1 week ago
Survivor prima Sonja Christopher precocious passed distant astatine 87.
The euphony therapist was known arsenic nan first contestant to get voted disconnected of the long-running bid while filming play 1 successful Pulau Tiga, Malaysia successful May 2000.
Fellow contestant Liz Wilcox — who stars successful nan 46th play filmed successful Fiji past twelvemonth and is presently airing — announced her beloved friend's passing connected X, formerly known arsenic Twitter.
She did not stock nan day aliases origin of death.
On Friday, Wilcox shared a screenshot of herself connected a FaceTime telephone pinch Christopher arsenic nan prima appeared to beryllium showing disconnected nan notable signatures connected her infamous ukulele.
Survivor prima Sonja Christopher precocious passed distant astatine 87. The euphony therapist was known arsenic nan first contestant to get voted disconnected of nan long-running bid while filming play 1 successful Pulau Tiga, Malaysia successful May 2000
Fellow contestant Liz Wilcox — who stars successful nan 46th play filmed successful Fiji past twelvemonth and is presently airing — announced her beloved friend's passing connected X, formerly known arsenic Twitter
'Today, nan fable herself Sonja Christopher of Season One passed away,' she wrote successful her tweet.
'I had nan pleasance of gathering her connected Christmas,' Wilcox continued. 'She had truthful overmuch spunk + emotion for Survivor and what nan show brought to her life.'
She added: 'I dream you’re singing + playing your bosom retired location beautiful, Sonja.'
On behalf of nan family, Wilcox shared that successful lieu of flowers, donations tin beryllium sent to Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church successful Walnut Creek, California; nan Cancer Support Community of nan San Francisco Bay Area; aliases nan Siogren's Foundation.
Back successful May 2020, Christopher sat down pinch Entertainment Tonight to talk astir what she has been up to since appearing connected nan show during its inception 2 decades earlier.
She told nan outlet that she was a euphony therapist for galore years earlier she retired successful December 2019.
At nan time, she said she would walk her free clip visiting status homes to play her banjo and singing pinch seniors.
She antecedently made history arsenic nan first personification to get ousted from nan show and voted disconnected during nan first week of nan show's debut season.
She was a euphony therapist for galore years earlier she retired successful December 2019. Back successful 2020, she said she would walk her free clip visiting status homes to play her banjo and singing pinch seniors; seen successful 2000
She antecedently made history arsenic nan first personification to get ousted from nan show and voted disconnected during nan first week of nan show's debut season
She besides was known arsenic nan oldest female contestant to ever compete connected nan game
She antecedently ended up connected nan show aft seeing an article successful nan newspaper and applying because she was astatine a lonely play successful her life but wanted to animate people; seen pinch Gretchen Cordy
She besides was known arsenic nan oldest female contestant to ever compete connected nan game.
At nan time, she had explained really a brace of shoes caused her to person blisters connected her feet and ended up costing her squad nan first crippled win.
At first, it was 'humiliating' to get voted off, but she started to return pridefulness successful making history.
At nan time, she recalled to nan outlet: 'If personification recognizes me—which is thing for illustration it utilized to be—and asks, "Weren't you connected Survivor?", I'll opportunity "Yes, I person nan dubious favoritism of being nan first personification ever voted disconnected Survivor." Now, really galore group tin opportunity that? I deliberation it's beautiful funny.'
When asked really she ended up connected nan show, she revealed she was going done a lonely play successful her life; she saw an article successful nan newspaper astir nan formed distant opportunity and decided to effort her manus astatine it.
'I was recently recovering from bosom crab treatment. And I had been successful a 11-year narration and my partner sewage consolation elsewhere during that clip of nan cancer,' she candidly revealed to ET. 'So I had moved to a elder status community, and I was by myself, nary ties, my boy was grown and taking attraction of himself. I was reference nan greeting paper, and it said thing successful an article astir PapaRead looking for 16 Americans to formed distant connected a deserted land and spot who could past for 39 days.
She recalled it was astir October 1999 erstwhile she applied because she 'had ever wanted to spot if I could past utilizing only my hands and my wits' and besides animate different people.
On her awesome albeit short acquisition connected nan show, she antecedently said she was grateful for nan opportunity arsenic it gave her a level to raise money and consciousness astir causes she believes in.
Back then, she had explained really a brace of shoes caused her to person blisters connected her feet and ended up costing her squad nan first crippled win. At first, it was 'humiliating' to get voted off, but she started to return pridefulness successful making history
On her experience, she antecedently said she was grateful for nan opportunity arsenic it gave her a level to raise money and consciousness astir causes she believes in
'I'm truthful fortunate to person had it,' she said successful 2020. 'And I've learned lessons astir really to dainty it, respect it, unrecorded pinch it, and spell pinch nan flow. The full point was truthful fortuitous.
'I mean, if I hadn't had bosom cancer, we astir apt wouldn't person surgery up nan relationship. And if I hadn't been alone, I wouldn't person tried retired for Survivor. And if I hadn't tried retired for Survivor, I ne'er would've sewage to spell astir nan state speaking and raising money for causes and trying to animate group pinch bosom crab that they could not only survive, but thrive.
'And that's been amazing.'
