Dr. Desiree "Desi" Williams, PT, DPT is a contestant from Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers.
A quiet member of the original Soko tribe, Desi proved to be a resilient and strategic player, aligning with former enemy Joe Mena to survive the Tribe Switch and winning the first Immunity Challenge following the merge. However, these traits ultimately made her a target. Following a tie vote between herself and Joe, she was voted out 7-1.
Profile[]
Retrieved from CBS.com
Age: 27
Hometown: Peachtree City, Ga.
Current Residence: Newport News, Va.
Occupation: Physical Therapist
Hobbies: Traveling the world, participating in pageants, and going to the gym.
Pet peeves: I can't stand people who are all talk. I work my butt off every day so I have little patience for laziness. I expect to see results and have no problem calling someone out if they don't deliver.
Three words to describe you: Congenial, forthright, and unremitting.
What's your personal claim to fame? I became an assistant professor at the age of 26 and a program director at the age of 27. They don't just hand out those titles to anyone.
Who or what is your inspiration in life? My grandmother. A survivor of the Great Depression, the civil right's movement, a divorce, and her second husband's fatal illness, she demonstrated unmatched resilience, resolve, and compassion. But above all, she played as hard as she worked and literally lived each day to the fullest. In honor of her legacy, I attempt to live my life without regrets.
If you could have three things on the island, what would they be and why? First would be Chapstick because there's nothing sexy or seductive about cracked lips (arguably, this could be survival related since it would hinder my ability to seduce the opposite sex). Second would be an unlimited supply of food because I've seen the show and those people get hangry quick! Finally, a masseuse because I love being pampered.
Which Survivor contestant are you most like? Tasha from Season 28. Though Tasha was casted for the "brains" tribe, she had the social skills of the beauty tribe and certainly the strength of the brawn tribe. She played a good game and was undoubtedly a fierce, physical competitor. I was able to relate to Tasha because I also think I'll be a physical, social, and cognitive threat.
What's your reason for being on Survivor? Winning one million dollars! Professionally and personally, I don't love where I am and would be so grateful for a clear path out. I've also told the people close to me that I'd love to spend some time living out of a backpack, traveling, and showering only a few times a week... so being on Survivor would be a dream come true.
Why do you think you'll "survive" Survivor? Charm, wit, beauty, mental fortitude, physical strength—all of these traits and more will ensure I'm the Sole Survivor. Already in good shape, I will show up on the island the strongest, quickest, most powerful and agile I've ever been. Borrowing from my childhood love of puzzles and games or logic and strategy, my mental sharpness will be at its peak. A natural academician, I will arrive having not only watched, but studied the game. If you combine those traits with my will to win and my expertise in gaining feigned camaraderie, I'm nearly unbeatable.[2]
Survivor[]
Originally a member of the Soko tribe, Desi did not face Tribal Council for the first 8 days as Soko won all of the pre-swap challenges. Both Desi and Joe Mena were swapped over to Levu after the Tribe Switch. The two tried to turn Devon Pinto against the original Levu members, but this backfired and led to him taking their enemy's side, instead. At the following Tribal Council, Desi and Joe voted for Alan Ball, and Joe made use of his Hidden Immunity Idol on himself to blindside Alan. Despite voting with Joe, she began to consider flipping on him, which she did tell Ashley Nolan, but this would never come to fruition as they won the remaining Immunity Challenges.
Desi reached the merge with all of her original Soko tribe members, sans Roark Luskin. After a long battle with Ashley, she managed to win the first individual Immunity Challenge of the season. She, along with the other former Soko members voted for Chrissy Hofbeck that night, but former Soko Jessica Johnston was blindsided, leaving Desi and her former tribe members on the outs. Despite coming close, she failed to win immunity at the next challenge, leaving her vulnerable. At the following Tribal Council, Desi voted for Lauren Rimmer, and both she and Joe ended up tied with four votes each. In the revote, Desi was voted out in a 7-1 vote for being seen as a physical and social threat.
