Reyna Diaz

 is a contestant from Survivor: Trinidad.

Profile
Name (Age): Reyna Diaz (23)

Current Residence: Santa Fe, NM

Occupation: Hairstylist

Claim to Fame: Kicking my emotionally abusive ex-boyfriend to the curb! (smiles) I dated this one guy from my high school for about three years, and every moment was more horrible than the last. He started off great, but after I got pregnant right after graduating, he began to gaslight and manipulate me more and more. It only got worse after I decided to get an abortion. Eventually, I began falling for his lies. Every time I got fed up, he’d threaten to kill himself, but after a long, long three years, I finally ignored his abuse and left for good.

Inspiration in Life: I’m really inspired by the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements, particularly because I found them so empowering towards the end of my bad relationship. It definitely extends beyond just me, though - seeing so many women and men speaking up about their awful experiences and holding people accountable for their actions… I think it’s very moving. (smiles) I’m happy that society is more willing to listen to people when it comes to sexual abuse compared to the past ten years.

Hobbies: I can be a very introverted person, so I like to do a lot of individual-style activities: reading, drawing, painting, and walks through the park near my house alone are my favorites. I also really like musicals, so going to see local shows with my friends every once in a while really hits the spot, too. (smiles)

Pet Peeves: I don’t have patience for women who say they’re against feminism, I just think it’s tacky in my opinion. Most of them aren’t actually against it, they just don’t know what it is, and ignorance in general is not something I have time to deal with. (shrugs) If you’re not going to appreciate the long fights that women went through to give you the freedoms you enjoy today, then I don’t have to appreciate you. (sighs) I’ll usually keep my issues to myself when I hear ignorant comments, but it does annoy me to have to deal with them so often.

3 Words to Describe You: Shy, attentive, & individualistic

SURVIVOR Contestant you are most like: (grins) I relate the most to the “older souls”, especially somebody like Simon Drysdale from Ivory Coast. He has similar values as me - hard work, religion, et cetera - but he also knew how to play the game, even if his gameplay was sort of messy. (laughs) I hope to play a cleaner version of his game, working hard around camp and just being a good person that people want to work with.

Reason for Being on SURVIVOR: I decided not to go to college in order to be with my boyfriend at the time, but now that he and I are long since done, I’m stuck making piss-poor wages as a hairstylist. (sighs) The money would not only help me and my family in a short-term sense, but it’d be more than enough to pay for tuition so that I can go to college, get a degree, and, ideally, help us all get a better life than we have right now.

Why you will be the Sole Survivor: Survivor is all about listening, not just talking, and my naturally quiet personality will help me to do just that. I’m a pretty observant person in my day-to-day life, since I like to take things in around me, so I think I’m a good fit for a game like this. By paying careful attention, I’ll be able to have a good idea of who’s working with who and use that to my advantage. (smirks) I’m not afraid to play a villainous game if it means getting the million to support myself and my parents. I’ve already checked my value system at the door, I say bring it on! (giggles)