Kent State grad who overcame kidney transplant, cancer vies for title on 'Survivor'

Spoiler alert! Scroll down to see who was voted off this week.

After Columbus resident Matthew Grinstead-Mayle went home due to an injury in last week's episode, Kent State University alum and Cincinnati native Josh Wilder is the lone Ohio player left in the game.

And it's a big episode this week, as players from the three tribes – Tika, Soka and Ratu – drop their buffs and merge into one on the same beach. That's right, it's nearly merge time!

Before recapping Wednesday's episode, here's what we know about Wilder.

Who is Josh Wilder?

Wilder is a 2016 graduate of Kent State University's College of Podiatric Medicine. According to the university, Wilder "was born with Eagle-Barrett syndrome, also known as Prune-Belly syndrome, and doctors did not think he would make it past age 5." By the time he was 9 years old, Wilder had a kidney transplant and was put on immunosuppressant medications for the rest of his life. A report from Kent State said Wilder developed stomach cancer as a side effect of the medications of which he was diagnosed at 25. During his first year at Kent, doctors also found signs of B-cell lymphoma forcing him to have a total stomach removal at the time.

Meet Josh Wilder: 'It helped being a chameleon': Cincinnati native Josh Wilder talks 'Survivor' 44

“I still graduated the top of my class, and I’m a successful physician now,” Wilder said.

Wilder, who is currently a podiatric surgeon in Atlanta, acknowledged while on the show that the training he received at Kent has helped him during the reality competition.

“The profession of podiatric surgery prepares you for ‘Survivor’ because in the operating room, you always have to be ready for the unexpected, which is exactly what ‘Survivor’ is about,” Wilder said in the first episode of the season. “But I’m not going to tell people my profession. I don’t want them to think I’m strategic or smart because I’m already gonna be looked at as a threat because of my athleticism. But I can outlast all of my competition.

“I grew up in Ohio as a Black gay man,” Wilder continued. “I survived medical school. I survived a kidney transplant. I survived cancer. So, with all that, you have to take negative situations and turn them to positive outcomes, which is going to be beneficial in ‘Survivor.’ So, this whole experience is what I have been waiting for my whole life, and, of course, I’m gonna win. I’m going to win ‘Survivor.’ I’m your next Sole Survivor of Season 44.”

What happened on 'Survivor' season 44, episode six?

The note telling players they’re moving all on one beach is careful to not specify that it is the merge, when the game transforms from tribe-focused to individual immunity-focused.

As the other players meet each other for the first time, Josh is telling different stories to different people, all concerning if he has or doesn’t have an immunity idol. Other players are starting to catch on to his web of lies and are questioning what he is really saying.

Unbeknownst to Josh, his original Soka tribe members (before he was swapped to Tika) have been plotting behind the scenes to vote him out. As one player put it, he was like “a cat with nine lives.”

"Survivor" episode 3: One Ohio player wins immunity, another becomes a target

"Survivor" episode 4: An Ohio player makes some mistakes. Did it cost him the game?

"Survivor" episode 5: Columbus player is injured. Did it cost him the game?

At the first challenge, host Jeff Probst tells the players they are not yet merged and must earn their way into the individual immunity stage of the game. Players are divided into two teams during the challenge, and the winning team will win immunity while the losing team will have a chance going to Tribal Council and being voted out.

Josh’s orange team loses in the challenge, with the purple team pulling ahead easily in the puzzle. He and his five other temporary tribe members must now decide between themselves who will be voted out while the other team gets guaranteed immunity and, most importantly, a feast.

Back at camp, Josh is pushing for Yam Yam, while Yam Yam is pushing for Josh. And as talk resurfaces of Josh having (or not having) an idol, players are once again considering if he will be a valuable asset to keep around for the future.

Later, Josh attempts to reconcile with Yam Yam in favor of voting for Kane. But Yam Yam wants the gratification of voting out Josh and decides working with him is his last option. Kane catches wind of his name and is now asking for the majority to vote Yam Yam, calling him a more chaotic player.

Spoiler alert: Who got voted off on 'Survivor' season 44, episode six?

At tribal council, Probst asked about idols. Multiple players confirmed the speculation about real or fake idols and who has them, a clear point to the story Josh is telling others. Of the six that are able to be voted out, there seems a possibility it could be Yam Yam, Josh or Kane getting the axe.

As Jeff reads the votes, Josh receives a majority of six votes and is voted out of “Survivor” 44, barely missing the merge. Unfortunately for the Kent grad, his complicated lies caught up to him and he was sent packing.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: 'Survivor' 44 episode 6: Kent State alum Josh Wilder gets voted off