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puddin:
TV Guide..Meet the Castaways~

http://www.tvguide.com/tv/coverstory/

puddin:
'Survivor' of the Fittest
22-year-old Ventura native Jeff Wilson, a personal trainer, joins 19 others in Palau competition

By Brett Johnson, bjohnson@VenturaCountyStar.com
February 15, 2005

If the clean look -- and we mean really clean -- counts for any points on "Survivor," then Jeff Wilson of Ventura might win this season's edition. That's right, Ventura has its own "Survivor." Wilson, a personal trainer who turned 22 last week, is among 20 contestants vying for the top prize when the 10th season of the show, called "Survivor: Palau," gets under way Thursday night on CBS.

Wilson spent part of his childhood in Ventura before moving to Santa Maria. He moved back to Ventura a couple years ago after graduating from Righetti High School in Santa Maria, said his father, Michael Wilson.

 

   As it turns out, dad was a big fan of the show even before the family connection, citing the typical tropical settings, the struggles the contestants go through trying to survive, and the various conflicts and interactions between them. Now, seeing his son amid that will add layers he can only imagine.

"It's going to be an experience," said the elder Wilson, a 50-year-old mortgage broker in Santa Maria. "I don't know how it's going to go. It could be embarrassing ... but it's only TV."

Mum's the word

As for how long Jeff Wilson lasts, no one's saying -- and the elder Wilson said he doesn't know. The folks over at "Survivor" would not allow an interview, perhaps fearful that he would reveal the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden, unveil the mysteries of the U.S. tax code or, worse yet, divulge the outcome of the show.

"He can't say a word, not even to me," Michael Wilson said. "They have to sign a pretty thick confidentiality agreement."

Actually, of course, they don't want to spoil the fun; after all, a $1 million prize for the winner is at stake along with crucial ratings points and demographics for the network and advertisers. That means everyone has to play along until the season finale on May 15 -- if Jeff Wilson lasts that long.

"Survivor," as devotees know, is the show where contestants get voted off until one remains and is declared the winner. This year, the show starts with 20 people. The list will be trimmed to 17 after the first episode, with more eliminated on succeeding shows until the end. Typically, contestants are dumped into a remote tropical location, in this case the South Pacific archipelago of Palau, a cluster of islands near Guam that saw several World War II battles. The islands that make up Palau are known for their reef life, dense jungles and waterfalls. Physical endurance and challenges are part of the game -- more so than in previous editions, show officials say.

In shape

Jeff Wilson certainly has that part down. Even "Survivor" host Jeff Probst has noticed.

"Jeff is a very physically fit guy," Probst said in a conference call with reporters last week. "You see that in the very first minutes of the show. He's in great shape and seems to be a guy who's not only in great shape but has a good understanding of why he's in good shape and how the body works and nutrition."

Probst also unveiled one of Wilson's habits -- shaving his body, every day in the shower. The host said he asked Wilson about shaving his chest and thighs and added that "Jeff was only too happy to tell us he shaves (his) entire body."

"I said, 'Jeff, the only reason I would shave my entire body is if my woman wanted that from me, and she would have to be one hell of a woman for me to do that,' " Probst recalled. "And he said, 'It has to do with women. They like it.' "

But the women in the room during casting, Probst indicated, said they didn't necessarily prefer hairless men.

Probst also said Wilson has an engaging personality and is fun to be around -- characteristics that might come in handy. Wilson and other participants received no information on the first day about formation of tribes among contestants or how the game would proceed, a wrinkle that Probst said added another twist to the game.

Outdoorsman

The show's format and location suit Jeff Wilson fine, according to his father.

"He's always been an adventurous kid," the elder Wilson said. "He loves to fish, and he's a real water guy."

