User blog comment:Sambarnes/Survivor: Belize - Now Casting!/@comment-9949103-20190707010831

Name: Brian Silverson

Age: 42

Residence: Chicago, Illinois

Occupation: Kitchen Staff

Bio: Coming from a life of poverty, abandonment, and drug addiction it is no surprise to find that Brian is a bit more than just "rough around the edges". Intrinsically brooding and introverted, many have described him as intimidating, weird, and even scary as his tall build alone commands a very imposing presence.

Right out of high school, Brian fell in with the wrong crowd when he dropped his family's college plans to go road tripping and partying with his buddies at the time. Following this, Brian became heavily addicted to marijuana and heroin through the influence of some of these so-called "friends". Within the year, Brian was homeless, drugged out, angry at himself and the world, and pretty much with one foot in the grave. Unfortunately for him, his plans to ditch college had also caused his family to turn a blind eye to his suffering. He spent the next seven years being on and off again addicted to heroin, going in and out of different emergency clinics, rehab centers, and jail. After getting arrested for the second time in a row for possession, Brian vowed to himself and his therapist to turn his life around and kick his addiction for good.

In the wake of his rehab, he met his current boyfriend Mitchell who was another factor in getting him out of his rut and back into the positivity of a healthy life. Through various mediums such as video games, fitness, and traveling, Brian was steered onto the path for a better life and was able to successfully kick his addiction ten years after using for the first time. He now holds down a couple of steady jobs to make ends meet such as cashier, kitchen staff, and bartender.

With his new hobbies, Brian was able to channel a lot of his pent up aggression and energy into activities like boxing and martial arts. Brian has even competed in a couple of tournaments in the Chicago area and prides himself on being an openly gay man in a sport where that is very rare to see.

Moving closer to his halfway point in life, Brian's newfound desire for adventure and excitement inspired him to apply for Survivor, seeing it as an unbelievable experience to fulfill this desire and allow him to fully come to terms with his own shortcomings from the past. He hopes to not only find monetary gain from this experience, but also emotional gain in trying to find a couple of new things out about himself and his limitations.

Character Archetype: Hero

Strategy: From a game perspective, Brian's biggest worry is the social aspect. For this reason, he plans to spend the first few days doing his best to create bonds, find common ground, and build alliances with his fellow competitors. He will not shy away from letting others know about his athleticism or history in boxing, as he believes that branding himself with that label will help get him to the merge. His goal is to be perceived as sort of a "gentle giant".

He, however, will not mention much, if not anything, about his history with drug addiction as he believes it will only serve as a hindrance, both as something to keep his mind bogged down from strategy and also as a reason to target him as a potential threat to win the game. He will not lie about his sexuality though.

Strengths/Weaknesses: Brian's biggest strengths involve agility, speed, and raw strength. If the tribe needs someone to come in who can lift a tree or knock a buncha s**t down, he has no problem being that guy.

Brian also comes off as quite genuine, many people who are very close to him feel as though he is 100% honest and real with them, even if that isn't always the case.

Brian feels his biggest weakness, however, is opening up to others and really getting into the social game. He is introverted by nature and, even though he has moved past his addiction, can still be a bit brooding and standoffish at times due to past trauma. He hopes that he can bottle things up in the moment and let out stress when he's in confessionals or away from others. Brian also has problems with people who are lazy and don't have any sense of work ethic or contributing to a team mentality.

Anything Else: Brian stands tall at 6 foot 3 inches with a generously muscular build from his workout routines and boxing.