Meryl Szolkeiwicz

Meryl Szolkeiwicz
Contestant Profile
Hometown	Irene, Gauteng; Centurion, Gauteng
Occupation	Pilates Instructor; Holistic Movement Coach
Survivor Career
Version	South Africa
Tribe(s)	Ta'alo ► Sa'ula Manumalo
Finish	13/21
Challenge Wins	8
Votes Against	8
Days Lasted	22/39
Tribe(s)	Masu ► Yontau Salan
Finish:	8/20
Alliance(s)	Breakfast Club
Challenge Wins	7
Votes Against	12
Days Lasted	27/39

Meryl Szolkeiwicz is a contestant from Survivor South Africa: Island of Secrets and Survivor South Africa: Return of the Outcasts.

Starting Island of Secrets in the majority on Ta'alo, Meryl found herself aligned with Danté De Villiers for the entirety of her game. Following the tribe switch, Meryl was able to find an idol, seemingly strengthening her position. However, after misplaying her idol while on Sa'ula, Meryl and Danté's weak position was exposed, and her sour attitude towards Nicole Capper at the merge caused others to be wary of working with her, resulting in her elimination.

Playing for a second time in Return of the Outcasts, Meryl reunited with Danté and, more significantly, formed the powerful "Full Package" alliance with Marian de Vos and Steffi Brink. Recognized for her strong social game, Meryl's target increased after she came into possession of three potent game advantages. When her Breakfast Club alliance broke up after the merge, Meryl was extended a game-saving olive branch at the final nine by the No B.S. Alliance, but she was unable to overcome her threat status and was blindsided the next cycle after misplaying the advantages in her arsenal.

Profile

Retrieved from m-net.dstv.com

• Island of Secrets
• Return of the Outcasts

Surname: Szolkeiwicz
Age: 31
Occupation: Pilates instructor
From: Irene, Pretoria

A creative soul with a degree in musical theatre, this pilates instructor with big hair and even bigger ambition always wants to perform at her best and won't let anything get her down. After starting a career as a musician, Meryl married quite young and had three beautiful boys within four years. For this yummy mommy, Survivor SA is an opportunity to rediscover her adventurous side. Raising three kids made her fierce and strong, compassionate and loyal, but in Survivor you may just see a little more of her flirtatious side. It is a game, after all!

Name: Meryl Szolkiewicz
Previous season: Survivor SA: Island of Secrets S7
Age: 31
Hometown: Centurion

Meryl Szolkiewicz studied toward a musical theatre degree and started her career as a musician and performer, but that fell away after she met and married her husband, and had three sons.

She saw her chance to appear on her season of Survivor SA as a chance to hit the reset button – which she duly did, rediscovering her strength and a newfound joy that has permeated all aspects of her life.

She is a big Survivor SA fan but understood after her season that she is not the biggest – despite Survivor being an institution in her household. This time around, she's looking to play a more rooted game, be careful with her empathetic nature – and just have fun.

Survivor South Africa

Island of Secrets

Voting History

Episode	Meryl's Votes	Voted Against Meryl
1	Ta'alo Tribe Immune
2	Ta'alo Tribe Immune
3	Ting Ting	-
4	Ta'alo Tribe Immune
5	Ta'alo Tribe Immune
6	Ta'alo Tribe Immune
7	Sa'ula Tribe Immune
8	Geoffrey	Nathan1
9	Geoffrey	Durão, Geoffrey, Mike, Mmaba, Nicole, Rob, Seipei
Voted Out, Day 22
Voted for Sole Survivor	Rob

^1 In "Putting My Foot in My Mouth", Meryl used a Hidden Immunity Idol, negating 1 vote against her.

Return of the Outcasts

• Challenge History
• Voting History

Episode	Tribe Affiliation	Challenge	Challenge Type	Sit-Out?	Result
1	Masu	Water Slaughter	Reward	No	Won
2		Ladder Daze	Immunity	No	Lost
3		Catch of the Day	Reward/Immunity	No	Lost
4		Nut Bucket	Reward/Immunity	No	Won
5		In the Trenches	Reward/Immunity	No	Won
6		Reinventing the Wheel	Reward	No	Lost
		(No title)	Immunity	No	Won
Switched Tribes, Day 12
7	Yontau	Bog Roll	Reward/Immunity	No	Lost
8
9		Blind Leading the Blind	Reward/Immunity	No	Won
10		Swing Break	Reward/Immunity	No	Won
11		Will Power	Reward		Lost
			Immunity		Lost
Tribes Merged, Night 19
13	Salan	Blue Plate Special	Reward		10th1
		Splash Back	Immunity		Lost
14		(No title)	Reward/Immunity		Won
15		Centrifuge / House of the Holey	Reward/Immunity		Invited2
16		Rusty Gates	Immunity		Lost
Voted Out, Day 27
Notes: ^1 The reward was dependent on each castaway's finish in the challenge. ^2 Dino shared his reward with Meryl.

Episode	Meryl's Votes	Voted Against Meryl
2	Chappies	-
3	PK	-
4	Masu Tribe Immune
5	Masu Tribe Immune
6	Masu Tribe Immune
8	Shona	-
9	Yontau Tribe Immune
10	Yontau Tribe Immune
12	Palesa	Palesa, Toni
13	Toni	Toni
14	Ineligible1	Individual Immunity
15	Steffi	Killarney, Marian, Shane, Steffi
16	Killarney	Dino, Felix, Killarney, Phil, Shane
Voted Out, Day 27
Voted for Sole Survivor	Dino

^1 In "A Steady Ship", Meryl used an advantage that allowed her to abstain from the vote in order to gain access to a 50/50 coin.

Trivia

Statistics of Meryl Szolkeiwicz
Longevity
Seasons competed:	2
Days lasted:	49
Challenge Wins
Tribal wins:	14
Individual wins:	1
Total wins:	15
Tribal Council
Total votes received:	20
Exile Island
Times sent to Exile Island:	0

• Meryl is the only woman on the original Ta'alo tribe to make the merge.
• At 13th place, Meryl is both the lowest-placing contestant to make the merge and the lowest-placing juror on Survivor South Africa.
• Meryl is the first contestant in Survivor South Africa to hold three distinct advantages at the same time, namely a Tribal Council Pass, a Reward Send Ticket, and a 50/50 Coin.
  • Meryl is the first person in Survivor South Africa to receive the 50/50 Coin.
• Both times Meryl competed:
  • She started on the same tribe with Danté De Villiers.
  • She voted for the eventual Sole Survivor to win the game.