Stephenie LaGrossa

Stephenie LaGrossa, usually referred to as Steph, is a contestant from, , and.

Despite her physical strength, Stephenie would soon suffer at the hands of ill-fated Ulong tribe, where she would become the sole surviving member of her tribe. She was absorbed by the rival Koror tribe. Upon returning for a second time in Guatemala, she became more deceptive and cutthroat, earning the ire of her former allies. Despite her villainy in her second outing, she was remembered mainly for her participation in Palau, landing her a spot on the Heroes tribe in.

Profile
Retrieved from CBS.com

Palau
One of five siblings born to Stephen and Marguerite, Stephenie LaGrossa is the youngest and only girl of the family to grow up in Briarcliff, Glenolden, a suburb of Philadelphia. She graduated from Archbishop Prendergast High School, where she played varsity lacrosse, field hockey and swimming. After graduating, she attended Temple University in Philadelphia before transferring to Monmouth University in Long Branch, New Jersey. She played Division One Lacrosse at both universities and was a four-year starter. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with concentrations in marketing and management. She currently works as a territory sales representative for a pharmaceutical sales company and bartends part-time.

LaGrossa enjoys yoga, Pilates, water sports and going to the beach. She describes herself as relentless, persuasive, extremely competitive, dramatic and friendly. She is most proud of being offered athletic and academic scholarships to two different universities and purchasing her own home when she was 23 years old. An avid lacrosse player in college, LaGrossa won many awards signifying her outstanding athleticism and leadership. At Monmouth University, she was the team captain her senior year, made the NEC Academic Honor Roll and the Dean's List. In addition, LaGrossa was a three-time NEC All-Conference selection, NEC Scholar/Athlete Award recipient and Female Athlete of the Year Nominee.

LaGrossa is currently an active member of the Monmouth University Blue and White Club and continually involves herself with local high schools and Monmouth University to help coach local clinics.

LaGrossa has been dating her boyfriend, Michael, for six years. She lives in Tom's River, New Jersey. Her birth date is December 6, 1979.

Guatemala
One of five siblings born to Stephen and Marguerite, Stephenie LaGrossa is the youngest and only girl of the family to grow up in Briarcliff, Glenolden, a suburb of Philadelphia. She graduated from Archbishop Prendergast High School, where she played varsity lacrosse, field hockey and swimming. After graduating, she attended Temple University in Philadelphia before transferring to Monmouth University in Long Branch, New Jersey. She played Division One Lacrosse at both universities and was a four-year starter. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with concentrations in marketing and management. She currently works as a territory sales representative for a pharmaceutical sales company and bartends part-time.

LaGrossa enjoys yoga, Pilates, water sports and going to the beach. She describes herself as relentless, persuasive, extremely competitive, dramatic and friendly. She is most proud of being offered athletic and academic scholarships to two different universities and purchasing her own home when she was 23 years old. An avid lacrosse player in college, LaGrossa won many awards signifying her outstanding athleticism and leadership. At Monmouth University, she was the team captain her senior year, made the NEC Academic Honor Roll and the Dean's List. In addition, LaGrossa was a three-time NEC All-Conference selection, NEC Scholar/Athlete Award recipient and Female Athlete of the Year Nominee.

LaGrossa is currently an active member of the Monmouth University Blue and White Club and continually involves herself with local high schools and Monmouth University to help coach local clinics.

LaGrossa has been dating her boyfriend, Michael, for six years. She lives in Tom's River, New Jersey. Her birth date is December 6, 1979.

Heroes vs. Villains
Name (Age): Stephenie LaGrossa (29)

Tribe:

Hometown: Briarcliff, Glenolden, PA

Current Residence: Philadelphia, PA

Personal Claim To Fame: "Being a three-time NEC (North East Conference) All-Conference selection, NEC Scholar/Athlete Award recipient and Female Athlete of the Year Nominee in lacrosse at Monmouth University."

Inspiration in Life: "My Mother has always been an inspiration in life. She is my best friend and I tell her everything! I wouldn't be where I am today without my mother's unconditional love and support."

