Survivor birthday: Katie Collins (Blood vs. Water) turns 30
Perhaps the most “normal” person to play Survivor (which is a good thing, considering), Katie Collins from Blood vs. Water turns 30 years old today.
Player: Katie Collins
Occupation: Hedge Fund Support
Hometown: New York City, NY
Seasons: Blood vs. Water
Tribes: Tadhana (Red Buff), Galang (Orange Buff), Kasama (Purple Buff)
Finished: 8/20
The original iteration of Survivor Blood vs. Water was such a dynamic game-changer of an idea, lessened by the effects of Redemption Island gameplay. Ten returning players would bring along newbie loved ones or family members to compete against (then, later, with), sometimes even fighting each other just to stay in the game.
Katie Collins entered the game known as the daughter of Survivor: The Australian Outback winner Tina Wesson, who had shown strength and grace in her first run. Katie was quite the opposite, rarely displaying such feats. She even had a ball drop on her head twice during a challenge, showing off the clumsiness of America’s Survivor player.
Many would argue that Katie Collins was not much of a player within Survivor; that she rode coattails to even finish in 8th (while people seemingly ignore the loud, brash Gervase who purposefully antagonized would-be jury members in following Tyson). The edit doesn’t show how everyone plays within the 72-hour periods that occur between some tribal councils, with some players’ edits being cut down if it impacts the game negatively had they been shown.
The best example of Katie Collins trying to play the game of Survivor hard is shown in this secret scene; something most fans, overall, wouldn’t have ever seen. Down in numbers and fearing an exit, she saw Tyson and Monica talking to each other in the hammock. She pulled off a truly fearless move in just walking up to the hammock to listen in, only to be thwarted by Ciera Eastin, who ratted her out.
Next: Survivor Game Changers: Ranking All 33 Previous Seasons
Katie will always be remembered for her perseverance in a game where she seemed too honest a person to get her hands dirty playing. We at Surviving Tribal would like to wish the NYC native a very happy 30th birthday!