At the Final Tribal Council, Desi congratulated Chrissy for winning four challenges and Ben for finding multiple idols, questioned Ryan's social and strategic moves, criticized Ryan's lack of work ethic, and asked Chrissy and Ryan why they allowed Ben to search for idols. Desi ultimately voted for Ben to win, which he did in a 5-2-1 vote over Chrissy and Ryan.
| Episode | Tribe Affiliation |
Challenge | Challenge Type | Sit-Out? | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soko | Race to Shore | Reward | No | 1st |
| Tracks of My Tears | Immunity | No | 1st | ||
| 2 | Crossroads | Reward/Immunity | No | 1st | |
| 3 | Block in a Hard Place | Reward/Immunity | No | 2nd | |
| Switched Tribes, Day 9 | |||||
| 4 | Levu | Tangled Up | Reward | No | Lost |
| The Color and the Shape | Immunity | No | Lost | ||
| 5 | Head Long Flight | Reward | No | 1st | |
| Rice Race | Immunity | No | 2nd | ||
| 6 | A-Tension Span | Reward | No | Lost | |
| Discy Business | Immunity | No | 2nd | ||
| Tribes Merged, Day 17 | |||||
| 7 | Solewa | Will It Go Round | Immunity | Won | |
| 8 | Air Raid | Reward | No | Lost | |
| Ten-Foot Pole | Immunity | Lost | |||
| Voted Out, Day 21 | |||||
| Episode | Desi's Votes |
Voted Against Desi |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soko Tribe Immune | |
| 2 | Soko Tribe Immune | |
| 3 | Soko Tribe Immune | |
| 4 | Alan | - |
| 5 | Levu Tribe Immune | |
| 6 | Levu Tribe Immune | |
| 7 | Chrissy | Individual Immunity |
| 8 | Lauren; Ineligible |
Ben, Devon, JP, Ryan; Ashley, Ben, Chrissy, Cole, Devon, JP, Ryan1 |
| Voted Out, Day 21 | ||
| Voted For Sole Survivor |
Ben | |
^1 In "Playing with the Devil", the vote ended with a 4-4 tie between Desi and Joe, forcing a revote. Ashley, Chrissy, and Cole changed their votes to Desi on the revote, eliminating her from the game.
Post-Survivor[]
Desi's promotional photo for The Challenge: USA 2.
- Desi attended her Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers castmate Jessica Johnston's wedding in March 2019.[3]
- In the spring of 2022, Desi competed on CBS's The Challenge: USA 1.[4] She was disqualified from the show in the final episode after her partner Enzo Palumbo quit the final challenge due to his inability to swim, finishing in 5th place out of the 14 female Challengers.
- In the spring of 2023, Desi competed on CBS's The Challenge: USA 2.[5] She was placed on the Green Team. She became the winner of the season, alongside Edge of Extinction winner Chris Underwood.
Trivia[]
- Desi was crowned Miss Virginia 2013 and then went on to win Miss Virginia USA in 2016.[6]
- Desi is the first African–American contestant to win the first post-merge individual Immunity Challenge of any season.
- Jolanda Jones in Palau and GC Brown in Gabon also won the first individual Immunity Challenge of their respective seasons, though these challenges were held pre-merge.
- She would be followed by Aaron Meredith in Island of the Idols.
- Desi lost 7 lbs. during her time on Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers.[7]
References[]
- ↑ http://prd-ext-webtier-1264707708.us-east-1.elb.amazonaws.com/missusa/members/profile/825115
- ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20230604165930/https://www.cbs.com/shows/survivor/cast/215726/
- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/survivor/comments/b4naes
- ↑ https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/pictures/the-challenge-usa-cast-revealed-photos/
- ↑ https://variety.com/gallery/the-challenge-usa-season-2-cast-cbs/the-challenge-usa-40/
- ↑ http://www.dailypress.com/news/education/dp-nws-miss-virginia-hu-20151018-story.html
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18F8I91y_0M
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