S45: Austin LiCoon

[Whimsy]

From Entertainment Weekly: 

 

Name: Austin LiCoon 

Age: 26 
Hometown: San Jose, CA 
Current Residence: Chicago, IL 
Occupation: Grad Student 
3 Words to Describe You: Ambitious, sweet, clumsy. 
Why do you want to be part of Survivor? Because I'm confident I can win it, and $1 million would really help with my six-figure student debt! I also love the game and am a competitor through and through. I want to duke it out with people when everything is on the line, and I want to prove to myself that I have what it takes. 

What's one life experience you feel has prepared you for the game? As a kid, I was a shell of my current self. I was shy and quiet, had terrible acne for a dozen years, wore braces from elementary school until high school (head gear included), had mild Tourette's, and was extremely self-conscious. I worked hard for years to build myself up and lived the entire introversion-extroversion spectrum. I feel like that experience made me a much more empathetic person.  

Which previous player do you identify with the most? Who do you think you will play most like? I identify most with Owen Knight — long-hair, Asian, love the outdoors, never-say-die attitude. I think I'll play most like Jay and Wendell. Their games revolved around forming genuine connections that led people to keep them in the game, even when they were huge threats. On top of that, I have the intelligence to make big strategic plays as well as the physicality to win clutch immunities. Also, like them both, I too have a crush on Michele. 

What will you value in an alliance partner? Laughter is the key to my heart, so if someone is fun to hang with and laughs with me, we're gonna be best buddies.  

Favorite Hobbies: Backpacking somewhere new with my camera, hockey, volleyball…anything really that gets me active outside with friends! 

Pet Peeves: Any form of waste — wasted time, money, opportunity, food. Also, banana-flavored candy. But I still eat them. Cuz no wasting. 

What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Making it onto the All-American team at the volleyball Junior Olympics when I was 15. That was my first major personal accomplishment, and it gave me the confidence I needed to start the personal growth journey to get to where I am today. 
What is something we would never know from looking at you? I own the (heavily contested and very impressive) world record for "the most nuts thrown and caught in a can on the head in one minute." The original record was 37, and I got 93.  

Who in your life is your biggest inspiration and why? Aside from my parents, maybe Naruto. That ninja never gives up no matter the obstacle. When I need to dig deep during some of the willpower challenges, I'll be channeling that Naruto energy. I'm going to be Sole Survivor. Believe it! 
Why will you be the Sole Survivor? I make the best of every situation and I don't feel sorry for myself. I'm adaptable, creative, and have the tools to pull off an individual immunity run. I work my butt off, and I'll make sure not a second is wasted out on the island. 

[SVNBob]

Austin just made it "instagram official" 😝 that he's dating Jeff's niece.  They've apparently been seeing each other for a little while now, but had kept it quiet until this announcement.