Joe Anglim is a fan favorite on Survivor, so viewers were stoked to learn that he’d be one of four returning players for season 38, Survivor: Edge of Extinction. Joe, along with Kelley Wentworth, David Wright and Aubry Bracco, will join 14 new players on the new season, which premieres Feb. 20. The 29-year-old has already played Survivor twice, and as a super likable guy and challenge threat, he’ll likely have a target on his back from day one. Before we see Joe’s fate play out on Edge of Extinction, get to know him better here:
1. What is his history with ‘Survivor’? Joe first appeared on season 30 of Survivor: Worlds Apart. He was a member of the “No Collar” tribe, and formed a tight alliance with several of the tribe’s other members. At the tribe swap, Joe found himself in a bit of trouble as the only No Collar in his new tribe, but he fought his way through it and made the merge. Joe was immediately targeted at the merge because of his strength in challenges, but he survived the first two votes by winning immunity. Once he lost immunity, though, he was voted out immediately, finishing in tenth place.
Joe wasted no time returning to Survivor, and was cast on the show’s very next season, Survivor: Cambodia — Second Chance. Thanks to luck in tribe immunity challenges and a tight “final five” alliance, Joe made it to the merge. He proved himself to be a major threat at that point by winning the first FOUR individual immunity challenges in a row. He got through the next two votes, but was eliminated after that, finishing in seventh place.
2. He’s dating a fellow ‘Survivor’ alum. Joe met his now-girlfriend, Sierra Dawn-Thomas, on Survivor: Worlds Apart. The two stayed great friends after the show, and often found themselves at the same events in support of the show in the years after filming. Sierra competed on Survivor’s 34th season, Game Changers, and it wasn’t until after that that she and Joe got together romantically. Sierra was the one who encouraged Joe to return for Edge of Extinction. “I’ve never been more inspired by such a hard-working, beautiful and caring woman,” Joe said about Sierra. “She inspires me to be the best version of myself every single day.”
3. He’s super athletic. Joe played basketball in high school and helped lead his team to a state championship his senior year. In college, he played indoor volleyball. When he was a senior, his team upset the best team in the country to win a huge tournament in Las Vegas.
4. He’s super artistic. Joe received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Metal and Jewelry Arts from Northern Arizona University. He became a self-employed jewelry designer, and currently works as Multimedia Designer Artist and Influencer. His workshops use meditation and art therapy to create “healthy awareness and self care stress management,” according to his LinkedIn page.
5. It’s his dream to win ‘Survivor.’ Even after playing twice before, Joe said it’s still his dream to hear Jeff Probst say that he is the “Sole Survivor.” He plans to take the experience he gained during his past attempts at the game and apply his mistakes to win this time around.