Manny Torres

Manuel "Manny" Torres is a contestant from Survivor: Trinidad.

Profile
Name (Age): Manuel "Manny" Torres (34)

Current Residence: Scottsdale, AZ

Occupation: Graphic Designer

Claim to Fame: The hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life is overcoming my eating disorder. For at least a couple of years in my early twenties, a lot of the abuse I went through during my childhood years gave me a really f***ed up sense of self, and I think a result of that was my anorexia. I would pretend to eat meals but actually hide them, obsessively count calories, and essentially treated myself and by body like s*** until I was close to death. Thankfully, with help from my family and trained health professionals, I learned better coping mechanisms for trauma and began fighting back against my ED. Without that, I don’t think I’d be here today.

Inspiration in Life: It’s God, all the way. I wasn’t all that devoutly religious as a kid; in fact, I kinda waffled between not believing in him at all or hating him with every fiber of my being since my upbringing was so rough. I thought that no loving God would put me through all of this torment. I grew to learn that the strength I gained from everything I’ve overcome has made me into a better person, and as messed up as it might sound, it’s all because of God. His saving love is what keeps me going each and every day.

'Hobbies: Nothing beats a drink with my friends after a long week of work, maybe while watching a local sports team or, embarrassingly enough, The Bachelor or Love Island. I know those shows are garbage, but man are they fun to watch, especially with a few beers in my system. (laughs) I just need to unwind and turn my brain off sometimes, and those shows are great ways to do just that.

Pet Peeves: I’ve learned not to take life too seriously and to try to get enjoyment out of the little things instead of worrying too much about what could go wrong. I mean, obviously I’m not perfect at doing that, but people who are always pessimistic or complaining about things get on my nerves. It’s like, either do something about it or suck it up, don’t just whine my ear off all day!

3 Words to Describe You: Optimistic, loving, & resilient

If you could bring 3 things on the island with you, what would you bring and why?: First, a picture of my lovely late grandparents who helped raise me at the height of my parents’ alcoholism, since they’ll remind me of who I am and ground me if the strategy and stress gets to be too much. Second, a computer, simply because graphic design is both my job and my passion, so I’d love to actually make something while on the island, especially when it gets boring. My third thing would be a bag of chips just because I tend to crave them if it’s been more than a few days since I’ve last eaten any.

SURVIVOR Contestant you are most like: I think Ricki Fife from Mozambique, and not just because she and I dealt with body image issues and eating disorders. She also did an amazing job at playing both socially and strategically and having all of her bases covered, an approach I think I can pull off during my time on the island.

Reason for Being on SURVIVOR: As I’ve said, I do love my job very much, but I would also like the chance to take a vacation from it, and the SURVIVOR show itself along with the cash prize you get if you win would help a lot. Plus, I still have a lot of student loans and other debt I need to pay off, so with the pretty sizable check I’d get if I win, those debts would all but disappear overnight.

Why you will be the Sole Survivor: I’m a down-to-earth guy and I’m honest about what I’ve been through and where I’m at, yet I don’t let all of the horrible experiences in my past cause me to be jaded or pessimistic, which makes it pretty easy for me to get along with other people. The social game is were I think I’ll excel, but I’m hoping to do well in a strategic sense, too, which will surely propel me to victory.