‘Survivor 46’: Kenzie Petty plans to ‘outwit, outplay, outlast’ fellow castaways
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Hairstylist Kenzie Petty is ready to prove she’s a cut above the rest. The 29-year-old, who grew up in Gibraltar, is one of this season’s “Survivor 46” contestants. The competitive reality television series debuts tomorrow with a two-hour premiere. After that, episodes, 90 minutes each, will air weekly.
In July 2008, Petty and her parents, Shannon Lee and G. Stephen Veurink relocated to North Carolina, where today she owns Explicit Salon. The stylist, with 14 years' experience, said she is armed with positivity and perseverance and ready to take home $1 million.
She first discovered 'Survivor' in 2020, during COVID, when she was borrowing toilet paper from her psychic, who was living in the same apartment building.
“She had it on the TV and I asked, ‘What is this?’” Kenzie Petty said. “I thought well, I’ve watched everything else on Netflix. You know, we were locked inside. I just put it on thinking it would pass the time and I became so obsessed and involved with it. I watched all of it.”
In August 2022, she applied to be a contestant with full support from her husband, then fiancé, Jackson Petty, who helped her film an audition video.
“Survivor is really good about accepting anyone as long and you are true and authentic to you,” she said. “You have to be a fan of the show. You have to be yourself and be willing to take a chance.”
When asked what made her video unique, Petty said individuality matters.
“They are looking for interesting people to apply that have a good story,” she said. “And I have a lot of good stories. I’m a unique individual and that made me stand out. I’m very confident and self-assured.”
It was on her way to have dinner with a friend that she was notified she had made the cut. She immediately called Jackson to share the news.
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Petty said being selected felt like a wave of relief and she was ready to travel to Fiji.
She admits going into the competition she thought about the physical toll it would take on her body due to hunger.
To prepare physically, she started swimming and going to the gym. To prepare mentally, she worked on puzzles and increased her reading with books like “How to Win Friends and Influence People.”
“I watched a ton of ‘Survivor’ to study strategies,” she said. “I also started fasting to shrink my stomach and to get prepared on how to deal with hunger.”
Petty said she has been vastly underestimated her entire life.
“I’m a young woman. I’m a business owner. That just doesn’t fall in someone’s lap. You have to work really hard. You have to prove yourself,” Petty said. “I have been proving myself my entire life.”
She said for being so young, she has experience that has given her the tools she needs to make her a good candidate for the show. She’s ready to "outwit, outplay, outlast" the competition.
“I’m personable. I’m funny, I’m smart,” she said. “People vastly underestimate me.”
“We are so proud of Kenzie,” Petty’s mom, Shannon Lee Veurink said in an e-mail. “She has always been able to accomplish anything she set her mind to. We were not one bit surprised after she sent in her audition tape that she made it onto the show. We are all so excited to see what happens!”
— Contact reporter Lisa Vidaurri-Bowling at lvidaurribowling@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: ‘Survivor 46’: Kenzie Petty plans to ‘outwit, outplay, outlast’ fellow castaways
