina. Her family has one dog, Sassy, two cats, Cleo and Lynus, and one horse, Frisco. Her birth date is August 3, 1984.

Heroes vs. Villains
Amanda Kimmel (24)

Tribe: Heroes

Hometown: Kalispell, Mont.

Current Residence: Los Angeles, Calif.

Personal Claim To Fame: “Becoming Miss Montana USA/Miss Earth USA.”

Inspiration in Life: “God.”

Previous Finishes: China: 2nd Runner Up; Micronesia: Runner Up

Favorite Past Moment: “Finding the hidden immunity on Exile on Fans vs Favs! It was like Christmas!”

Previous Survivor She Respects Most: James Clement (China, Micronesia)

Previous Survivor She Respects Least: Richard Hatch (Borneo, All-Stars)

Why Did She Come Back?: “Because I am really competitive and wanted to prove I could win!”

Survivor: China
Amanda formed an early alliance with fellow tribemates Todd Herzog, Aaron Reisberger, and Courtney Yates. Together, they controlled the votes in the Fei Long tribe, eliminating Leslie Nease at the only Tribal Council they had to face due to their strength in challenges.

After the kidnapping of Fei Long's strongest members, Amanda's alliance lost Aaron when the new Zhan Hu tribe threw a challenge to vote out a former Fei Long member, but their majority at the merger allowed Amanda to reach the Final Three, where her poor performance ended with her getting only Erik Huffman's vote.

Survivor: Micronesia
Amanda returned as one of the ten favorites who would compete against a tribe of die-hard Survivor fans. Amanda quickly formed an alliance with Ozzy Lusth, telling him that he is her favorite player of all time which sparked their relationship. When Parvati Shallow and James Clement sparked their own relationship, they rallied in Amanda and Ozzy to make an alliance, and soon recruited Jon Dalton as a fifth member. Losing the first Immunity Challenge, Malakal was sent to Tribal Council first, where Fairplay shocked everyone by requesting that they vote him out so that he could be with his expectant girlfriend. In return, Amanda, and the rest of the Favorites unanimously sent the villain home.

With Amanda's "couples alliance" being a looming force, concerning Jonathan Penner and Cirie Fields, who awoke in the middle of the night catching Amanda and Ozzy having a steamy moment. Jonathan offered Cirie a place in an alliance with Yau-Man Chan, Ami Cusack, and Eliza Orlins. Any strategies were put on hold, however, as the tribe of Favorites secured victory in the second Immunity Challenge.

After a failed attempt to swing Eliza to the alliance of couples, Amanda and Parvati took Cirie on a fishing trip, where the two proposed about going to the end as the final three, but only if she joined the couples alliance. Cirie agreed, but they would have to help her eliminate her biggest threat, Yau-Man. After Malakal lost the third Immunity Challenge, Amanda's alliance followed Cirie's lead, sending Yau-Man home.

Amanda would be safe for the next cycle, as Malakal won the fourth Immunity Challenge. Amanda's ally Ozzy revealed that he successfully obtained the Hidden Immunity Idol, bringing forth a higher degree of power to the alliance. However, the celebration was short-lived, as the alliance was split in half during a tribe switch, which sent Parvati and James to the rival Airai tribe, while Amanda and Ozzy stayed as Malakal members.

After losing the fifth Immunity Challenge, Cirie told Amanda that one of the newcomers, the massive Joel Anderson, was a bigger physical threat if gets deeper in the game. Convinced, Amanda, the remaining favorites, and Chet Welch and Tracy Hughes-Wolf, who are outsiders from the original Airai from the beginning, eliminated a visibly stunned Joel. By voting out their strongest member, Malakal suffered a lengthy losing streak, losing all subsequent Immunity Challenges. Amanda and the original Malakal members banded together and eliminated the Chet and Tracy, for weakness and threat status respectively. The last fan in Malakal, Erik Reichenbach, revealed that Ami was secretly plotting with the Fans and against the Favorites. Though she tried to explain her side of the story, Ami's treachery was ultimately caught, and she was disposed. With Ami's elimination, Malakal was reduced to four.

