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Survivor season 43 arrives on CBS this Wednesday, September 21, 2022, and Philly-based contestant Morriah Young is participating to fulfill her late mother's final wish. Young is a 28-year-old performance artist and teacher from Philadelphia, whose life and Instagram feed can practically brighten up anyone's day.
Jeff Probst is hosting Survivor 43, in which a group of 18 castaways follow him on adventures on the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji in the weeks to come to win the ultimate title and $1 million. The castaways will undergo harsh twists, with essentially limited food, for only 26 days instead of 39 because of game-changing modifications made by the reality TV series following season 40.
Given the premiere formats of the last two seasons, the upcoming season will reportedly broadcast a two-hour-long episode on Wednesday, in which two players who were eliminated from the competition will appear. The show will then air a 90-minute episode in the subsequent week, making it the first time in the history of the series that an extended second episode will air.
That being said, here's everything to know about Survivor season 43 contestant Morriah Young ahead of the season premiere.
Morriah Young wants to "commemorate and honor" her mother by participating in Survivor 43
Morriah Young, a 28-year-old, is an educator and performance artist. She is competing on Survivor 43 following the tragic death of her mother. Young stated that she spent her formative years watching Survivor with her late mother, who only recently passed away. She said that the entire reason she is participating in this season is to "commemorate and honor her."
Young told Parade in an interview:
"So I've been watching Survivor for as long as I can remember, from when it came out in 2000. I was six, maybe seven years old. And I grew up watching it with my mom. It was her favorite show. We would watch it religiously with my sisters. We would get on the couch with the remote and the popcorn."
She spoke about her field of work in a separate interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer and mentioned:
"I teach performing arts to sixth, seventh and eighth graders at (Uncommon Schools) Camden Prep in Camden."
Further talking about her reasons for featuring on the show this season, Morriah Young revealed her desire to prove to children and teenagers that being able to sing, dance and act is cool and fun, especially to those who aren't comfortable being out in the open while performing. As a performance artist, she said:
"I have to convince them it’s a cool thing to do."
Morriah Young claims that as a middle school teacher, she has learned how to be patient and when to switch her demeanor according to the age group of children she is dealing with.
She has additionally acquired the skills to build relationships and read the room. Young sees herself "as a joy liaison," as she plans parties and potlucks and brings people together.
Contestant Morriah Young feels the new era of Survivor is "intriguing"
Morriah Young wants the other contestants to view her as a competition with fantastic social skills. Despite her cheerfulness, she also wants the audience to know that she is here to perform, give her best, and win.
She believes like in earlier seasons of Survivor, contestants had the time to understand and study people better, to react to certain situations or their playing strategies. However, given the limited time and resources after the alterations were made two seasons ago, contestants will have to make hasty decisions.
Young claims that while it might sometimes be simpler to confuse people that way, it makes the game much more exciting. She asserts that it gives the game a completely new dimension.
Morriah Young told Parade:
"And that makes the game so much more intriguing because sometimes you don't even know how you're going to play. Which is why I'm happy I'm in Fiji! Because some people get Africa, Guatemala, the Australian Outback, I get Fiji. So the game is moving faster. But at least the elements aren't as tough."
The Philly-based teacher additionally mentioned that losing her mother prepared her for the game and survival.
Morriah added:
"But losing a parent, and especially losing a mom, in my opinion, that's one of the most difficult losses you can ever go through. And Survivor's such a raw experience and game where everything is taken away from you. All of your possessions that make you feel comfortable and make you feel warm and at home, those things are stripped away from you, and you're on this bare island."
Morriah Young further stated:
"That's kind of how I felt when I lost my mom; I felt like everything was stripped away from me. And so I feel like if I can go through losing a parent and still come out resilient and persevering and find a way to still thrive in life with that biggest loss, then I can definitely go to 26 days and come out winning."
Catch the premiere of Survivor 43 on CBS this September 21, 2022.
