Mariko "Mari" Takahashi (高橋真理子)[1] is a contestant from Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X.
Insulating herself well into the Vanua tribe, Mari's strategic prowess ultimately did not go unnoticed as she was blindsided at the tribe's first Tribal Council.
Profile[]
Retrieved from CBS.com
Name: Mari Takahashi
Age: 31
Current residence: Los Angeles, CA
Occupation: Gamer
Tribe Designation: Vanua (Millennials)
Three words to describe you: Courageous, adaptable, and calculating.
Hobbies: Video games, rock climbing, and traveling.
Pet peeves: Stagnation and laziness.
Personal claim to fame: Summiting Mount Kilimanjaro. More than just the accomplishment of climbing a 19,000-foot mountain, it marked my transition from the world I knew everything about, which was the ballet world I dedicated 25 years to, and walking into the unknown, which led me to playing video games for a living.
Inspiration in life: [Facebook Chief Operating Officer] Sheryl Sandberg because she's been a huge inspiration to me and has had a huge impact on the way I've moved up in the industry.
If you could have three things on the island, what would they be and why? My journal and a writing tool; my iPhone with wi-fi, so I could Instagram the crap out of the beautiful location; a taco truck endlessly stocked with carne asada tacos, Mexican Coca-Colas and chocolate-covered churros.
Survivor contestant you're most like: I'd like to play like Yul Kwon (Cook Islands). He was fiercely smart and two steps ahead of everyone the entire game. To be in so much control as to not have to play his idol at all was awesome. I'd also like to keep in mind Kelley Wentworth's (San Juan del Sur, Cambodia) gameplay in Second Chance.
Reason for being on Survivor: First, for glory. I love to win. I want to win Survivor. I'm a natural-born competitor and I will play hard because I want that W. To be able to say I've conquered 39 days of mental and physical mayhem and came out on top would be the biggest win for me. I would wear that title so proudly.
Why do you think you'll "survive" Survivor? I am tenacious. I love winning. I play to win. I compete every single day. Video games keep my mind sharp, my hand-eye coordination on point, and constantly hungry to get that W. A background in ballet will shatter everyone else's chance of dominating in any balance challenge. My social game is calculated and precise. Social strategy is what I do. One doesn't accrue over 35 million fans across the internet by chance; it's strategic, calculated, technical, smart, and is exactly how I will play and win Survivor.[2]
Survivor[]
Being a millennial, Mari was assigned to the Vanua tribe where she quickly noticed Taylor Stocker, Figgy Figueroa, Jay Starrett, and Michelle Schubert forming an alliance of four, with Taylor and Figgy isolating themselves with a romantic relationship. She believed she had rallied the rest of the tribe against the quartet. Mari was confident it would be an open and shut vote against Figgy after the tribe lost the Day 7 Immunity Challenge, but she was secretly targeted by Jay and Michelle believing she was a strategic threat. In the middle of Vanua's first Tribal Council, Mari dismissed a secret yet important conversation between Hannah and Michelle. In the end, everyone, minus Adam Klein and Zeke Smith, turned against her, and she was blindsided in a 7-3 vote.
| Episode | Tribe Affiliation |
Challenge | Challenge Type | Sit-Out? | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vanua | Got to Choose | Reward/Immunity | No | Won |
| 2 | The Ocean | Reward/Immunity | No | Lost | |
| Voted Out, Day 7 | |||||
Post-Survivor[]
- Mari previously worked for social media brand Smosh; she hosted the series Smosh Pit Weekly and worked as a gamer on Smosh Games with her own segment called Maricraft. On this segment, she hosted a mini-series about Survivor named "Outlaster", mentioning her time there. In 2020, Mari left Smosh to pursue a solo career.
- On April 26, 2024, Mari attended the wedding of Millennials vs. Gen X castmate Adam Klein.[3]
Trivia[]
- Mari is the oldest member of the original Vanua tribe.
- She is the only original member of Vanua to be over 30 during the season's filming.
- Mari is friends with Erin Robinson & Joslyn Davis, who competed on The Amazing Race 28.[4]
References[]
| Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X Castaways | |||||||||||||||||||
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