When the tribes merged on Day 22, the couples alliance regrouped, but Parvati shocked Amanda that former would include her in plot to disband the couples alliance and potentially dominate the game under a new alliance—the "Black Widow Brigade," consisting of Parvati, Amanda and Cirie, and Fans Alexis Jones and Natalie Bolton, the two women from Airai Parvati swore Amanda's name with. Initially chagrining over Parvati's plotting using her name without consent, and growing dislike of Alexis (who was becoming increasingly chummy with Ozzy), Amanda eventually went with the plan. At Dabu's first Tribal Council, Eliza fatalistically used an apparently fake Hidden Immunity Idol she received from fellow non-allied Jason Siska, she outright theorized that Ozzy must have planted it after he found the real one during his time on Exile Island, in which Ozzy confessed he did have it. With no allies, Eliza, the only female that was outside of the brewing all-girl alliance, was voted out, becoming the first member of the Jury. After the next Reward Challenge, Amanda would join Ozzy, Erik, and Jason to a trip to the island of Yap for a feast.

At the next Immunity Challenge, which required endurance, Jason and Parvati were the last two standing. But being an obvious odd man out, Jason tried to increase his odds by telling Parvati that he would step down and give her immunity, but she and everyone must promise not to vote him out. Eventually, everyone including Parvati halfheartedly agreed, winning herself immunity. Amanda and the other girls crossed their fingers, half-giggling while James and Ozzy were bewildered as well. Back at camp, Amanda, Ozzy, Erik, and James talked about reneging their promise; while unknown to them, Parvati and Cirie were starting to put the all-women alliance in motion by working through the former's deal with Jason, using the promise as a platform for Ozzy's elimination and to flush out the idol in the process. Knowing Amanda's loyalty to Ozzy, she was left out from the plot. Still oblivious with the plan, Amanda cast her vote for Jason, thinking that he would go home but was shocked when it was Ozzy who was sent home with the idol in his back pocket.

After the vote, Amanda and James consoled each other for being left out in the open. But unlike James, who quietly accepted the predicament, a furious Amanda went to Parvati and Cirie to ask them why she was not informed of the plan beforehand, but the two assured her that the all-girl alliance (and their secret final three deal) intact. During a Survivor Auction, Amanda won herself a serving of milk and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, while her ally, Natalie, strategically sent Jason to Exile Island after Jeff revealed the existence of a second Hidden Immunity Idol. While Jason indeed found the idol, the girls at the Dabu camp started plotting against Jason by making Natalie tell Jason he was safe so he would opt not to use the idol. The plan worked with Jason confidently not using his idol, but found himself blindsided instead.

Amanda's shining moment was when she was sent to Exile Island by Alexis during a challenge. She found all the clues and the final clue told her that another Hidden Immunity Idol was buried back at camp, under the tribe flag. After James' medical evacuation on Day 31, Erik was the last man and alliance outsider standing. But to the girls' dismay, Erik won the next Immunity Challenge, forcing the women to turn on each other. Before Tribal Council, Amanda showed her bag, stating that she did not had the idol. Later, she begged Cirie to not vote for her, with Cirie stating that she would not take the risk of draw rocks. Amanda approached Erik next, telling that Erik has yet to return the favor when he was kept over Ami, but was again fruitless. Amanda's last hope, Parvati, agreed to help, by keeping the others from going to the beach where Amanda was digging for the idol, under the premise that Amanda was having a bathroom break. At Tribal Council, the tribe agreed that Amanda was the biggest threat in terms of likability, with Parvati openly stating that she would vote with Amanda. Surprisingly, Amanda fooled everyone by pulling the Hidden Immunity Idol, effectively canceling all votes against her. Amanda excitingly said that she did not had the idol then since the idol was back at camp, so she did not lie, much to the delight of the Jury members. With only two votes against her, Alexis was eliminated.

