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Dan Kay

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Biography
Dan Kay (32)
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
Occupation: Lawyer

Dan Kay has come a long way from his blue-collar roots in Boston. Born and raised in Walpole, Massachusetts, he was very involved in athletics, especially football, skiing and track. While in high school, Dan played on a varsity football team, which had a long tradition of winning, a tradition that has helped shape his strong work-ethic. He graduated from The University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science & English and later would earn his law degree from Syracuse University College of Law where he was also a member of the Moot Court Honor Society.

Charismatic, hard working and goal oriented, most of Dan's traits were formed from the influence provided by his parents and a select few coaches and teachers. As a young boy, his father became disabled, leaving his mother to care for his family and, eventually, his ill grandmother, all while working as a full-time nurse. In addition, Dan credits his mother's work ethic and unselfish attitude for his strong desire to overcome any obstacles in his career and personal life.

Dan has practiced law in Boston for five years, which helped him to purchase several investment properties. However, dedicating so much of his time to his practice left him depressed and feeling less than fulfilled with his life. Prior to leaving for SURVIVOR, he sold off a number of investments and spent time away from his job, in an effort to focus more on himself and his friends and family. He believes this recent awareness, along with having an increased appreciation for the people in his life rather than material possessions, will help him succeed not only in his personal life, but on SURVIVOR.

Attractive, athletic, single and a lawyer, Dan is set to make a big impression on his competitors. Dan's hobbies include skiing, running, biking, weight training and cooking. Currently, he is training to compete in his first triathlon.

He is single and lives in Boston. His birthdate is June 30, 1976.

Kogs:
Meet Dan  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWW2yc_LRYw


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puddin:
........

marigold:
.... an interesting article:

I think it’s going to help my strategy that I’m nice

Boston lawyer Dan Kay was quiet, thoughtful, intelligent, introspective—and about to be crushed and destroyed by more ruthless competitors. And by that, I mean everyone single other person, even those like listless Matty Whitmore. At least, that’s how I was left feeling after talking to him. He’s a great person, but I wasn’t quite convinced that he was ready for Survivor.

Dan was recruited while watching the Yankees play the Red Sox in a bar in April, and said that Survivor Gabon “kind of came along at the right time. By no means was I in a position to continue the career path I had a couple of months ago.” He left his job at his firm because “it’s been a life-changing year for me. … About a year ago, I had a relationship that ended—not my choice—but it really made me reevaluate who I was as a person. And I didn’t realize how depressed I became with my profession. … And I didn’t see the full effect it had on me personally.”

Dan describes himself as “a pretty emotional person, but in a constructive way. I’ve learned over the past few years to talk through things. And I think there’s an outlet for it, which is probably the point of the show; it is the camera.” He’s also introspective. When we first started talking, he mentioned being “nervous” about his strategy, “anxious to meet everybody,” and fascinated by the “surreal” experience. “I think I look cookie-cutter,” he acknowledged, but also said that he’s “a pretty complicated person.”

He’s very cautious about the effects of his words, which one would imagine is a skill that’d work well in the game, except that he might just come across as insecure, unsure, or just weak. For example, when anticipating the physical challenges ahead of him, he said, “I imagine it to be a little bit like book camp, but I don’t want to take anything away from people who’ve been through boot camp.”

Dan’s unwillingness to be critical or hurt other people’s feelings (the polar opposite of self-described “asshole” Randy Bailey) also became clear when he talked about his family, who he’s close to. When he was growing up, his mother cared for Dan, his sister, their grandmother, and their father, who was “forced into retirement” early in his life and faced “cancer, heart disease, diabetes,” never mind a fall from a 40-foot ladder.

While Dan obviously has a lot of sympathy for his dad, he’s also aware of the impact his dad’s parenting had yet is unwilling to be critical. “And my father, who’s always pushed me to be a better student and a better person. I know it comes from a good place, but it made me a little bit neurotic, a lot self-conscious. I don’t want him to take the blame for that; I’ve had great parents, but I’ve had to overcome some mental obstacles. I’m my own worst critic, and I listen to that,” he said.

Toward the end of our conversation, I mentioned how genuine he seems and asked, “Are you too nice for this game?” He’d heard that previously, and said, “I think it’s going to help my strategy that I’m nice. But you just have to remember that it is a game, and you can’t take anything personally. They want or need the million dollars more—or just as much as I do.”

I don’t want to make too much of a conversational slip, since none of us speak flawless sentences, but it is worth noting that he defaulted to saying the other contestants want the money “more” than he does. After talking with Dan, I felt like he’s the kind of player who would sacrifice himself in the game for someone he thought was more deserving, and with the liars who tend to play this game, he could easily be swindled.

But Dan did acknowledge that his biggest challenge was “being able to trust and knowing when not to trust. That is going to mess with my mind, and that is going to be the most difficult, absolutely.” And he did have a well-developed understanding of the game. “There’s so many variables to this game that you can’t give any weight to those. The only one I can really give any weight to is keeping your emotions in check, not let everyone see any anger or frustration or dislike,” he said.

He prepared to be on the show, watching past seasons on DVD and getting ready physically. “I’ve trained my body in the past month to operate on as few calories as possible, and hopefully retain as much muscle as I can.”

When I asked about how others will perceive him, both in the game and once the show starts airing, he said, “I don’t need to prove anything to anyone. I hope that the true person that I am now comes out in the media, because I like that person, and I think that person might be able to help other people. However, if it does not, I need to be able to overcome that and remain happy and healthy, and that’s really all I can control, so we’ll see how it goes.”

Link: http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/survivor_gabon/2008_Sep_11_dan_kay

marigold:
An interview with Dan:

Survivor: Gabon “I felt awful all the time"

What was your first impression of Africa?
Dan: It's very rural. There is nothing there but it is beautiful.

Did you prefer being on the Kota or Fang tribe?
Dan: Well, I don't like losing. But, that's a tough question. It's a tale of two evils. I think I'd have to say that I liked being on Fang better. Even though we were not winning rewards, I feel like there are better people on that tribe. When it comes down to being able to play this game I could relate to and work with the people on Fang.

How did it feel to get a letter from home after winning the reward challenge?
Dan: It was so great. I was having a difficult time relating to some of the members of the Kota tribe. I felt really lonely, and I thought about home a lot. Getting those letters from home really kept me going.

What was the hardest part of Survivor for you?
Dan: Mentally it's really tough. Physically, watching the show doesn't do it justice. I felt awful all the time. I felt like I had the flu and had no energy. Mentally the most difficult thing for me was dealing with some of the people. It blew me away that people would act the way that they acted. I really was surprised. I don't know how they weren't embarrassed with themselves.

Who's the player to watch now?
Dan: I don't think there's any one player to watch. It's anyone's game. I really believe that. But I want, Matty, Sugar or Randy to win. I think they're good people and they played the game hard.

What are you doing now?
Dan: I've been trying to eat less and workout more, so I don't gain too much weight for the finale. I'm going to go back to the practice of law.

Link: http://www.intouchweekly.com/2008/10/survivor_gaboni_felt_awful_all.php

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