Earlier this year, I emailed a selection of former Survivor players that fans haven’t heard from in a while to find out what they’re up to these days.
Today’s edition features Lindsey Richter, who competed on Survivor: Africa back in 2001. As part of the Samburu tribe, Lindsey quickly connected with her fellow younger tribemates, Silas Gaither, Brandon Quinton, and Kim Powers. Dubbed the “Mallrats,” Lindsey’s alliance clashed with the older members of the Samburu tribe.
With the tribe divided down the middle, Lindsey found herself in a tie-vote situation at the third tribal council. The younger alliance had voted for Carl Bilancione, while the older group had voted for Lindsey, which meant she and Carl had to face off in a tiebreaker trivia challenge. After a painfully long streak of wrong answers, Lindsey finally won, giving control of the tribe to the Mallrats.
However, Lindsey’s game took a turn after the show’s first-ever tribe swap. Facing another vote split, Lindsey again found herself deadlocked, this time against Big Tom Buchanan. Back then, a tie was broken by whoever had the most votes against them previously, which, in this case, was Lindsay, meaning she was sent home as the sixth boot.
Inside Survivor caught up with Lindsey to find out what she’s been up to since her time on Survivor.
What have you been up to since you last appeared on Survivor? Biggest life events? Changes?
I have been running my own company called: “Ladies AllRide” – Mountain Bike Skills Camps around the globe. We strive to help women see the symmetry between bikes and life because we believe in the power of mountain biking as a catalyst for growth, change, and connection with others and oneself.
We see firsthand how mountain biking can help people improve their physical and mental health, face fears, believe in themselves, and learn what they’re capable of on and off the bike. We want to share our passion with as many women as possible to help grow the community of lady mountain bikers across the globe and help them get RAD on their bikes!
View this post on Instagram
What kind of impact did Survivor have on your life?
Survivor changed the course of my life. It got me out of my comfort zone and sent me on a self-discovery journey [that] I don’t think I would have otherwise embarked on. It showed me sides of myself I did not like and forced me to look deeper into who I am, who I want to be, and how I want to show up in this world.
I felt like I was an a**hole on the show with no self-awareness or understanding of how my energy and attitude affected others. I also don’t feel like I was super kind, and it sent me on a path to learn empathy and kindness.
What is something you still cherish from your Survivor experience?
It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I am so grateful I was able to do it. I will always cherish that I was chosen to be a part of the early days of a hit reality TV show. It’s cool as s**t. Also, the friendships I made from the show I’ll cherish forever.
Do you still keep in touch with any of your castmates? If so, who?
Lex [van den Berghe] and his wife Kelly became my soul family. They have been by my side through so many ups and downs in life over the past 20 years, and I am forever grateful the show brought them into my life. They truly changed my life; they are amazing people.
I also keep in touch with Ethan [Zohn], who won our show. He’s great. Kelly Goldsmith and I kept in touch for a while, and Jessie Camacho and I moved to LA together and slept on air mattresses in a tiny apartment for a bit. Love her!
View this post on Instagram
Do you still watch Survivor? If so, what do you think of the current version of the show? If not, what made you stop watching?
The only other Survivor I watched part of was All Stars many years ago. Haven’t watched it since.
Would you ever consider playing Survivor again if asked? Why or why not?
I think I would do it again, knowing what I know now. However, I’m almost 50 and was on it when I was 26!
What do you know now that you wish you knew during your time on Survivor?
I wish I had the self-awareness I have now. I think I would have entered into the game with a whole different mindset.
Written by