Central Valley graduate ‘Troyzan’ competes on ‘Survivor’ for second time

Being stranded on a deserted island with a bunch of lying and manipulating strangers doesn’t sound like fun to most people.

But Troy Robertson, a 1979 Central Valley High School graduate, can’t wait to go back on the CBS hit show “Survivor” after he was voted off the island in 2012.

When the show’s two-hour premiere airs on March 8 at 8 p.m. it’s the 500th episode and the beginning of Robertson’s second attempt at winning $1 million.

“Being part of the 500th episode is also a really big deal,” said Robertson, who is known across the world by his nickname, Troyzan. “I’m happy the show remains so popular and I know I have a lot of fans in Spokane.”

Robertson was born in Ellensburg, and he grew up in Eastern Washington and Spokane, where he still has a lot of family.

His first time on “Survivor” was in 2012.

At 54, he’s one of the oldest members of this cast but no one is going to go easy on him because of that: one of his competitors is Sandra Diaz-Twine – the only one who’s won “Survivor” twice.

“It really is major competition,” Robertson said.

He has worked as a photographer most of his life and began a decade-long modeling career in the mid-1980s.

After some years in Europe, he moved back to Miami in the early 1990s and continued his photography career shooting swimsuit models.

“I live on 10 acres of Miami jungle just south of Miami,” he said.

That comes in handy for “Survivor” practice. Robertson spends a lot of time outdoors, sleeps outdoors and practices climbing trees and building shelters – all skills that could be handy on the show.

“And I’ve learned how to make fire with two bamboo sticks,” Robertson said.

He also does puzzles and solves brain teasers to keep his mind sharp for the mental games and challenges of the show.

And of course he keeps in immaculate physical shape, swimming, running and climbing. It may be made for TV but “Survivor” is a tough challenge.

“You have no toilet paper, no soap, no toothbrush and you have to outwit, outplace and outlast everyone else for 39 days,” Robertson said. “You are starving and you are really tired, you only sleep a couple of hours a night. It feels like six months.” He lost more than 15 pounds the first time he was on the show.

This season of “Survivor” is “Game Changers” because, as Robertson puts it, survivors are game changers.

“We all have this crazy type A personality, this will to win,” Robertson said. “There’s just something different about us – we crave that adventure.”