Survivor Season 47 Cast Includes 2 From Upstate New York

18 castaways will compete for $1 million dollars in the upcoming season 47 of Survivor. 2 of those castaways call Upstate New York home.

Meet Andy Rueda, a Buffalo native, and Sue Smey, whose hometown is the Broome County town of Kirkwood. They’ll face “unexpected obstacles” in “a twist-packed season from the moment they step on the beach” in Fiji.

Meet Andy Rueda

Andy Rueda is a 31-year-old AI research assistant who currently lives in Brooklyn. Rueda appeared with two children, including one wearing Buffalo Bills gear, in a preview video from CBS at the 3:00 mark:

“I was really, really close with my cousin Ashley,” Rueda said. “She named me the godfather to her firstborn. A year later, we lost Ashley to domestic violence and they don’t have parental figures. I can be someone that they can look up to. What better way of showing that than following my dream?”

 

Meet Sue Smey

Sue Smey is 59, and a flight school owner who currently lives in Putnam Valley, N.Y. Her flight school is called Whiskey Foxtrot Aviation. The initials W.F. stand for Women Fly:

"We are here to encourage all women of all ages to not only think outside of the box, but to actually STEP outside of the box."

She's this season’s oldest contestant, where she expects to be underestimated while proving everyone wrong. In a preview video from CBS at the 12:00 mark, we learn more:

“I want to be remembered as the oldest woman to ever win ‘Survivor,’” Smey said. “These people look at the old person, they think they’re the weak person here. Between my work ethic and my level of competition they’re going to soon realize that they’re gonna want me here and my grandson will always remember his grandma kicking butt on ‘Survivor.’”"

“Survivor” season 47 premieres September 18th with a two-hour episode starting at 8PM on CBS.