Survivor birthday: Kim Spradlin (One World) turns 35
Perhaps the most dominant, safe, controlling winner Survivor has ever seen, One World’s Kim Spradlin turns 35 years old today.
Player: Kim Spradlin
Occupation: Bridal Shop Owner
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
Season: Survivor One World
Tribes: Salani (Aqua Buff), Tikiano (Black Buff)
Finished: Winner
There’s something oddly fascinating about Survivor winners that dominate their seasons without question. They have to have their ideas and viewpoints permeate the conversation of each episode, but they can’t be highlighted too often without giving away who wins the season too early. For Kim Spradlin, it didn’t take more than a couple of episodes to know she was going to win, as she had the confidence of a seasoned player amid a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off (and Sabrina and Chelsea).
From Day 1, Kim had her head in the game, making an immediate four-person alliance on the trek to the Salani camp. She saw just one Tribal Council before the merge, showing strength and leadership in challenges and proving to be the leader of Salani on both sides.
Upon entering the merge, however, she found herself leading two possible factions. One was a Salani alliance, including Jay and Troyzan. The other was an all-women alliance, although the numbers were 6-6 at that time. Only she could find a way to get the men and women to fall in line with a Solani vote first while hiding an intended all-girls alliance second, effectively using one of her alliances to cannibalize the second as she maintained leadership in both through a blindside.
In no small part was her dominance as a challenge threat, winning four of the final five Immunity Challenges and earning her spot into the Final Tribal Council. She knew that she would have to let others do the heavy strategic lifting until it was too late, finding the right time to pounce on strong players and surround herself with duds (and Sabrina and Chelsea) all the way to the bank.
Next: Survivor Winners: Ranking 34 Sole Survivors By Season
We at Surviving Tribal would like to wish Kim Spradlin a very happy 35th birthday! Here’s hoping people forget how dominant you were if an all-winners season does occur!