Mary Zheng

Mary Zheng is a contestant from Survivor 48.

After a difficult start to the game on Vula where she had to resort to using her Shot in the Dark to stay alive, Mary found a reprieve when she was switched to Lagi. There, her relationship with David Kinne helped her to eventually find a spot in the majority alliance after the merge. However, when David was blindsided by his own alliance, Mary found herself in familiar waters at the bottom of Niu Nai. Faced with an unbreakable majority, Mary was voted out at the final seven.

Profile

Retrieved from Parade.com

Age: 31
Hometown: Montgomery Village, MD
Current Residence: Philadelphia, PA
Occupation: Substance Abuse Counselor

3 Words to Describe You: Chaotic, dynamic, thoughtful.
Why do you want to be part of Survivor? I've done Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, and hitchhiked across the Mediterranean. It's been a while since I've challenged myself. This game will push you to your limits – emotionally & physically – and I'm dying to be pushed there & then push past it!
What's one life experience you feel has prepared you for the game? Volunteering at the crisis hotline for years – you have to build trust within minutes, be convincing enough that people who formerly wanted to end their lives don't want to anymore and be attuned to the subtitles of human emotion. Plus, you never know who you're gonna get on the other line so you need to be ready for surprises!
Which previous player do you identify with the most? Who do you think you will play most like? Identify w/ Ben because although he was pinned as a threat, his relentless game play ensured he was never voted out – the man played like his life depended on it. But I'd also play like Kenzie who went to every reward because by nature I'm a social butterfly. I will flit around, providing comfort, care, and laughter to my tribemates.
What will you value in an alliance partner? The ability to shut off your emotions in favor or what's best logistically / strategically. I can't have an alliance partner poppin' off at someone we need for numbers thereby potentially alienating them or wanting to vote out a shield just because they want revenge.
Favorite Hobbies: Cycling (read: weaving through traffic during rush hour); making music; tarot; writing; cooking for my loved ones.
Pet Peeves: Slow drivers in the left lane; food that you pay for that sucks; inefficiency; being told what to do; people who over-promise & under-deliver.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Learning how to say no to others so that I can say yes to myself.
What is something we would never know from looking at you? I've struggled for years w/ body image & disordered eating, and I've put in a lot of work to forge and nurture a healthy relationship with food.
Who is your biggest inspiration and why? Everyone says their parents and I'm no different, except it's because my parents helped lead the 1989 Tiananmen Square Protests for Democracy. Afterwards my mom escaped house arrest after 9 mo. In jail and my dad evaded the Communists despite a national search for him. They didn't choose to start a new life in a foreign country – they were forced to seek political asylum otherwise they'd die. They live their lives with intention and purpose.
Why will you be the Sole Survivor? I'm a bundle of contradictions – so I can be whatever I need to be whenever I need to be! I'm chaotic but also careful & controlled; I'm easy-going & can befriend anyone but intense & will be on the whole time (think: Ben searching for idols at all hours). I move through the world with my intuition leading so I'll be able to sense any sneaky business or deceitful intentions.^[2]

Survivor

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Episode	Tribe Affiliation	Challenge	Challenge Type	Sit-Out?	Result
1	Vula	Uphill Battle	Reward	No	Lost
		Fight for Supplies	Reward	Yes	Won
		Slide Hustle	Reward/Immunity	No	Lost
2		Looks That Keel	Reward/Immunity	No	Lost
3		Blind Melon	Reward/Immunity	No	Lost
Switched Tribes, Day 8
4	Lagi	Stage 48	Reward/Immunity	No	1st
5		Enter Sandbag	Reward	No	1st
5		48 Jump Street	Immunity	No	2nd
Tribes Disbanded, Day 12
6	None	Feel the Earn	Reward¹	No	Won
6	None	Over-Extended	Immunity		Lost
Tribes Merged, Night 13
7	Niu Nai	Wrist Assured	Reward/Immunity		Shared²
8		Pairy Feral	Reward³		1st
8		Pairy Feral	Immunity³		Lost
9		Crocodile Rock	Reward/Immunity		Lost
10		Union of the Snake	Reward		Lost
10		A Bit Tipsy	Immunity		Lost
11		Driving Wheel	Reward/Immunity		Lost
Voted Out, Day 21
Notes: ^1 The castaways first competed as two teams for reward. Only the members of the winning team would have the right to compete for individual immunity. ^2 The challenge was played for team reward and individual immunity, with the last person standing winning reward for their team. Mary did not win immunity, but was on the team that won the reward. ^3 The castaways first competed as five teams for reward. Only the members of the two winning teams would have the right to compete for individual immunity.

Episode	Mary's Votes	Voted Against Mary
1	Saiounia	-
2	Ineligible¹	-
3	Ineligible²	~~Cedrek, Saiounia~~²
4	Lagi Tribe Immune
5	Lagi Tribe Immune
6	Charity	-
7	Cedrek	-
8	Chrissy	-
9	Mitch	-
10	Star	Kamilla, Mitch, Star
11	Joe	Eva, Joe, Kamilla, Kyle, Mitch, Shauhin
Voted Out, Day 21
Voted for Sole Survivor	Eva

^1 In "Humble Traits", Mary lost her vote at the summit, making her ineligible to vote at Tribal Council.
^2 In "Committing to the Bit", Mary used her Shot in the Dark die, making her ineligible to vote at Tribal Council. Her Shot in the Dark succeeded, negating 2 votes against her.

Post-Survivor

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Trivia

Mary is the highest-placing member of the original Vula tribe.
- Finishing in 7th place, Mary is tied with Stephenie LaGrossa (in Palau), Jefra Bland, and Emily Flippen for the lowest finish of the highest-placing member of a starting tribe.
Mary coined the tribe name "Niu Nai".