Kim Johnson

Kim Sharon Larson Johnson is a contestant from .
Kim made strong relationships with her Boran tribemates which, combined with her unassuming nature and non-threat status, allowed her to ride with the Boran Alliance to the final four. She then foiled their plans by winning the last two Immunity Challenges, becoming the oldest person to win the Final Immunity Challenge and the oldest female to reach the Final Tribal Council. However, her gameplay was seen as lacking compared to that of eventual winner Ethan Zohn, thus resulting in her finishing in second place.
==Profile==
Retrieved from CBS.com
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Kim Johnson grew up in Annapolis, Maryland and has lived in New York for the past twenty years, currently on Long Island's Oyster Bay. She attended Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and Monmouth University in Long Branch, New Jersey, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education.
Though now retired as an elementary school teacher, Johnson has since worked as the League/Tournament Coordinator for an indoor tennis club and was the owner of a sportswear clothing boutique.
In her free time, Johnson enjoys exercising (running, tennis and free weights), camping, hiking, fishing, sailing, golfing, horseback riding, thoroughbred horse racing and playing games of any kind. She describes herself as nutty, logical and determined. She is extremely proud of her family; she is especially proud of being the grandmother of two, with another one on the way. She is fluent in sign language, and has volunteered her services over the years for the blind and deaf.
Kim Johnson is a lifetime member of Pi Beta Pi Sorority, the U.S. Tennis Association and the U.S. Platform Tennis Association. She has been married to Ted for 37 years and has three children, Wendy, Kerry and Ted, Jr. Her birth date is Sept. 18.http://web.archive.org/web/20230326030356/https://www.cbs.com/shows/survivor/cast/20806/
==Survivor==
Kim J. was initially placed on the Boran tribe. On the way to camp on Day 1, the tribe decided to dump out the water to lessen their load. This would be a mistake as the water source was very dirty and shallow. After Boran lost the first challenge of the season, they returned to camp where most of the tribe went to get water. Clarence Black stayed behind to tend to the ailing Diane Ogden, who had collapsed during the challenge due to dehydration. When they returned, it was discovered that Clarence opened a can of beans and shared them with Diane. Tom Buchanan was especially angry by Clarence's decision. However, at Tribal Council, the tribe deemed Clarence's strength too valuable. Diane was voted out for her weakness instead. Boran received flint after Diane's elimination. They quickly made fire and spent all night boiling water. At the Reward Challenge, Boran and Samburu were neck and neck. However, Kim J. stumbled at the last minute, giving Samburu reward. Kim apologized for losing and feared she would be the next to go. Kim J. talked with Kelly Goldsmith about the men teaming up to pick off the women. Samburu won their third challenge in a row, sending Boran back to Tribal Council. Despite fears of being picked off, both women joined in voting out the ailing Jessie Camacho over Clarence. 
After Jessie's departure from the game, Lions came dangerously close to camp. At the next Reward Challenge, Boran finally won reward in the form of 100 gallons of water. The tribe was thankful for the water. When the tribe received Tree Mail, it revealed that in the next challenge they had to make a Distress Signal. Kim J. said that losing three Immunity Challenges was unthinkable. Kim J. used her luxury item, acrylic paints, to dye the mosquito nets. Boran also used a clear area to build the SOS signal. Everyone stripped down to their underwear. Everything paid off and Boran won Immunity. At the Reward Challenge, Kim J. once again held the team back athletically, allowing Samburu to win again. Kim J. once again felt bad for costing her team the challenge. Both Ethan Zohn and Lex van den Berghe comforted her, with the latter saying she had 56 excuses for not doing well. Kim J. and Kelly were the architects for the Immunity Challenge. That won Boran immunity, keeping Kim away from Tribal Council.
