Sonja Christopher - Survivor: Borneo

Seasons: 1 | Days played: 3 | Wins: 0 | Jury: 0

  • Survivor 1: Borneo (2000) - 16th place, 1st out.
  • Voted out in Episode 1, "The Marooning" (Day 3).

Sonja Christopher (1937-2024). Her social media: facebook

Sonja Christopher - Career statistics

Challenge stats Tribal council stats Jury stats Overall stats
Season ChW ChA ChW% VFB VAP TCA TC% wTCR JVF TotJ JV% SurvSc SurvAv
S1: Borneo 0.00 0.13 0.00 0 4 1 -0.50 0.00 - - - -0.50 0.00
Career 0.00 0.13 0.00 0 4 1 -0.50 0.00 - - - -0.50 0.00

 

Sonja Christopher - Performance ranks

Challenges: MPF percentile

NA

Tribal: VFB% percentile

4

Tribal: rVAP percentile

25%

Performance ranks are a quick visual measure of the contestant's season vs. historical data from all prior contestants, in three basic (scorable) categories:

1. Performance in individual challenges (MPF), as a measure of "physical game";

2. Ability to vote people out consistently (VFB%, or VFB/TCA), or "strategic game"; and

3. Ability to avoid being voted against (rVAP, or TCA-VAP) - which scales better than a percentage would - for "social/strategic game."

See also: Full glossary for all these abbreviations.

 

Sonja Christopher - Challenge record
Survivor 1 logo  S1: Borneo

Quest for Fire - Ep1 RC/IC

Tribal/team challenge record (0-for-1):

  • Borneo Ep. 1 RC/IC: "Quest for Fire" - Struggles a bit with the hauling of the raft through the surf, Tagi loses.

 

Individual challenge record (0-for-0):

  • Borneo: None.

 

Redemption/Exile Island duel record (0-for-0):

  • Borneo: None.
Career totals - challenges
Team/tribal challenges
Wins: 0
Played: 1
Win%: 0.00
Sat out: -
Individual challenges
Wins: 0
Played: 0
Win%: -
Mean% Finish: -
Hero challenges
Wins: 0
Played: 0
Win%: -
Mean% Finish: -
Sonja Christopher - Tribal Council record
Survivor 1 logo  S1: Borneo

Ep1 Tribal Council

Idols held/played (0/0):

  • Borneo: None.

 

VFB - Votes for the person booted (0/1):

Tribal Voted Boot (totals) VFB?
Ep1 Rudy Sonja Christopher (voted out, 4-3-1) -
1 TOTALS 0
  • Borneo: None.

 

VAP - Votes against (4):

  • Borneo, Ep. 1: Four votes, from Rudy, Sue, Sean, and Dirk (voted out, 4-3-1).

 

Jury votes made (0/0):

  • Borneo: None.
Career totals - Tribal Council
Hidden idols/ advantages
Advantages held/played: 0
Idols found: 0
Idols played: -
Votes voided: -
Voting record
VFB: 0
Tribals: 1
VAP: 4
Jury votes
Made: 0
For winners: -
Received: -
Sonja Christopher - Pictures
Survivor 1 logo  S1: Borneo
  • Sonja Christopher S1
    Borneo intro shot
  • Sonja Christopher S1
    Listening to Tagi discussing arrival priorities, Ep1
  • Sonja Christopher S1
    First confessional, about being older
  • Sonja Christopher S1
    Looking at a flesh wound
  • Sonja Christopher S1
    Getting checked out by Dr. Sean
  • Sonja Christopher S1
    Entertaining Hatch with her ukelele
  • Sonja Christopher S1
    Pre-challenge lineup, Ep1 RC/IC
  • Sonja Christopher S1
    Listening to Probst
  • Sonja Christopher S1
    More listening to Probst
  • Sonja Christopher S1
    Falling down on the job, Ep1 RC/IC
  • Sonja Christopher S1
    Heading back to camp after the loss
  • Sonja Christopher S1
    That didn't go so well
  • Sonja Christopher S1
    Back in camp, sitting duck
  • Sonja Christopher S1
    Tagi, reading the invitation treemail to Tribal Council (!)
  • Sonja Christopher S1
    Tagi, first-ever Tribal Council
  • Sonja Christopher S1
    More Tribal Council
  • Sonja Christopher S1
    Listening to Probst
  • Sonja Christopher S1
    Thanks, Sue
  • Sonja Christopher S1
    Giving it a shot
  • Sonja Christopher S1
    The vote is final, and you will be asked to leave the Tribal Council area immediately
  • Sonja Christopher S1
    First person voted out in Survivor history, Sonja Christopher
Sonja Christopher - Interviews
Survivor 1 logo  S1: Borneo

Pre-game interviews

  • Possibly some, now lost to the transitory nature of internet news sites.

 

Post-game interviews

  • CBSNews.com article (6/1/00): "Survivor Debuts to Mixed Reviews"
  • Dalton Ross at EW.com (5/21/20): "Snuffed: 20 years later, Sonja Christopher relives being the first person ever voted off Survivor"

 

Obituaries

  • Bruce Haring at Deadline.com (4/26/24): "Sonja Christopher Died: Season 1 Contestant on Survivor Was 87"
Sonja Christopher - Bio
Survivor 1 logo  S1: Borneo

From her official CBS Survivor: Borneo bio page:

"Sonja was born and raised in Olympia, Washington. Her studies at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, the University of Oslo in Norway, the University of Washington in Seattle and the University of California, Berkeley, produced a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology, along with a teaching credential.

Before retiring, Sonja worked as an investment counselor, tennis teacher and elementary school teacher. She currently works part-time as a music therapist, playing the banjo as she leads sing-alongs at Alzheimer's centers. She also enjoys performing in local community theater. Her favorite sport is swimming, although it used to be tennis, which she played competitively for a number of years. She also enjoys playing Bridge.

In December of 1997, Sonja was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. She underwent pre-surgical chemotherapy, followed by lumpectomy and radiation and has resumed a full, healthy life.

Sonja describes herself as courageous, open and fun-loving. In describing her perfect day, Sonja would wake up feeling good and counting her blessings. She would enjoy a cup of coffee while reading the paper before heading out to exercise (walk, bike, swimming or yoga). Afterwards, she would connect with a friend by phone or over lunch before or after performing at a nursing home. At some point in her day, she would discover a new interest, "be there" for someone in need, have a new idea or fix something around the house and find that all the desk work which requires a good deal of her time would miraculously get done by itself. Capping off her perfect day would be an evening at the theatre or movies with a dear friend, after which she would crawl into bed with a good book.

Sonja currently resides in Walnut Creek, California, about 45 minutes from her son, Dan. She is on the Board of Directors at her the Unitarian Universalist Church and was instrumental as a fundraiser in the building of the Regional Center for the Arts. She is also is a member of the Diable Light Opera Company and Contra Costa Musical Theatre, and also participates in local video and computer clubs. Her birth date is Jan. 28, 1937."