One single number was the difference for Kelly Wiglesworth not becoming the first winner of Survivor. Now she turns the big 4-0 today.
Player: Kelly Wiglesworth
Occupation: River Guide
Hometown: Greensboro, NC
Seasons: Borneo, Cambodia
Tribes: Tagi (Orange Buff), Rattana (Green Buff) in Borneo, Ta Keo (Green Buff), Bayon (Magenta Buff), Orkun (Orange Buff)
Finished: 2/16 in Borneo, 11/20 in Cambodia
Survivor, when initially pitched, was thought of as a social experiment. Jeff Probst has constantly mentioned that he thought he’d hear about the show on NPR with high regard, seeing how 39 days on an island will turn regular Americans into those that undergo tribal dynamics. Richard Hatch forever changed the game with his strategic play, but Kelly Wiglesworth played a huge part on how the game is played, as well.
For all intents and purposes, she both understood the advantages of playing in an alliance, as well as the personal cost it would take on her. She was the game’s first known flipper, targeting Sean over the alliance’s wishes to get Colleen out of the game. With that, she cemented her status as against the alliance.
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In that state, she was basically playing for herself, having to win each Immunity Challenge all the way to the end. In fact, that’s what she did, becoming the first player to win their way to the Final Tribal Council on the back of their IC gameplay.
She’s paved the way for a number of players to win the final three or more Immunity Challenges in a row, including those who did it successfully (Mike Holloway, Brian Heidik, Tom Westman, etc.) and not so successfully (Colby Donaldson, Ozzy Lusth, Brad Culpepper, etc.). In doing so, she showed there is a way to make it to the end without strictly having to outwit others.
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While she may not have gotten as far in her second play, she did get the chance to meet and bond with Joe Anglim and have now partnered up to host a reality travel show of their own. It may have felt like yesterday since the world was introduced to Kelly Wiglesworth, but today we at Surviving Tribal would like to wish her a happy 40th birthday!