When Lex and Kelly came back with the next Tree Mail, he describes it as the strangest Tree Mail yet. It said to pick three members to go on a quest. The tribe selected Lex, Big Tom, and Kelly to go. Later on, three members of Samburu, Silas Gaither, Teresa Cooper, and Frank Garrison arrived at Boran camp. Confused by this, the newcomers explained that there was a tribe switch. Teresa told Kim J. that she or Frank was the next go. On the first night, Frank and Teresa revealed how badly they were treated. Silas' strategy won Boran the Reward Challenge and some chickens. Ethan talked to Kim J. about throwing the challenge to vote out Clarence or Silas. Midway through the challenge, Boran stopped trying. This gave Samburu an easy victory. Kim J. was wary of Silas' gameplay and joined in voting him out. Everyone was worried about when the merge is and their food supply. Clarence was making it clear that he wanted to eat the chickens. At the Reward Challenge, Samburu barely beat out Boran for immunity. During the challenge, Kim gave a signal, alerting the original Samburu about Lindsey Richter's past votes. Clarence agreed to spare the chickens if they laid an egg by the next morning. The next morning, Kim J. found an egg and laid it out on a tray. Everyone laughed at Clarence's reaction when he learned that he couldn't eat the chickens. Boran won the Immunity Challenge, ensuring Kim J. makes the merge. 
Kim J. made brunch, which Frank didn't know what it was. The tribes merged at the Immunity Challenge. Kim J. was the second person out. Teresa won immunity over Clarence. When they returned to the Boran (Now Moto Maji) camp, a feast awaited them. Clarence was voted out due to being a physical threat. At that same Tribal Council, Lex received two votes from Clarence and Teresa. Surprised by this, Lex was determined to find out who voted against him. Ethan won reward and chose Lex to join him. When they returned, they had cookies for everyone. Ethan also won immunity. Lex came to the wrong conclusion that Kelly voted against (Teresa really did this) and rallied Boran to turn against her. Kelly flipped to Samburu, but Brandon Quinton flipped to Boran. This sent Kelly to the jury and gave the Boran Alliance the numbers advantages. Brandon's decision made Lex's allies question his loyalty. For the Reward Challenges, the castaways were formed into pairs. Kim J. was paired with Ethan. They made it to the final round but lost to Frank and Brandon. Lex won the fire making contest for immunity. Brandon was voted off because of his questionable loyalty, despite Lex's lobbying against the negative Frank. The next morning, her legs were very swollen. Kim J. felt that Ethan, Lex, and Tom had doubts in each other and know that they can't all go to the Final Immunity Challenge. At the Survivor Auction, Kim J. brought some cheese and crackers. She also brought a mystery item, which turned out to be a fried chicken meal. Lex bought a piece a chicken from her. Lex won immunity again and Frank was unanimously voted out.
At the next Reward Challenge, the castaway saw videos of their loved ones. They had to guess what they loved ones said. Kim J. came close but Lex won and picked Big Tom to join him. At the Immunity Challenge, Kim J. had tough luck in the challenge. Despite that, she was the last of two standing. Big Tom beat her out for immunity. Teresa tried to get her and Tom to vote out Lex, but they stayed loyal. The Borans decided to vote out Kim Powers over Teresa and Lex. Kim J. notes how the pressure is taking its toll on everyone. Elephants left their dung in the water. Kim still bathes in the water. Tom advises her otherwise but stopped telling her. The next challenge was a word search. Lex won once again. This time, his prize was a car, which was used to give supplies to a local hospital. Kim tried to align her with Ethan and vote out Lex. Teresa tried to get Kim J. and Tom to vote out Lex. The Immunity Challenge incorporates elements from past challenges. Kim J. was quickly out of it due to her lack of physical ability. All plans to vote out Lex was made unfeasible as he won immunity, forcing the Borans to vote out Teresa, the last standing original Samburu member.
Before she left, Teresa revealed that she voted against Lex and told him that Tom wanted to vote him out. The two men argued about trust, which they settled peacefully. The Final Four headed to a mountain to relax. Kim J. felt great about being the last woman standing. She notes that just because she hadn't won a challenge yet, doesn't mean she can't win. The next Tree Mail implies the challenge was Fallen Comrades. Lex suspects that Kim would do well in the challenge about her personality. This was proven right as Kim beat out Big Tom and Lex for a much-needed immunity. Kim J. voted out Tom as she felt he was playing a manipulative game and he was voted out unanimously. In the early hours of Day 38, Jeff came to camp and inform the final three that they were going to take the Rites of Passage. After completing the rites of passages, the final three partake in the Final Immunity Challenge. Ethan was the first out. Kim J. won immunity because of determination that came out of her and Lex having stomach pains. She felt the win proved that dreams do come true. Kim J. was stunned to be in the final two and remembered that she believed that she would have been the first person voted out. Kim J. describes the power as a double-edged sword and felt that she could not beat either Ethan or Lex. With Ethan and Lex encouraging her to go with her heart and not to regret it, Kim J. goes to make her decision. Kim J. deemed Ethan more deserving and voted out Lex. 
