Who Is Season 42 ‘Survivor’ Finalist Maryanne Oketch?

Maryanne Oketch is the second straight Canadian woman of color to win the competition series “Survivor.” Apart from her strong faith, she has a handy skill that helped her survive the arduous journey.

Many watched as contestants of “Survivor 42” fought their hardest to make it to the top five, but only the cream of the crop survived.

Jonathan Young, Mike Turner, Lindsay Dolashewich, Romeo Escobar, and Maryanne Oketch were the only ones left to battle it out for the title of Sole Survivor and claim the prize of $1 million.

Ultimately, Oketch took home the trophy, making her the second straight Canadian woman of color to win the long-running television competition. Erika Casupanan, who won "Survivor 41," was the first.

HOW OLD IS MARYANNE OKETCH?

Raised in Ajax, Ontario, 24-year-old Oketch is a seminary student who enjoys playing video games, reading, and snowboarding.

The “Survivor” champion has lived in many cities, such as Toronto, Kingston, and London, but considers Ontario her home, where she attended McMaster University.

For years, Probst watched several contestants fight to make it out alive until eventually falling in love with one of them, “Survivor: Vanuatu's” fifth finalist, Julie Berry.

She considers herself a religious person and turned to her faith amidst the most challenging parts of the show. Oketch said:

"I think what's super important is to make sure that I'm always prepared in my spiritual side. I'm always praying and just being like, 'God, give me strength. Make sure that I see another day. Make sure that I go and make those right decisions [...].'"

Apart from her faith, Oketch's skills benefited her during the competition. As a certified lifeguard, she was better prepared to face specific situations that came up during her “Survivor” journey.

WHO WON THE PREVIOUS SEASON OF “SURVIVOR?”

In the show's previous season, 18 contestants battled it out for the title of Sole Survivor; among them were Xander Hastings, Ricard Foyé, Heather Aldret, Deshawn Radden, and Casupanan.

Casupanan managed to take home the title despite nearly being eliminated from the game. After being sent to Exile Island, Casupanan made it to the final five until she eventually won the competition.

“Survivor” Season 1 came out in 2000 with Jeff Probst as its host for the past 22 years. He is dedicated to his work and spends most of his time traveling and filming for the reality show.

For years, Probst watched several contestants fight to make it out alive and eventually fell in love with one of them, “Survivor: Vanuatu's” fifth finalist, Julie Berry.

When her time on the show ended, Probst emailed Berry to ask how she was, and soon after, they started spending time together. Unfortunately, their relationship only lasted three years, and they allegedly broke up due to Probst's busy schedule.

Despite that sad ending, “Survivor” provided Probst with another shot at love when he met his wife, Lisa Ann Russell. Probst met Russell through the show's producer, Mark Burnett, and the rest is history.