Shane Elizabeth Gould is the Sole Survivor of Australian Survivor: Champions v Contenders (2018) and a contestant on Australian Survivor: All Stars.
Despite being the oldest contestant of the 2018 season and starting on the bottom of the Champions, Shane managed to play an aggressive, yet under-the-radar, game. In the course of the season, she found a Hidden Immunity Idol and led many blindsides, most notably of Lydia Lassila and Fenella McGowan. Her unassuming stance made her a favorable candidate to be taken to the Final Two, where she held her own against barrister Sharn Coombes at Final Tribal Council, earning the respect of the jury and winning the season.
Returning for All Stars, Shane was immediately pegged as a threat due to being one of two returning winners, and despite several attempts to sway the target in Harry Hills's direction, Shane became the first person voted out of the season.
Profile
Retrieved from 10play.com.au
Age: 61 An Australian legend in the swimming pool and the eldest competitor in Australian Survivor, Shane is sporting royalty and one of the world's greatest female swimmers. Between 1971 and 1973, she broke 11 world records in six different events. In the 1972 Olympics, Shane was, and still is, the only woman ever to win five individual medals: three gold in total, all in world record times, plus a silver and a bronze. In 1972, Shane held every Freestyle World Record: 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m and also the 200 individual medley, an achievement which has never been matched. "I'm not one to be proud of myself. I think being proud is a fashionable self-serving idea. I prefer to think about satisfying moments and those aren't necessarily my sporting accomplishments. Parenting four children to be independent adults. Learning how to train my horses. Those are moments I cherish." Splitting her time between Sydney and Bicheno, Tasmania, Shane may be the eldest to arrive on the island but she is not going to let the young ones throw her off. "I'm a realist and I know it's not going to be easy, especially when I don't know who my competition is yet but I have a one in 24 chance of winning. I'll be playing my hardest and I want to be there at the end. I've been researching, training and feel like I'm as prepared as I can be." "Just because I'm in the Champions tribe doesn't mean I am safe. I'm probably older than the rest but that won't stop me. I've been through tough times and lived to tell the tale. That's how I live my life and that's how I'm going to finish on Survivor."[1]
62, Olympic Gold Medallist — Season 3 Not only is Shane Gould an Australian Icon and Olympian but she's also the oldest Australian Survivor winner and is ready to do it all again! After winning the first Australian Survivor: Champions v Contenders in Season 3, Shane has finished her PhD and graduated in doctoral studies. With all her work away from the island, she's excited to come back for All Stars and give it another chance. "I won my season, I was the oldest to win and I played a subtle game with some well-timed moves, very good luck and very good help from allies at the right times. "I have so much life experience in years that I played and will play again. In the last game, I realised I used my experience as a horse trainer and farm animal herder to read other player's body language but will continue to do that without anyone knowing." From her life in Tasmania where she likes to read, work on her garden and walk with her husband Milt, she wants to use her wisdom and experience to win over her fellow castaways. "I'm going to try my hardest to win by negotiation, reconciliation, political instinct, subterfuge, selfinterest and use every opportunity handed to me."[2] |
Australian Survivor
Champions v Contenders
Shane made a strong first impression winning her matchup in the Day 1 Reward Challenge, and she lived up to her swimming exploits in the water challenges as well. Strategically, Shane got off to a slow start. She received votes against her at her first three Tribal Council visits, including the latter of that three where her Hidden Immunity Idol was flushed despite Moana asking to be voted out. Despite her sneakiness getting her in trouble early on, she continued to be mischievous and it started to become endearing to the other Champions. This development helped Shane re-integrate with the majority alliance, particularly forming a friendship with Sharn. The Tribe Switch put Shane in an even better position, where Mat, Steve W., Samuel, and herself worked with both of the outsider pairs by turning them against each other.
