Meet the 24 castaways on Australian Survivor 2017

Sarah, 22, Model, Western Australia: “My Survivor bucket list consists of four things. Play a smart game that I can be proud of. Make a move that I can be remembered for. Make it to at least the merge and win the damn thing”

Joan, 29, Small Business Owner, NSW: “I want to get to the end with the best chances of winning so I’d like to keep the most annoying and least liked player with me until the end.”

Jarrad, 29, Photographer, WA: “I rate myself highly in terms of agility and speed, though lacking in physical strength. I’m intelligent, although not sure how that translates into visual puzzle solving.”

Mark H, 51, Lime Farmer, QLD: “Puzzles aren’t my thing, endurance I am hoping is my thing but I will go hard at them all”

Peter, 22, Digital Advertising Producer, NSW: “I’ve been a fan of the show for 10 plus years. I had a Survivor themed twenty-first and know I can win it.”

Locky, 27, Adventure Guide, WA: “I’ll be more successful at the social game because I love helping people.”

Aimee, 23, Plumber, VIC: “I’m not really the type to fly under the radar. Even if I tried I don’t think I could keep my mouth shut.”

Mark W, 37, Former Special Ops Commander, WA: “I applied to inspire veterans to live a full life. It can be hard after leaving the military. I am encouraging them to have a go.”

Aaron ‘A.K.’, 29, Wedding DJ, South Australia: Full-time wedding DJ and self-confessed reality television addict, Aaron is ready to take on Australian Survivor. A mad sports fan, Aaron will play to win and knows that sitting around idly is not the way to get ahead in the game.

Adam, 40, International Poker Player, Queensland: As an international poker player, award-winning salesman and ex-SES volunteer, Adam is a force to with which be reckoned. At over 198 centimetres tall, Adam plans to dominate the game and become a player to remember.

Anneliese, 23, Student, Victoria: Obsessed and strategic, Anneliese is a super-fan of Survivor who lists Jeff Probst as her celebrity crush. A journalism student in Melbourne, Anneliese is quite the academic. After winning a scholarship to an exclusive school, she knows that she can achieve anything to which she sets her mind. After recently losing 35 kilograms, Anneliese plans to fly under the radar and is ready to play the game as soon as she sets foot on the island.

Ben, 20, Fast Food Attendant, Western Australia: The youngest of this year’s contestants, Ben works as a fast food attendant and lives at home with his parents. Describing himself as odd, Ben is currently single and thinks his lack of flirting skills are to blame. Ben is a super-fan of the series and watched last year’s Australian Survivor with a keen eye.

Henry, 26, Labourer, South Australia: Henry’s game plan is to deceive his peers by playing the role of a laid-back yoga instructor. Little do they know he is actually a labourer and a small business owner with a degree in Marketing and Accounting. He recently put his life on hold to care for his mum as she battled pancreatic cancer and sadly passed away. He applied for Australian Survivor in honour of his mum, who told him to chase his dreams.

Jacqui, 50, Wedding Celebrant, NSW: A self-confessed straight-shooter, Jacqui is one of the oldest contestants on season two of Australian Survivor, but she is not going to let that get in her way. She has something to prove and wants to demonstrate to other women that life doesn’t end at 30. Jacqui is a wedding celebrant on the NSW North Coast. Married with two kids, she is super-fit and loves running, riding and surfing with her husband Gaz.

Jericho, 25, Flight Attendant, Victoria: From the Philippines to Auckland and now Melbourne, Jericho is used to being the new kid in town. But instead of letting his guard down quickly, on Australian Survivor he will be pretending to be someone else entirely. A mega-fan of Survivor, Jericho has his game plan mapped out and is not afraid to show his darker, more competitive side.

Kate, 47, Financial Executive, Victoria: Kate is a successful businesswoman who has lived all over the world, including Västervik in Sweden, Toronto, New York and now Melbourne. After recently resigning from a 17-year career with a global investment bank, Kate is now looking for her next career opportunity and thought she would give Australian Survivor a crack in the meantime. Kate wants to be a role model for young women, especially her children, who helped her apply for the series.

Kent, 51, Chief Financial Officer, South Australia: A devoted father of three, Kent is no stranger to taking on new challenges and Australian Survivor is no different. At 39, Kent decided to take up swimming and competed in the world-famous Rottnest Island swim in Western Australia. At the age of 50, he swam the English Channel, which was a 13-hour non-stop swim. Working for the past 10 years as Chief Financial Officer at Parliament House in South Australia, Kent says he is good at reading people’s personalities.

Luke, 30, Mining Technician, Western Australia: Luke may be a joker but he takes some things very seriously, including his family, his job and reality television. A drilling operator in a Western Australian mine, Luke has recently taken on a desk job to spend more time at home with his two sons and wife, Mary. After growing up with a difficult home life, Luke appreciates his family more than anything and wants to make them proud.

Michelle, 33, Nanny, NSW: Michelle is a woman who knows what she wants and is not afraid to tell people how she is going to get it. A professional nanny in Sydney, she loves going to the races, the beach and catching up with friends. While she admits she is not used to roughing it, Michelle is out to prove that she has what it takes to win. She will use whatever assets she needs to make connections and alliances. Her father passed away in 2008 and she wants to make him proud.

Odette, 32, Podiatrist, NSW: Single mum Odette is a podiatrist in Sydney who has had to push herself every day to be the hero she wants to be for her son. Growing up with an absent father, she was raised by her mother, who sadly passed away when she was 14. Following her mother’s death, Odette worked hard at school and attained a Master’s degree in Podiatric Medicine while attending university during the day, working nights and also looking after her son. Odette is here to play an honest and moral game.

Sam, 32, Endurance Athlete, Victoria: She stands just under 152 centimetres tall, but do not let Sam’s size fool you. She took up running in 2008 as a break from studying law and after just 16 weeks training, she completed the Melbourne marathon. Her next challenge? The 4 Deserts Grand Slam: four ultra-marathons across Chile, China, Sahara and Antarctica. She made history by becoming the first woman and the youngest person ever to complete the race, which is known as one of the toughest endurance events on the planet.

Tara, 32, Barrel Racer, Queensland: Mum of three Tara is a barrel racer from Queensland. The job requires serious manoeuvring and concentration and is something she plans to keep a secret from her fellow contestants. Currently studying full-time for a Bachelor of Education majoring in Drama and History, Tara wants to prove that she is much more than just a stay-at-home mum.

Tessa, 29, Doctor, Victoria: Always underestimated by her work colleagues and patients because of her age and gender, Tessa is highly intelligent and ready to compete. Studying to become a doctor, Tessa worked under high-pressure conditions while attending lectures and studying to pass her physician’s exam. She is now one of the youngest doctors at her place of work. Her strategy is to form an all-girl alliance and to work her magic when their backs are turned. She is not afraid to lie, cheat and steal to win Australian Survivor.

Ziggy, 26, Former Olympian, NSW: A two-time Olympic athlete and two-time Olympic medallist, Ziggy (real name: Nicola) thinks she has what it takes to survive in Samoa. Ziggy represented Australia in water polo at the London and Rio Olympic Games. She has recently retired from the pool and is working as a radiologist in Sydney. The daughter of a triathlete, Ziggy has tried every sport under the sun and stays fit by running, surfing, yoga and lifting weights. A former lifesaver and iron-woman, Ziggy says her water polo experience will also help her strategise and play the game.