Survivor Snuff
Season 21 - Nicaragua
San Juan del Sur, Rivas, Nicaragua (Aired to ) 20 castaways, 39 days
two tribes divided by age (under 30 vs 40+); medallion of power gave challenge advantages early; hidden idols; two quitters (NaOnka Mixon and Kelly Shinn) still served on the jury; final three with a 5–4–0 vote.
Episodes
Castaways
Chase Rice
Age
24
Hometown
Fairview, North Carolina
Current Residence
Fairview, North Carolina
Occupation
NASCAR Jackman & Singer
Traits
Earnest, Amiable, Competitive
Why Applied
To test himself beyond football and the pit crew world
Life Experience
College football and Hendrick Motorsports built discipline and team focus
Unique Gameplay
Built strong relationships, wavered at times between blocs, reached FTC and finished runner-up
Finish
2
Holly Hoffman
Age
44
Hometown
Eureka, South Dakota
Current Residence
Eureka, South Dakota
Occupation
Swim Coach
Traits
Resilient, Candid, Steady Under Pressure
Why Applied
To push beyond small-town comfort and set an example for her athletes
Life Experience
Coaching built accountability, reset skills, and long-haul grit
Unique Gameplay
Rebounded from an early wobble, helped turn the game on Brenda, and fell at four as a strong jury threat
Finish
4 (On Jury)
Jane Bright
Age
56
Hometown
Jackson Springs, North Carolina
Current Residence
Jackson Springs, North Carolina
Occupation
Dog Trainer
Traits
Tenacious, Resourceful, Beloved
Why Applied
To prove toughness at any age
Life Experience
Years training dogs fostered patience, routine, and ingenuity
Unique Gameplay
Camp engine and fan favorite who became a late-game target; 5th place juror
Finish
5 (On Jury)
Dan Lembo
Age
63
Hometown
Water Mill, New York
Current Residence
Watermill, New York
Occupation
Real Estate Executive
Traits
Wry, Stubborn, Enduring
Why Applied
To see how far social savvy could carry him
Life Experience
Business leadership built thick skin and survival instincts
Unique Gameplay
Low-threat profile and alliances carried him deep to 6th
Finish
6 (On Jury)
Kelly Shinn
Age
20
Hometown
Mesa, Arizona
Current Residence
Mesa, Arizona
Occupation
Nursing Student
Traits
Quiet, Self-Protective, Observant
Why Applied
To push outside her comfort zone on a once-in-a-lifetime stage
Life Experience
Balancing school and pressure taught her to prioritize health and self-care
Unique Gameplay
Famously under-the-radar edit; quit on day 28 during the starvation crisis, still served on the jury
Finish
8 (On Jury)
NaOnka Mixon
Age
27
Hometown
Los Angeles, California
Current Residence
Los Angeles, California
Occupation
Physical Education Teacher
Traits
Bold, Blunt, Unpredictable
Why Applied
To play hard, win big, and represent her students
Life Experience
Teaching built a tough-love style and competitive drive
Unique Gameplay
Found an idol early and later handed it off to Chase; quit alongside Kelly S. on day 28 and still became a juror
Finish
9 (On Jury)
Brenda Lowe
Age
27
Hometown
Miami, Florida
Current Residence
Miami, Florida
Occupation
Paddleboard Company Owner
Traits
Composed, Strategic, Magnetic
Why Applied
To test a cool, center-of-gravity game against gamers
Life Experience
Entrepreneurship and athletics built poise and endurance
Unique Gameplay
Early La Flor power player who was blindsided when allies feared her control
Finish
10 (On Jury)
Marty Piombo
Age
48
Hometown
Mill Valley, California
Current Residence
Mill Valley, California
Occupation
Technology Executive
Traits
Confident, Direct, Status-Minded
Why Applied
To prove an older strategist could steer the game
Life Experience
Tech leadership cultivated decisiveness and risk tolerance
Unique Gameplay
Found an idol, later ceded it to Sash to survive a vote, and became an early juror
Finish
11 (On Jury)
Alina Wilson
Age
23
Hometown
Downey, California
Current Residence
Downey, California
Occupation
Art Student
Traits
Sharp, Defensive, Scrappy
Why Applied
Lifelong fan who wanted to prove she could hang with bigger personalities
Life Experience
Art and campus life built independence and persuasion
Unique Gameplay
First juror at the merge after getting squeezed between blocs
Finish
12 (On Jury)
Jill Behm
Age
43
Hometown
Erie, Pennsylvania
Current Residence
Erie, Pennsylvania
Occupation
ER Doctor
Traits
Practical, Calm, Analytical
Why Applied
