Todd just posted this on his myspace blog:
Super Cheesy history of Todd and SURVIVOR!
Wow. What a trip this has been. For anybody out there who may have been wondering what SURVIVOR is to me, well here you go! I was fifteen years old when the show began to air. I remember turning on the very first episode and thinking 'what the heck is this?!' I continued to watch every week getting more excited each time as players battled their way through the jungle. At the time I was a pretty heavy kid. Only 5'2'' at 180 pounds. I didn't have many friends but I realized then that one day I was going to play the game of SURVIVOR.
As the seasons went on I picked my early favorites and least favorites, always rooting each week to see how they did. SURVIVOR: Marquesas began airing when i was in 10th grade. I decided it was time to make some friends. So I started a SURVIVOR club at my High School. Anyone and Everyone was invited. The first night about 15 people showed up to my house to watch the show. We each picked a contestant and put money on them hoping to win.... My mom bet with us. She had Vacepia and won about 100 dollars.
When Thailand started up we had 40+ members and growing. We made T-shirts for warm weather and hoodies for the colder weather. I collected buffs, mousepads, shirts, mugs, posters anything survivor related! When Amazon began airing I picked Jenna and ended up winning a little over 300 dollars!
During each finale I would watch the final two sitting there. I'd imagine what it might feel like to not know wether or not in the next few minutes you would have a million dollars check handed to you. It always excited me! I knew that the minute i tunred 21 I would send in an audition tape.. And I did. The first season I auditioned for was Cook Islands but I didn't hear anything back. The second was for Fiji. I made it to the semi final rounds being interviewed in Miami. I got cut because I 'looked a lot like Brad'.... He's asian. But whatever. And finally I sent in a tape for China. Four months later I got the phone call saying they loved my tape and wanted to meet me!
I went through crazy interview processes and was held by a thread for months. It was June 6th that I got the call saying congrats Todd, you're on the show... We left 8 days later. I have read message boards and fan sites for years now, telling myself that I was going to do this one 'for the fans'. (because im one and I will say i was a bit disappointed in the past few seasons).
China was something Ill never forget. An unreal experience that very few people in this world will ever get to try and appreciate. It was by far the hardest thing I have EVER done. EVER! But let me tell you I wont be forgetting it soon. Just imagine starving, sweating, being lonely, eaten alive by bugs with people who dont like you and lie to you for weeks on end. Its rough, and it takes a tole on you not only physically but mentally as well. There were days that I'd wake up and ask myself what the hell I was doing. But I knew that if I kept fighting Id stay around.
Well here I am in the final four. My dream of all dreams has really come true. I was able to participate in my favorite game/tv show. I hope people are proud of me, I hope people enjoyed me and I hope that aside from what is seen just on TV, people can realize that it was a game. I'm not really a super manipulative kid in real life! But when a lot of money is on the line, you bet your ass I'm gonna stir things up. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed a bit about my SURVIVOR history! If you have any questions or comments please feel free...
love you bye