Jeff loves to hike in the mountains above Santa Barbara, and also kayaks off Ventura. As a kid, the elder Wilson recalled, "every time he had the opportunity he took off -- sometimes scaring his parents." Jeff was born in Santa Barbara, moved to Ventura when he was 3 and stayed until the fourth grade (attending E.P. Foster Elementary School), when the family moved to Santa Maria. His bio on the "Survivor" Web site states that he is a member of the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

The elder Wilson said he and his wife, Shauna, a 50-year-old teacher, watch "Survivor" all the time. As he described it, Jeff would watch the show occasionally but was not as big a fan. Then last summer, Jeff sent in a tape, and CBS responded.

The Wilsons plan to throw a big party for Thursday night's premiere. They will count down like the rest of the "Survivor" viewers and, of course, root for Jeff to continue on. If so, the parties might become regular.

"Hopefully," said Dad, "we will have the opportunity to do a few of these."


-- Staff writer Dave Mason contributed to this story.
source~
http://www.venturacountystar.com/vcs/television/article/0,1375,VCS_234_3547873,00.html

puddin:
'Survivor' bash planned for local contestant
By Theresa Edo / Daily News Staff
Wednesday, February 16, 2005

ASHLAND -- A crowd of fans will gather at the Community Center tomorrow night to cheer on one of their own, a former Ashland High star athlete, as he tries to survive the challenges of a grueling reality TV show.
 
     Gregg Carey, 28, an 1995 Ashland High graduate, will try to outwit, outplay and outlast 19 other contestants to win a $1 million prize on the 10th edition of CBS' "Survivor," set in the Pacific island nation of Palau. The show premieres tomorrow.
 
     Recreation Director Kelly Rund, who graduated from Ashland High a year after Carey, said the department is hosting a Survivor Kick-Off Party to view the first episode on a big screen at the Community Center. Tomorrow night's event begins at 7:30 with a "Survivor" trivia game, prizes and snacks.
 
     "We're trying to do more and more for the community, offering more programs for adults as well as kids, now that we have space to do it," Rund said, referring to the nearly 2-year-old Community Center. "And so many people in town know Gregg."
 
     There is no admission fee for the party, but voluntary donations will be collected for the town's emergency fund, tsunami relief efforts, Kid Spot and The Jimmy Fund, Rund said.
 
     Carey's mother, Bonnie Carey of Ashland, said this week her son had always been an honest person and a good friend.
 
     "He can be a perfectionist, and he can be hard on himself. But I think he always tries to do the right thing. It will be interesting to see how he is on the show," said Bonnie, who is sworn to secrecy about the show's outcome.
 
     "I told myself, and I told him, 'Remember, it's just a game,'" Bonnie said.
 
     Carey was away from mid-October until early December for "Survivor: Palau." Friends have said he lost about 30 pounds during the competition.
 
     This time, "Survivor" contestants received no directions of any kind, not even a map to find water.
 
     Host Jeff Probst told the Associated Press the show's physical challenges -- the games in which tribes compete for immunity from being voted off the island -- have become harder and more original.
 
     Bonnie Carey said Gregg was worried about taking time off from his job as a project manager for Sapient, a business and technology consulting company in Chicago.
 
     "I don't think he ever really intended to try out for this, it just happened," said Bonnie. "You never get a chance to do something like that. What an adventure."
 
     Carey loves to travel and compete in adventure racing. Last year, he climbed Mount Fuji in Japan and visited Ireland and England, Bonnie said.
 
     Carey's father, James Carey, the former director of health and physical education for Framingham schools, died unexpectedly in October 2003.
 
     Last Friday, Framingham High School's gym and workout facilities -- the wellness center along with two gymnasiums -- were named the James E. Carey Physical Education Complex after the man who worked 32 years in the school system.
 
     In high school, Gregg Carey was active in student government and a member of the National Honor Society. He was a two-sport captain -- football and baseball -- playing quarterback and shortstop. He earned team MVP and county All-Star honors at both positions.
 
     Carey attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied chemical engineering and received a bachelor of science degree in engineering. He also played college football and was a member of a group of campus leaders known as the Friars Senior Society.
 
     Currently single, he has a sister, Jill.
 
source~
http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=90790

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