Amanda, Parvati and Cirie reaffirmed their final three deal by agreeing to eliminate the remaining Fans, Erik and Natalie. They manipulated Erik (who won the Reward Challenge) by sending Parvati to Exile Island so neither of the fans would not have the chance to find the last Hidden Immunity Idol. Erik chose Amanda to join at the reward, to pay back his debt. Later, Erik won the next Immunity Challenge, forcing the women to eliminate one of their own again. As a solution, Cirie told Natalie to convince Erik to give up his necklace to her, and in return, she and Cirie would help him vote Amanda. At Tribal Council, Amanda taunted Erik by fictitiously castigating him for his deception, which was followed by Natalie and Parvati, forcing him to give his Immunity Necklace to Natalie in hopes of redemption. The plan worked, and Erik was voted out. While she was a part of the Black Widow alliance, Natalie, the last fan standing, soon followed.

Cirie, Parvati, and Amanda all celebrated, thinking that they were in the final three and even decided to release their last chicken Gloria as a form of celebration, but they were soon devastated that only two of them will be in contention to be the Sole Survivor, and another Immunity Challenge would commence. Amanda won the final immunity challenge, and was tasked to make what she thought was the "most difficult decision of her life." At Tribal Council, a sobbing Amanda admitted that her decision was difficult, as there were good and bad reasons to keep either Parvati or Cirie. Ultimately, she sent Cirie to complete the Jury, bringing Parvati with her to the final two.

At the Final Tribal Council, Amanda was castigated by the female Jurors for being seemingly melodramatic during the previous Tribal Councils, while the men blasted Parvati for her numerous deceptions. While Ozzy was mostly furious of Parvati's betrayal, he admitted that he was most angry for the fact that he could have spent more time with Amanda, and expressed his love for her.

Three of the men voted for Amanda, but it was Parvati who took the title of Sole Survivor by securing all four of the females' Jury votes and Jason's vote, thus landing Amanda the title of runner-up once again.

Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains
Amanda was a member of a majority alliance on the Heroes tribe consisting of herself, Cirie Fields, James Clement, Rupert Boneham, and J.T. Thomas, putting Heroes Colby Donaldson, Tom Westman, Sugar Kiper, Candice Woodcock, and Stephenie LaGrossa on the outside (Although Colby, Tom, and Stephenie were in an alliance whereas Sugar and Candice were in the middle). However Colby, Tom, and Stephenie were spared after the Heroes lost the first Immunity Challenge when the tribe mutually agreed that the much weaker and more annoying Sugar should leave, and was unanimously voted out 9-1.

At their next Immunity Challenge loss, Stephenie was immediately blamed for the loss by James, who viewed her as a bit of an omen due to her losing streak in Survivor: Palau. The alliance of Tom, Colby, and Stephenie tried to pull Candice and Cirie into their voting bloc against Amanda. However, after a heated Tribal Council, the two women voted out Stephenie, further putting Colby and Tom on the outs.

The Heroes enjoyed an Immunity win in the third round, but after another loss, the alliance of Colby and Tom were once again targeted. Tom had found a Hidden Immunity Idol after the loss, so Amanda and the majority agreed to split their votes between Colby and Tom, so that if Tom played the Idol, Colby would go. Unknowingly, J.T. flipped and helped to take out Cirie.

Amanda's alliance maintained their majority, voting out Tom at the next Tribal Council. During the Heroes' Tribal Council at the double Tribal Council, the tribe mutually voted out James due to his knee injury.

The Heroes would win the next three Immunity Challenges and make the merge. The Heroes targeted Jerri Manthey, but Amanda told Parvati Shallow that the Heroes were targeting her, although Parvati didn't believe it (Parvati had told Amanda about her Hidden Immunity Idol in exchange to know the Heroes target). Parvati shocked everyone by playing idols on both Jerri and Sandra Diaz-Twine, causing all of the Heroes' votes to be nullified and causing J.T. to be unanimously voted out.