To test steady, no-nonsense strategy against chaos
Life Experience
Emergency medicine honed triage, timing, and restraint
Unique Gameplay
Worked closely with Marty around the idol; last pre-jury boot
Finish
13
Yve Rojas
Age
41
Hometown
Kansas City, Missouri
Current Residence
Kansas City, Missouri
Occupation
Homemaker
Traits
Levelheaded, Supportive, Observant
Why Applied
To embrace risk and adventure after years of family focus
Life Experience
Raising a family taught patience, planning, and resolve
Unique Gameplay
Solid socially but cut in the swap chaos shortly before the merge
Finish
14
Kelly Bruno
Age
26
Hometown
Durham, North Carolina
Current Residence
Durham, North Carolina
Occupation
Medical Student
Traits
Gritty, Inspiring, Focused
Why Applied
To show that toughness and preparation can beat stigma
Life Experience
Triathlete with a prosthetic leg; medical training under pressure
Unique Gameplay
Targeted as a numbers move after the swap despite strong resilience
Finish
15
Tyrone Davis
Age
42
Hometown
Inglewood, California
Current Residence
Inglewood, California
Occupation
Fire Captain
Traits
Authoritative, Protective, Hardworking
Why Applied
To lead, compete, and represent first responders
Life Experience
Fire service forged command presence and resilience
Unique Gameplay
Early tribe anchor whose leadership style and camp tensions led to a pre-merge exit
Finish
16
Jimmy Johnson
Age
67
Hometown
Islamorada, Florida
Current Residence
Islamorada, Florida
Occupation
Sports Broadcaster
Traits
Mentor-Like, Honest, Team-First
Why Applied
Lifelong fan who wanted the experience and to coach a tribe
Life Experience
NFL coaching and TV built leadership and people skills
Unique Gameplay
Beloved but targeted as an unavoidable figurehead and voted out early
Finish
18
Shannon Elkins
Age
30
Hometown
Lafayette, Louisiana
Current Residence
Lafayette, Louisiana
Occupation
Pest Control Company Owner
Traits
Combative, Confident, Impulsive
Why Applied
To play fast and loud and take big swings
Life Experience
Entrepreneurship built swagger and urgency
Unique Gameplay
Blew up at the first La Flor tribal and was promptly sent home
Finish
19
Wendy DeSmidt-Kohlhoff
Age
48
Hometown
Fromberg, Montana
Current Residence
Fromberg, Montana
Occupation
Goat Rancher
Traits
Earnest, Talkative, Tough
Why Applied
To prove country grit could thrive on Survivor
Life Experience
Ranch life instilled resilience and self-reliance
Unique Gameplay
Gave a long plea at the first tribal but couldn’t escape the day-3 vote
Finish
20
Ben Henry
Age
24
Hometown
Los Angeles, California
Current Residence
Los Angeles, California
Occupation
Club Promoter
Traits
Charming, Athletic, Social
Why Applied
To play a flashy, fun game and still go deep
Life Experience
Nightlife work honed networking and reading the room
Unique Gameplay
Won favor with humor and hustle, but was cut as numbers tightened at seven
Finish
7 (On Jury)
James Tarantino
Age
48
Hometown
Gloucester, Massachusetts
Current Residence
Gloucester, Massachusetts
Occupation
Fisherman
Traits
Blunt, Proud, Old-School
Why Applied
To prove a blue-collar gamer could hang with anyone
Life Experience
Commercial fishing built stamina and straight talk
Unique Gameplay
Leadership clashes made him an early target after Jimmy J.
Finish
17
Jud Birza
Age
21
Hometown
Venice, California
Current Residence
Venice, California
Occupation
Student
Traits
Easygoing, Athletic, Clutch
Why Applied
To chase an adventure and prove a carefree style could still win
Life Experience
Balanced school, modeling, and music, building confidence under bright lights
Unique Gameplay
Won the last three immunities, kept votes off him without idols, and won 5–4–0 at final tribal
Finish
1
Matthew Lenahan
Age
30
Hometown
New York City, New York
Current Residence
New York, New York
Occupation
Real Estate Broker
Traits
Smooth, Opportunistic, Calculating
Why Applied
To outmaneuver on social capital and timing
Life Experience
Real estate deal-making honed negotiation and leverage reading
Unique Gameplay
Talked Marty into handing over an idol, found swing positions post-merge, and got zero votes at FTC
Finish
3
Finalists
Chase Rice
Jury Votes (4)
- Alina Wilson
- Brenda Lowe
- Jane Bright
- Holly Hoffman
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