Stephanie Rae Johnson is a contestant from Survivor: Ghost Island.
A strategic player from the start, Stephanie began the game in the Malolo tribe's majority. However, following a poor luck of the draw at the Tribe Switch, Stephanie was effectively relegated to the minority. Despite her best efforts, she was taken out by the Naviti Alliance due to the threat she posed to their game.
Profile
Retrieved from CBS.com
Age: 34
Hometown: Boise, Idaho
Current residence: Chicago, Illinois
Occupation: Yoga Instructor
Hobbies: Triathlon, running, yoga, meditation, climbing mountains and trekking, travel, and writing. Is wine considered a hobby too?
Pet peeves: When I run out of wine.
Three words to describe you: Wild, determined, and passionate.
What's your personal claim to fame? Ironman. I'm most proud of not just the finish line at the event but the dedication to the training as a working single mom that went behind it. It made me a better human and changed my kids and my life. My racing is always a family affair and I couldn't do it without my two little cheerleaders. Also, I've done a lot of solo traveling. I've been to 24 countries and six continents. Backpacking and trekking solo is a massive passion of mine and feeds my wanderlust soul. It is adventurous and crazy at times but it's shaped me more than anything else in life.
Who or what is your inspiration in life? Bob Scott. 87 years old. He is my angel. I met him the week of my divorce and two weeks after his wife passed away. I like to think his angel wife brought us together. He taught me to swim shortly after we met because he wanted me to be a "happy and fit mom" for my boys. He helped me learn to ride a triathlon bike. He introduced me to the world of triathlon, which changed my world. He competed alongside me at my first half Ironman and full Ironman and still competes to this day. Bob taught me the sport is about fun, fitness, and friends and that to do this for life and be just like him, I had to keep this mentality. We still train together each week as well as compete alongside each other.
If you could have three things on the island, what would they be and why? Lipstick! Because I even wear it when I do my Ironman races! Next would be ear plugs because I'm an insanely light sleeper and hate snorers, and a piece of Rose Quartz because it's my favorite stone and would remind me to follow my heart and trust my intuition.
Which Survivor contestant are you most like? A combo of Parvati for her heart and inner strength, Tyson for his sarcasm, Ozzy for his love of adventure, Courtney for her sass, and Mama C for being a strong and fierce mom.
What's your reason for being on Survivor? The adventure. I've watched every single episode of Survivor since it began 18 years ago and the adventure of the show keeps me coming back for more and applying over and over and over! And the social game! I have wanted to play the social game since the first season. Ever since I taught English in Russia in college and was dropped into Siberia with a random mix of girls I have loved the social game of learning to get along with people in a group setting and finding out what makes people tick. That's why I love traveling solo too, because I like to meet and connect with other people from different beliefs and backgrounds.
Why do you think you'll "survive" Survivor? Because every day for the past 10 years, I have looked at a sticker on my mirror: "Outwit, Outlast, Outplay. Survivor." I never once have stopped believing that this dream would come true. I can have all the strategy in the world and I will! But if I have learned anything from watching the show, participating in endurance events, raising children, working in a fast-paced finance position, studying in an ashram, being an entrepreneur, or all my other adventures is that nothing turns out like you expect. I am really good at adapting to circumstances, to people, and to unlikely situations. Plan A quickly becomes Plan C and it doesn't shake me up. I can endure pain both mental and physical with a smile on my face. Adaptation. A sense of humor. Dreaming big. That embodies who I am and why I will win![2]
Survivor
Stephanie began the game on the Malolo tribe, where she was one of the deciding factors in the first Tribal Council Malolo attended. Stephanie Gonzalez was a target for her perceived aggressive gameplay and Donathan Hurley for his lack of physical strength. Stephanie saw Donathan was a more likely potential ally, so she tried to protect him and push the vote towards Gonzalez. This proved to be successful as Gonzalez was voted out unanimously. Despite a strong performance in the swimming portion of the challenge, she could not prevent Malolo from losing their second Immunity Challenge in a row. This time, Jacob Derwin was an available target, though Stephanie did consider working with him. She managed to obtain a lot of information from Jacob, such as the advantage he received at Ghost Island, that his idol was actually fake, and that he wanted to target a physical threat such as Michael Yerger before a potential swap. Stephanie approached Jenna Bowman, her closest ally, about this decision. Though Jenna was reluctant and wanted to stick to the original plan of voting out Jacob via a vote split also against James Lim, she was fine with whatever Stephanie wanted to do. Ultimately, they remained loyal to Brendan Shapiro, Libby Vincek, and Michael, and voted out Jacob.
Stephanie was initially optimistic about the Tribe Switch, at peace with the possibility that she could not always be in a comfortable position in the game. That resolve was tested when she remained on Malolo, but was outnumbered by an alliance of five original Naviti members, lead by Bradley Kleihege. After Malolo won the first Immunity Challenge post swap, Stephanie refused to send any of the original Malolo members on Naviti to Ghost Island fearing they would be picked off. Naviti would draw rocks to resolve this decision and Chris Noble would be exiled, opening the door for the first original Naviti member Morgan Ricke to be voted out of the game. However, the next few trips to Ghost Island did not grant the exiled player immunity, nor did it yield a reward for Stephanie when she was sent there. The only luck her minority alliance had was Michael finding one of James Clement's idols from Survivor: China, but it was misused and Brendan was sent home.
With no protection, Stephanie, Michael, and Jenna each pleaded their cases to the original Naviti members. Stephanie expressed how much the game meant to her and how she wants to do this for her two kids, but unfortunately, her Survivor experience ended on Day 14 in a unanimous vote of 7-1. Michael and Jenna voted their ally out as a sign of loyalty to the dominant alliance.
Voting History
| Stephanie's Voting History | ||
|---|---|---|
| Episode | Stephanie's Votes |
Voted Against Stephanie |
| 1 | Gonzalez | - |
| Jacob | - | |
| 2 | Malolo Tribe Immune | |
| 3 | Bradley | -1 |
| 4 | Desiree | Bradley, Chelsea, Desiree, Jenna, Kellyn, Michael, Sebastian |
| Voted Out, Day 14 | ||
^1 In "Trust Your Gut", Michael used a Hidden Immunity Idol on Stephanie, but did not negate any votes against her.
Post Survivor
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Trivia
- For personal reasons, Stephanie was absent from the Ghost Island Reunion.[3]
- She is the fourth castaway to not attend a Reunion Show, after Brandon Hantz, Brenda Lowe, and Vytas Baskauskas. She would be followed by Alec Merlino, Jeremy Crawford, Dan Spilo, Elizabeth Beisel, and Jack Nichting.
- She is the first new player with this distinction.
- She is the fourth castaway to not attend a Reunion Show, after Brandon Hantz, Brenda Lowe, and Vytas Baskauskas. She would be followed by Alec Merlino, Jeremy Crawford, Dan Spilo, Elizabeth Beisel, and Jack Nichting.
- Stephanie is the first castaway to be sent to Ghost Island and be eliminated at the following Tribal Council.
- Stephanie originally attended casting finals for Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers.[4]
References
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