Previous Finishes: Palau; 10th out, 3rd Jury Member; Guatemala: Runner-Up

Favorite Past Moment: "Outlasting my entire tribe and being the sole Ulong member left standing.

Previous Survivor She Respects Most: Jenn Lyon (Palau)

Previous Survivor She Respects Least:  "Any female who plays the game for the wrong reasons."

'''Why Did She Come Back? :''' "I came back for the love of the game and because I'm such a serious competitor! I came very close to winning 2x but still never won so I came back a 3rd time to try to win it all this time."

Voting History
In The Best and Worst Reward Ever, the vote ended with a 2-2 tie between Angie and Bobby Jon, forcing a revote. Stephenie voted for Angie on the revote. In Jellyfish 'n Chips, the vote ended with a 2-2 tie between Ibrehem and James, forcing a revote. Stephenie voted for James on the revote. In Neanderthal Man, there was a fire-making challenge instead of a vote at Tribal Council between Stephenie and Bobby Jon. Stephenie won the challenge and remained in the game.

Survivor: Guatemala
Stephenie started the game on the Yaxhá tribe,  which started a short losing streak. She was immediately afraid of her past Survivor experience recurring, but Yaxhá won the next Immunity Challenge. Stephenie built strong bonds with Rafe Judkins and Jamie Newton. During a surprise tribal swap, her, Rafe, Jamie, and Lydia Morales were switched to Nakúm, which also consisted of four original Nakúm members. Stephenie and Jamie convinced Judd Sergeant to flip on his former tribe and vote out Brooke Struck. Stephenie's new tribe continued to win immunity, only going to Tribal Council and eliminating Margaret Bobonich because of a double Tribal Council twist.

Stephenie's alliance, which consisted of her, Rafe, Jamie, Lydia, Judd, and Cindy Hall entered the merge with numbers over the new Yaxhá tribe. After promising Bobby Jon Drinkard a spot on the jury, Stephenie and her alliance voted out Brandon Bellinger and then Bobby Jon himself after Gary Hogeboom played an Immunity Idol. Instead of continuing to eliminate the rival alliance, Rafe wanted to blindside Jamie for being paranoid and wanting to go the final two with Judd. Stephenie reluctantly agreed, and aided in voting her close ally out. Judd was shocked, but maintained his loyalty. The alliance was then back on track and voted out Gary, leaving Danni Boatwright as the only remaining alliance member left.

After a Reward Challenge where Danni bought an advantage to the Immunity Challenge, Judd bought the family reward and invited Stephenie, Cindy, and their respective loved ones on it. Stephenie promised Judd's wife that she would go to the final two with him. Danni won individual immunity, forcing Stephenie to eliminate another member of her own alliance. She decided to vote off Judd, citing his multiple lies as justification. After he was blindsided, he was clearly angry, and another ally Stephenie burned.

Cindy was not informed of the Judd blindside, and felt vulnerable. After keeping a car reward for herself rather than giving a car to Stephenie, Rafe, Lydia, and Danni, Rafe was angry with Cindy. He made a pact with Danni to go to the final three with her, and when Stephenie returned from the reward, Rafe informed her that he wanted to eliminate Cindy. Cindy was then voted out, and Stephenie took most of the heat again.

At the final four, Rafe wanted to stay true to his bond with Danni and eliminate Lydia. Stephenie thought Danni was a bigger threat, but did not want to upset her closest ally, Rafe, and helped him in voting her out. Danni won the Final Immunity Challenge, and Rafe released her of her promise to bring him to the final two. Danni brought Stephenie, which angered Rafe. Stephenie only received Rafe's vote, and was named runner-up to Danni.

Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains
The producers have deemed LaGrossa's "heroic" showing in Palau more memorable than her more "villainous" game approach in Guatemala, thus placing her in the Heroes tribe in the 10th anniversary/20th season,.