After Lex's ouster, Kim J. was worried about Lex being angry with her. Ethan reassures her that Lex was not angry with her. The Final two reflect about their time in Africa. At Final Tribal Council, Kim J. made her case by saying that she can't ask the jury to vote for her. She said that the jury made her feel the best that she can be. The jury felt she was riding the coattails of the Boran alliance. Kim J. answered the juror's questions to the best of her ability. In the end, Kim J. lost to Ethan in a 5-2 vote. She earned Brandon's vote as he was annoyed with Ethan calling him undeserving and Kim P.'s vote because she viewed Kim J. as a strong woman.
<tabber>Challenge History=
Episode 	TribeAffiliation 	Challenge 	Challenge Type 	Sit-Out? 	Result
1 	rowspan=11 	Trail Blazer 	Reward/Immunity 	No 	
2 	Stairway to the Stars	Reward 	No 	 	
2 	Safari Supper 	Immunity 	No 	 	
3 	Rock n' Roll 	Reward 	No 	 	
3 	Distress Signal 	Immunity 	No 	 	
4 	Caught in the Web 	Reward 	No 	 	
4 	Movin' On Up 	Immunity 	No 	 	
5 	Get Your Goat 	Reward 	No 	 	
5 	Puzzle of Shields 	Immunity 	No 	 	
6 	Africa 102 	Reward 	No 	 	
6 	Spear-it Hunt 	Immunity 	No 	 	
colspan="6"	 	 	 	 	
7 	rowspan=13 	When It Rains, It Pours	Immunity 	 	
9 	Stomp-ede 	Reward 	 	 	
9 	Box Your Mind 	Immunity 	 	 	
10 	Obstacle Course 	Reward 	 	 	
10 	Light It Up 	Immunity 	 	 	
11 	Survivor Auction 	Survivor Auction 	Survivor Auction	Survivor Auction	
11 	African Folklore 	Immunity 	 	 	
12 	Know Your Loved One 	Reward 	 	 	
12 	Pot Shots 	Immunity 	 	 	
13 	Swahili Scramble 	Reward 	 	 	
13 	Second Chance 	Immunity 	 	 	
14 	Fallen Comrades 	Immunity 	 	 	
14 	Hands on a Hard Idol 	Immunity 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	
|-|Voting History=
Episode 	Kim J.'sVotes	Voted AgainstKim J.
1 	 	
2 	 	
3 	 	
4 	 	
5 	 	
6 	 	
7 	 	
9 	 	
10 	 	
11 	 	
12 	 	
13 	 	
14 	 	
14 	 	
Jury Votesfor Kim J.	colspan="2" 	
 	 	
</tabber>
==Post-Survivor==
* In early 2002, Kim, along with all of her castmates appeared on where they would present the top 10.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7XHRRQXyyU
* Kim now works as the coordinator for an indoor tennis club. She has also volunteered her services for the blind and deaf.
==Trivia==
* Kim is the oldest contestant in .
** Kim is the first woman to be the oldest contestant in a season.
** Kim is the oldest contestant to win the Final Immunity Challenge, being 56 at the time of filming. She is also the oldest woman to be a finalist.
** Kim is the first oldest contestant of a season to reach the Final Tribal Council and is one of seven to do so.
** Kim is the oldest person to make it to Day 39 and the Final Tribal Council by date of birth.
* Kim Johnson and Kim Powers are the first pair of contestants with the same first name to compete in the same season.
* Kim brought paints and brush as her luxury item.
* Kim is the second contestant to play an individual Immunity Challenge wearing the Immunity Necklace. The first was Gervase Peterson in the episode .
* Kim is the first finalist to receive fewer than three jury votes.
* Kim is the only member of the Africa final four to not return for a future season.
* Kim is the only contestant from Africa to have never been voted out at any point in her career.
** She is also the earliest appearing castaway to never be eliminated in any way.
==References==
Category:Contestants
Category:Female Contestants
Category:Oldest Contestants
Category:Africa Contestants
Category:Finalists
Category:Boran Tribe
Category:Moto Maji Tribe
Category:2nd Place
Category:Survivor (U.S.)
Category:Survivor (U.S.) Contestants
Category:Survivor: Africa
Category:1944 births
Category:Living people