Colby, Danielle DiLorenzo, and Amanda won a reward challenge the next round and got to watch Treasure Island in the former home of Robert Louis Stevenson. Danielle found a clue to the Hidden Immunity Idol in the popcorn bowl, but was caught by Amanda while trying to hide it. Amanda grabbed the clue out of her hand causing a fight between the two women over who should have the clue. Colby intervened and stated that Danielle should keep it since she found it. At Tribal Council, Amanda was voted out 6-3 when Candice flipped over to the Villains to help get rid of her after being persuaded by Russell Hantz.

Post-Survivor

 * In 2009, Amanda and fellow Survivor contestant Parvati appeared in the movie Into the Blue 2 (as herself).


 * During an interview for Survivor: South Pacific, Ozzy confirmed that he and Amanda had ended their relationship.

Trivia

 * Amanda is the first of five castaways to make the final twice. She was followed by Russell Hantz, Parvati Shallow, Sandra Diaz-Twine and Rob Mariano.
 * All of them competed in Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. Of those five, Amanda was the only one to be a member of the Heroes.
 * Amanda is the first castaway to reach two consecutive finals. She was followed by Russell Hantz.
 * Amanda and Russell are the only ones of the five castaways to lose both times.
 * Amanda is one of four players to receive jury votes at two different Final Tribal Councils, along with Parvati, Sandra and Rob.
 * On Day 22 of Heroes vs. Villains Amanda became the first castaway to play Survivor for 100 days. She ultimately played the game for 108 days, and is currently third behind Parvati Shallow (114 days) and Rob Mariano (117 days).
 * Amanda has played the most days of all castaways who never won.
 * She also lasted the most days without being eliminated out of any castaway. (She made it to Day 39 in her first two seasons before finally being eliminated in her third).
 * Amanda was the youngest castaway on the original Malakal.
 * Amanda was the youngest castaway on Heroes vs. Villains.
 * Being 25 during this season, she is the oldest person to be the youngest castaway on a season.
 * She is the only contestant to not be the youngest on her original season, but be the youngest on a season she was a returnee.
 * Amanda is one of four contestants to play the game three times, but become a jury member exactly once (the others are Stephenie LaGrossa, Colby Donaldson and Parvati Shallow).
 * Amanda is the first female contestant to use a Hidden Immunity Idol.
 * She has played all her three seasons with James Clement and has outlasted him on all of them.
 * Amanda and James are the only contestants to be on the same original tribe in back-to-back seasons.
 * On both seasons where Amanda played with Parvati Shallow, she has been outlasted by Parvati.
 * On both seasons where Amanda played with Cirie Fields, Amanda has outlasted her.
 * She and James are the only contestants to play in the same seasons with each other and play back to back seasons.
 * Russell Hantz referred to Amanda as "Boston Rob in a woman's body".
 * Amanda is the only third-place finisher to receive a vote from the Jury in the Final Three.
 * Amanda has only received jury votes from male Jury members.
 * Both times she made the finals, she got votes from a Jury member named Erik. (Erik Huffman in China. Erik Reichenbach in Micronesia.)
 * Amanda has only received jury votes from males.
 * Amanda shares a birthday with Survivor: South Pacific contestant Whitney Duncan who was also born on August 3, 1984.
 * In both China and Micronesia she won the final two Immunity Challenges.
 * Amanda is the first contestant from the state of Montana.
 * Amanda was inducted into the Survivor Hall of Fame in 2012.
 * Amanda is one of seven players to appear on two back to back seasons (the others are Rupert Boneham, Bobby Jon Drinkard, Stephenie LaGrossa, James Clement, Russell Hantz, and Malcolm Freberg).
 * In Micronesia, she was the only female returning castaway to make it to the Final Tribal Council on their original season.
 * Despite having 14 votes cast against her, no contestant has voted against Amanda more than once.
 * Erik Huffman was the only person to write her name down during China.
 * Erik Reichenbach is the only person to write her name down more than once, casting one vote against her and one vote for her during Micronesia.
 * Amanda is one of two 3-time Survivor players to play more days than a 4-time returning player.