Tina was the winner of Survivor: The Australian Outback in 2001. She never had a vote against her and always tried her hardest to get things done. I was behind Colby Donaldson 100% during the show, but if I had known about her RA, I’d definitely have cheered her on more. As I recall, she never really complained… even though she was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in 1994.
She is now a spokesperson for the National Arthritis Foundation and leads a very active life. She has won the Tennessee racquetball championship twice, won a state doubles tennis championship, and came in third place in the state singles tennis championship. She has also run marathons in Ireland and Honolulu as a part of the NAF’s Joints in Motion program. Here is an excerpt from an interview with Tina about her battle with arthritis:
“I never wanted to be the poster child for arthritis, because my case is so mild,” she says in response to criticism from patients with severe cases who have posted angry messages on the foundation’s Web site. Yet, she’s speaking out to encourage undiagnosed sufferers to seek medical attention.