During the first individual Immunity Challenge, Shane convinced her allies to blindside Lydia due to her impressive challenge ability throughout the season. The plan worked, and it appeared Shane would have a clear path to the final 5. However, cracks in the Champions alliance would continue to pop up as Mat orchestrated Samuel's blindside and Brian revolted against Mat in the following vote. Mat's blindside left Shane, Sharn, and Steve W. in a 5-3 minority. Shane continued to fight and find her way into new alliances as the voting blocs shifted the next several rounds. After Shane successfully took out Fenella due to Brian messing up a split vote, Fenella's closest ally Shonee turned to Shane for revenge on Brian. Shonee, Shane, and Sharn created a new alliance called the "Sh" alliance as a reference to the first syllable of their names. They worked together to blindside Monika and flush Brian's idol at final 5, but Brian's immunity win at final 4 forced the "Sh" alliance to turn on each other. It appeared that Sharn and Shonee would be forced into a 2-2 tie, but Shonee tried to flip Sharn against Shane to survive in a 2-1-1 vote. The plan failed, and now Shane was in the final 3 with two players who wanted to take her to the end. Sharn won the Final Immunity Challenge, and opted to take the more likeable Shane to the end over the more aggressive strategic player in Brian.
Shane appeared to be the underdog going into the jury vote, but Shane appealed to the jury's appreciation of subtle, loyal gameplay as well as Shane's ability to connect with the Contender women to close the gap. Shane's strong Final Tribal Council performance as well as some mistakes from Sharn resulted in a 5-4 victory, making Shane the oldest woman to win the title of Sole Survivor either in Australia or the USA.
| Episode | Tribe Affiliation |
Challenge | Challenge Type | Sit-Out? | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Champions | Slip, Slop, Slap | Reward | No | N/A1 | |
| Over the Top | Immunity | No | Won | |||
| 2 | Sumo at Sea | Reward | No | Won | ||
| Dive Masters | Immunity | No | Lost | |||
| 3 | Magic Boot | Reward | No | Won | ||
| Chariots of Mire | Immunity | No | Lost | |||
| 4 | Kicking and Screaming | Reward | No | Won | ||
| Swing Break | Immunity | No | Won | |||
| 5 | Barrel Bridge | Reward | No | Won | ||
| Sliders | Immunity | Yes | Won | |||
| 6 | StrandOff | Reward | No | Won | ||
| Buried Alive | Immunity | No | Lost | |||
| 7 | Basket Brawl | Immunity | No | Won | ||
| 8 | Hot Pursuit | Reward | No | Won | ||
| Shower Caddies | Immunity | Yes | Won | |||
| 9 | Dear Liza/House of the Holey | Immunity | No | Won | ||
| 10 | (No title) | Reward | No | Lost | ||
| Nut Bucket | Immunity | Yes | Won | |||
| 11 | Legs Eleven | Immunity | No | Lost | ||
| 12 | Legends of the Fall | Reward | No | Lost | ||
| Tyred Out | Immunity | No | Lost | |||
| 13 | Wound Out | Immunity | No | Won | ||
| Tribes Merged, Day 31 | ||||||
| 15 | Koro Savu | Survivor Auction | ||||
| Get a Grip | Immunity | Lost | ||||
| 15 | Keep It Together | Immunity | Lost | |||
| 16 | Flags | Reward | Lost | |||
| Last Gasp | Immunity | Lost | ||||
| 17 | Snookered | Immunity | Lost | |||
| 18 | Classic Catches | Reward | Won | |||
| Balls Up | Immunity | Lost | ||||
| 19 | Leg Up | Immunity | Lost | |||
| 20 | Paddle Wars | Reward | No | Won | ||
| Reaching New Heights | Immunity | Lost | ||||
| 21 | Spin Cycle | Immunity | Lost | |||
| 22 | Jail Break | Reward | Lost | |||
| Fire and Rain | Immunity | Lost | ||||
| 23 | Operation Balance Build | Immunity | Lost | |||
| 24 | Bob-Bob Buoy | Immunity | Lost | |||
| Sole Survivor, Day 50 | ||||||
| Notes: ^1 This Reward Challenge was played in six rounds, with the winner of each round taking a different reward item.
