Official
CBS Fiji bio excerpts (circa January, 2007):
"Born and raised in Silver Lake, Minnesota, Gary Stritesky
attended Silver Lake High School where he participated in
football, basketball, track and baseball. He then attended
St. Cloud State University and also trained at Brooks Barber
School which ignited a 14-year career as a barber. He also
participated in a real estate program at Anoka-Ramsey
Community College.
Stritesky currently works as a school bus driver and
carpenter. He recently built a six-unit townhome complex for
senior citizens in Silver Lake, Minnesota. He was previously
in the military, stationed in Vietnam for eight months in
1971. He has also worked as a taxi cab driver and
landscaper. In 1990, Stritesky spent a year living in
Melbourne, Australia, with his family during his wife's
teacher exchange program. In 2002, they returned to Perth,
Australia, for another year as a result of his wife's second
teacher exchange program.
Stritesky has competed in multiple inline skate marathons.
He also enjoys biking, canoeing and coaching. He spent many
years coaching his children's soccer, baseball, basketball
and football teams. At least once a year, Stritesky travels
to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, taking part in
portaging, canoeing, fishing and enjoying the solitude of
the northern Minnesota lakes. He has biked in many areas of
Minnesota, including leading a scout group to camp and
family trips. He also participated in a cross-country biking
adventure while in Australia.
Stritesky currently resides in Ramsey, Minnesota with his
wife of 34 years, Diane. They have four children, Aaron,
Alison, Leah and Kara and two grandchildren. His pet
bulldog, Dobber, recently passed away. They have since
adopted Harley and Blaze, two miniature dachshunds, and just
returned their pet snapping turtle, Snappy, to the
wilderness. Stritesky's birth date is September 16, 1951."