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UF Student From Lakeland To Compete On Next 'Survivor'

CBS

Spencer Duhm is the youngest contestant in the series' history.

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By WALT BELCHER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 14, 2009

TAMPA - A Lakeland man is among 16 castaways who will compete on "Survivor: Tocantins: The Brazilian Highlands." The 18th edition of the CBS reality series debuts Feb. 12.

Spencer Duhm is a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of Florida.

He is the youngest contestant in the series' history. CBS lowered the show's minimum age requirement from 21 to 18.

His philosophy in playing the game: "You have to assume they're going to screw you before you screw them over." Reportedly, he has been a fan of the show since he was 11.

The castaways – eight men and eight women – range in age from19 to 53 and include a cattle rancher, a U.S. Army sergeant, two multimillionaires and three female models, according a CBS news release issued today.

Tocantins, a state in central Brazil with numerous rivers and an equatorial climate, has been described by host Jeff Probst as "one of the most rugged locations yet."

"Two tribes will be stranded in the majestic interior of Brazil for 39 days," he said last season. "The only relief in the midst of this unforgiving land is a river oasis [called] the Rio Novo. Scorching temperatures, torrential downpours, dangerous wildlife – which will have what it takes to outwit, outplay and outlast all the others?"

Other contestants are:

Sandy Burgin, a 53-year-old bus driver from Louisville, Ky.

Stephen Fishbach, a 29-year-old corporate consultant from New York.

James Thomas Jr., a 24-year-old cattle rancher from Samson, Alaska.

Sydney Wheeler, a 24-year-old model and interior designer from San Diego.

Jerry Sims, a 49-year-old U.S. Army sergeant from Rock Hill, S.C.

Candace Smith, a 31-year-old actress-model and event planner and former lawyer from Los Angeles.

Tyson Apostol, a 29-year-old bike shop manager and former professional cyclist from Linden, Utah.

Sierra Reed, a 23-year-old model from Los Angeles.

Erinn Lobdell, a 26-year-old hairstylist from Waukesha, Wis.

Carolina Eastwood, a 26-year-old bartender from Los Angeles.

Tamara "Taj" Johnson-George, a 37-year-old from Nashville.

Joe Dowdle, a 26-year-old commercial real estate broker from Austin, Texas.

Benjamin Wade, a 37-year-old soccer coach and part-time orchestra conductor from Bolivar, Mo.

Debra Beebe, a 46-year-old middle-school principal from Auburn, Ark.

Brendan Synnott, a 30-year-old entrepreneur from New York.

Johnson-George was a founding member of SWV, a Grammy-nominated R&B trio that formed in 1990 and disbanded in 1999. She is married to retired NFL football star Eddie George, who had a nine-year career with the Tennessee Titans and Dallas Cowboys.

Johnson-George starred in a 2007 reality series that chronicled her life with George. "I Married a Baller" aired on TV One, an African-American cable network, and was not renewed after its initial nine-episode season.

Another contestant, Synnott, co-founded Bear Naked Granola, a granola company that was sold to Kellogg's Kashi subsidiary as part of a $122 million deal in 2007.

Reporter Walt Belcher can be reached at (813) 259-7654

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