User blog comment:Cheesesteak47/Character Submissions for Survivor: Sicily!/@comment-32574574-20180220003735

Name (Age): William Edward Shriver Swanson III (53) Hometown: San Angelo, TX Occupation: Unemployed Personal Claim to Fame: My claim to fame is that I am, have always been, and will continue to be myself. Who I am you ask? I’m a family man, I’m a hunter, I’m a soldier, I’m a devoted Christian, I’m an American, and I am a person – in that order. I don’t accept nonsense from anyone and if I say something. It’s gonna mean something. Inspiration in Life: I am thankful that I have an amazing daughter with me today. Lauren Swanson is the reason I am alive today and still breathing, and I will do absolutely anything to protect her. She’s now 21, and she’s gonna be on her own soon, which scares me, but I know she has it in her to strive and to succeed. My wife, Raquel is also an amazing woman, and I can’t forget about my parents, Bill and Melinda Swanson. Lastly, I am inspired by God, because he gives me hope when I feel there isn’t any. Hobbies: Fishing, Hunting, and Basketball. I would say cooking but I only really cook when we’re doing the family barbeques every so often, so that doesn’t count. Pet Peeves: Corruption. 3 Words to Describe You: Serious, Tough, and No-Nonsense SURVIVOR Contestant You are Most Like: I admired Rudy Boesch, as he’s a member of the Army like I am. I served in the Iraq War for a few years before I was honorably discharged. I did what I had to do to protect my country, my family, and my friends, and he did too. He’s a class act and he’s someone I can truly respect. Reason for Competing on SURVIVOR: In May, it’ll be two years to the day I was released from prison on a manslaughter charge. Since then, I’ve been working to get my life back together. This is the perfect opportunity for me to reflect on life and how God has blessed me with the big things and the little things. I also would like some money because that always helps. Why You Believe You Will Become the SOLE SURVIVOR: I may not be a completely social person, but I know what I need to do in tough situations. I work best under pressure; for my age I would consider myself physically fit, and I can sense easily when someone’s lying to me. I hope to surround myself with bigger threats so that others will be looking to aim for them instead of me. That way, I can work my way up from there.

Additional Information (to allow me to know more about him): William Edward Shriver Swanson (or as he would liked to be called “Bill”), is a man who embodies what a Survivor is. Born on January 30, 1965, he has endured a boatload of hardships. When he was six, his grandmother was murdered in a Macy’s food court shooting. Bill’s uncle was executed by the state of Texas in 1974 for a murder he committed four years earlier. When Bill was ten years old, he nearly drowned when he was sitting on the edge of a pool and fell into the 12 feet zone, nearly dying because of his inability to swim at the time. Beginning at the age of five, Bill began getting sexually abused by his priest at his local church, which severely affected his self-confidence and self-esteem. Bill attempted suicide on his ninth birthday as a result of the abuse he suffered at the hands of his priest. When the priest died, Bill felt incredibly guilty afterwards and never told anyone about his abuse until he turned twenty.

Bill’s life turned around however, as he met his wife, Ashleigh when he applied to be a Marine. Both of them got accepted and they got married in 1993, having a daughter, Lauren in 1996. Ashleigh later got a job as a schoolteacher whilst Bill returned to the United States Military following the September 11 attacks. Because they needed to leave Lauren with someone, Ashleigh decided to have her brother, Andrew take care of her. In 2003, then seven years old, Lauren told Ashleigh that Andrew had been molesting her repeatedly. Ashleigh immediately told Bill, and Bill was granted permission to head back home from Iraq. On January 27, 2004, Bill broke into Andrew’s house and beat him to death. He later confessed to murdering his brother-in-law, and was arrested. Initially facing life in prison, Bill was given a plea deal. The judge allowed Bill to plead guilty to manslaughter due to the reasoning behind the killing, and Bill would get a lighter sentence. Bill agreed and served eleven years in a Texas prison. Bill claims that the time that he spent in prison hurt him in one sense as he couldn’t see Lauren graduate, or participate in any other teenage activities, but he also says it helped him become a better person. Bill hopes that he can win this game for his family and says that he is “no quitter”. Bill says that nothing is going to stop him from getting the million dollars.