| ||||||
| Episode | Shane's Votes |
Voted Against Shane |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Champions Tribe Immune | |
| 2 | Russell; Russell1 |
Jackie, Monika; - |
| 3 | Damien | Mat |
| 4 | Champions Tribe Immune | |
| 5 | Champions Tribe Immune | |
| 6 | Moana | Mat, Moana |
| 7 | Champions Tribe Immune | |
| 8 | Champions Tribe Immune | |
| 9 | Champions Tribe Immune | |
| 10 | Champions Tribe Immune | |
| 11 | Jackie | - |
| 12 | Tegan | - |
| 13 | Champions Tribe Immune | |
| 14 | Lydia | - |
| 15 | Benji | - |
| 16 | Samuel | - |
| 17 | Brian | - |
| 18 | Benji; Benji3 |
- |
| 19 | No Elimination4 | |
| 20 | Fenella; Fenella5 |
- |
| 21 | Fenella | Monika |
| 22 | Monika | Brian, Monika |
| 23 | Shonee | Shonee |
| 24 | Ineligible | - |
| Jury Votes for Shane |
Brian, Fenella, Mat, Monika, Shonee | |
| Sole Survivor, Day 50 | ||
^1 In "Episode 2", the vote ended with a 4-4 tie between Jackie and Russell, forcing a revote. Shane did not change her vote on the revote.
^2 In "Episode 6", Shane used a Hidden Immunity Idol, negating 3 votes against her.
^3 In "Episode 18", the vote ended with a 4-4 tie between Benji and Sharn, forcing a revote. Shane did not change her vote on the revote.
^4 In "Episode 19", rather than voting someone out, Koro Savu had to vote to give someone the status of Dead Man Walking.
^5 In "Episode 20", the vote ended with a 2-2-2 tie between Fenella, Sharn, and Steve W., forcing a revote. Shane did not change her vote on the revote.
All Stars
Shane was placed on the Mokuta tribe. She was confident in her abilities to go far once again despite the target on her back as a former winner, and some contestants such as Nick were happy to see her. That was not the case for Lydia, as she sought revenge for Shane orchestrating her blindside in their previous season. Harry was also suspicious of Shane's behavior, as Shane was constantly wandering around the camp, presumably looking for the Hidden Immunity Idol.
After Mokuta lost the first Immunity Challenge on Day 2, Shane reassured Mat on the other tribe that she was in a good position. After overhearing a conversation between Harry, Henry, and Michelle, Shane managed to tell them she wanted Harry gone literally behind his back. Henry was keen on keeping Shane around, whether it be through rallying the numbers or using an idol from a clue he received that said it was at Tribal Council. At Tribal Council, Shane pleaded for her place in the game by saying that making the "easy vote" in a game like Survivor doesn't make sense. Ultimately Harry and Lydia got their way, and Shane was the first person voted out of All Stars in an 8-3-1 vote.
| Episode | Tribe Affiliation |
Challenge | Challenge Type | Sit-Out? | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mokuta | Fire Starter | Reward | No | Won |
| Going Under | Immunity | No | Lost | ||
| Voted Out, Day 2 | |||||
| Episode | Shane's Votes |
Voted Against Shane |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harry | Abbey, Harry, John, Lydia, Michelle, Nick, Shonee, Zach |
| Voted Out, Day 2 | ||
Post-Survivor
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Trivia
- Shane is the oldest castaway on Champions v Contenders (2018) and All Stars.
- Shane is the first woman and winner on Australian Survivor to be the oldest castaway of a season.
- Shane is the first Tasmanian to compete on Australian Survivor.
- Shane is the oldest castaway on Australian Survivor history to have played a Hidden Immunity Idol.
- Shane is the first castaway to win Australian Survivor without winning an individual challenge
- Shane holds the record for the largest fall in placement between seasons, dropping 23 places between Champions v Contenders and All Stars.
- Shane is the first former winner to be voted out of Australian Survivor.
- She would be followed by Jericho Malabonga in Australian Survivor: All Stars, one Tribal Council later.
- Shane is the first returning player to never serve on a jury.
References
| Preceded by Australian Survivor (2017)  Jericho Malabonga |
Sole Survivor Titleholder Champions v Contenders (2018)  Shane Gould |
Succeeded by Champions v Contenders (2019)  Pia Miranda |
| Australian Survivor: Champions v Contenders (2018) Castaways | |||||||||||||||
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