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| Contestant-related press and rumors |
January 13, 2007: Gary's local
paper manages
to squeeze out a few words about him (which is far more than
the majority of the cast received):
"Ramsey man is on next 'Survivor'
Could the next Survivor be a
Minnesotan? School
bus driver Gary Stritesky is among the 19 contestants chosen
for Survivor: Fiji, the 14th installment
of CBS' hit reality show, the network announced Friday.
...
Stritesky, who was raised in Silver Lake,
attended St. Cloud State University and a barber school, working
for 14 years as a barber. He's competed in inline skate marathons
and likes biking, canoeing and camping. While
CBS is mum about the show's details and has banned Stritesky
from interviews until his time in Fiji comes to an end on
the series, they did allow his wife, Diane, to talk a little
about her husband's big adventure.
'This
is something he's wanted to do for so long,' says
Diane, who helped her husband train for the show by making
sure he got in his gym workouts. 'We've watched the
show since it first started - every episode. I said
go for it. We're very excited for him that he's
gotten that opportunity to actually live out a dream.'
'People
will love him because he has the best sense of humor,' Diane
says. 'He just really makes people
feel good and he's a fun person to talk to.'
The Striteskys
have four children, two grandchildren and a couple of miniature
dachshunds."
|
 January
12, 2007: Gary's official bio, from the CBS
S14 site...
" Born and raised in Silver Lake, Minnesota, Gary Stritesky
attended Silver Lake High School where he participated in
football, basketball, track and baseball. He then attended
St. Cloud State University and also trained at Brooks Barber
School which ignited a 14-year career as a barber. He also
participated in a real estate program at Anoka-Ramsey Community
College.
Stritesky currently works as a school bus driver and carpenter.
He recently built a six-unit townhome complex for senior
citizens in Silver Lake, Minnesota. He was previously in
the military, stationed in Vietnam for eight months in 1971.
He has also worked as a taxi cab driver and landscaper. In
1990, Stritesky spent a year living in Melbourne, Australia,
with his family during his wife's teacher exchange program.
In 2002, they returned to Perth, Australia, for another year
as a result of his wife's second teacher exchange program.
Stritesky
has competed in multiple inline skate marathons. He also
enjoys biking, canoeing and coaching. He spent many years
coaching his children's soccer, baseball, basketball and
football teams. At least once a year, Stritesky travels to
the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, taking part in
portaging, canoeing, fishing and enjoying the solitude of
the northern Minnesota lakes. He has biked in many areas
of Minnesota, including leading a scout group to camp and
family trips. He also participated in a cross-country biking
adventure while in Australia.
Stritesky currently resides
in Ramsey, Minnesota with his wife of 34 years, Diane. They
have four children, Aaron, Alison, Leah and Kara and two
grandchildren. His pet bulldog, Dobber, recently passed away.
They have since adopted Harley and Blaze, two miniature dachshunds,
and just returned their pet snapping turtle, Snappy, to the
wilderness. Stritesky's birth date is September 16, 1951."
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January 12, 2007: Officially
revealed as a Survivor: Fiji contestant on CBS's The
Early Show.
Hannah Storm: "55-year-old Gary Stritesky says his wife wants
to know when he'll finally grow up and get a real job."
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December
17, 2006: Jeff Probst's voiceover from the Survivor:
Fiji preview (replete with actual contestant photos,
as far as we know) that aired during the Survivor:
Cook Islands reunion show:
"Coming in the new year... Survivor turns
the tables on two tribes, as one lives the life of luxury,
while the other is left with virtually nothing. For the first
time, there will be 19 new Survivors. This
diverse cast, with lifestyles ranging from a Harvard-educated
lawyer to a once-homeless street performer, will be
forced to battle each other more fiercely than ever before.
Crawling with thousands of deadly sea snakes, Exile Island
will be more treacherous than ever. This time, two
immunity idols and a twist will drastically complicate the
game. And one of the most controversial decisions ever
made by a Survivor will have America talking. Who will outwit,
outplay and outlast all the others? Join us next time, for
the premiere of Survivor: Fiji."
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