During the first round of the first Reward Challenge, Stephenie accidentally dislocated her shouler (a problem that she has revealed in interviews is that recently, she easily dislocate her shoulder in strenous activities). It required medical help from the Survivor medics and they successfully put it back into place, but the injury was not serious enough to evacuate her from the game.

LaGrossa became an outsider early on in the game. After the elimination of Sugar Kiper, a majority alliance consisted of James Clement, Rupert Boneham, Amanda Kimmel, J.T. Thomas, Cirie Fields, and Candice Woodcock was formed. With this, Stephenie's Palau castmate, former winner Tom Westman, and alum Colby Donaldson, created an alliance out of necessity.

During the second Immunity Challenge, Stephenie was non-cooperative to the team while building a puzzle, to the point of Clement fuming at her to listen to tribe mate J.T. Thomas, who had done the same challenge in his own season. James also made the argument that any tribe Stephenie was on was sure to lose. The debacle between James and Stephenie carried over at camp and at Tribal Council. In the end, the Heroes majority alliance eliminated her in a 6-3 vote.

Post-Survivor

 * Stephenie married high school history teacher Michael Ward on July 7, 2006. 8 other survivors attended their wedding, including castmates Tom, Ian, Gregg, Jenn, Katie, and Caryn, and  castmates Amy and Rafe. The two eventually divorced. On November 13, 2010, Stephenie married again, this time to Philadelphia Phillies pitcher,.
 * In Summer of 2009, Stephenie appeared on the TVGuide special "Survivor Millionaires: Where Are They Now?" in a segment focused on non-winners.
 * On January 9, 2010, Stephenie attended Survivor ' s 10-year anniversary party along with all of her cast mates.
 * In February 2010, Stephenie appeared on  as Top Ten List Presenter #8 along with nine of her Heroes vs. Villains cast mates.
 * Some time after Heroes vs. Villains, Stephenie became a co-owner of "GiGi Restaurant & Lounge" in Old City Philadelphia. The establishment was closed and was replaced with a new food establishment.
 * Stephenie has had two children with Kyle. Their first child, daughter Sophia Marguerite, was born on September 3, 2011. Their second child, son Kyle Kendrick Jr., was born on July 30, 2013.

Trivia

 * Stephenie has the worst challenge win-loss ratio (10:39) of any contestant to play multiple seasons.
 * Stephenie had the most confessionals in both and . This made her the first woman to have the most confessionals in a season in which she was eliminated before the finale, and the first woman to have the most confessionals in a season in which she made it the Final Tribal Council.
 * Stephenie is the first female player to compete in two seasons back to back. She is one of nine players to appear on two consecutive seasons (the others are: Rupert Boneham, Bobby Jon Drinkard, Amanda Kimmel, James Clement, Russell Hantz, Malcolm Freberg, Joe Anglim, and Shirin Oskooi).
 * Stephenie started on a blue tribe in all three of her seasons.
 * Stephenie is the first returning contestant to participate in the Survivor Auction more than once. She did so in and.
 * Stephenie is the first returning player to be a finalist in her following outing and be defeated by a new player. She would be followed by Coach Wade and Michael Skupin, who both lost to female new players in and  respectively.
 * Stephenie is the first of three returning players who has been the highest ranking member of their original tribe twice. She was followed by Sandra Diaz-Twine and Ozzy Lusth.
 * Stephenie is the first of five castaways that experienced all the phases of all the game, being voted out pre-merge, post-merge and making it to Final Tribal Council. She was voted out pre-merge on, post-merge on , and made it to Final Tribal Council on . Colby Donaldson, Rob Mariano, Tina Wesson, and Tyson Apostol are the others.
 * Stephenie is one of twelve castaways to play in an all new players' season, all returning players season, and a season with both new and returning players. The others are Cirie Fields, Parvati Shallow, Amanda, James, Rob Mariano, Russell Hantz, Coach Wade, Tina Wesson, Rupert, Candice Cody, and Tyson.
 * Stephenie is the only contestant from Palau who was on multiple tribes during the season.