Chad Strickland

 is a contestant from Survivor: Gilbert Islands.

Profile
Name (Age): Chad Strickland (34)

Tribe Designation: Makin

Current Residence: St. Louis, MO

Occupation: Photographer

Claim to Fame: My family, consisting of my wife, Anna, and my two kids, Joey and Lizzie. They're my everything and I am so, so proud of them.

Inspiration in Life: The painting teacher at the university I went to was the kindest man I have ever met in my entire life. I was planning on going into business and took Painting just to see what it was all about. His charisma and the fun I had in his class, though, made me second guess my career path. I ended up ditching business to pursue the arts, eventually deciding to become a photographer. Best decision I've ever made.

Hobbies: Spending time with my wife and kids, going on walks and taking photos of whatever catches my eye, and catching up with my friends.

Pet Peeves: I don't like it when people complain. A lot of people have it really hard but still find ways to be grateful, so it bugs me when people whine about their first world problems all the time.

3 Words to Describe You: Devoted, hard-working, and careful

If You Could Bring One Thing on the Island With You, What Would You Bring and Why?: Is that even a question? My camera. We're going to a place practically untouched by humankind, a place with pristine natural beauty. The fact that I can't take pictures of the scenery all day is probably my biggest reservation about going on SURVIVOR.

Reason for Being on SURVIVOR: I do my best to experience nature when I go on walks around my neighborhood, but I live in a big city. It's really hard to truly experience nature that hasn't been touched by society. I think that going on the show gives me a chance to bask in nature in its purest form. I also think I need some sort of reality check, as my life has been pretty free from struggle so far.

What is Your Strategy to Become the Sole Survivor?: Going under the radar. I'm already not a very loud guy by nature, so it shouldn't be too hard for me to slip through the cracks while the threats take each other out. I think if I play my cards right, I can go pretty far in this game without anyone even noticing that I'm there.