Who is Ricard Foye? 'Survivor' Season 41's star plays unique sport called winterguard
'Survivor' is the American version of the international 'Survivor' reality competition television franchise, and has seen great success. The series premiered on May 31, 2000, on CBS. The show's host is Jeff Probst, who is also the executive producer. The television show places a group of strangers in an isolated location, where they must fend for themselves, in every way. The contestants compete in challenges that include testing their physical and mental abilities, coupled with endurance challenges; for rewards and immunity from elimination. The contestants are progressively eliminated from the game, as they are voted out by their fellow players until only one remains. The last man standing is given the title of "Sole Survivor", and is awarded a grand prize a million USD!
Ricard is from Lynnwood, Washington and currently resides in Sedro-Woolley. In his leisure, he likes to play the violin. He also enjoys running and playing winterguard, an indoor 'color guard' sport and performance art derived from military ceremonies.
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At an interview with Parade, Foye said, "I don’t feel as comfortable talking to straight people. Mostly because I feel like I have to change myself to blend in. And I really don’t want my experience on the island to be a fake version of me. So I’m gonna really go outside my comfort zone and make friends and tight alliances with people that aren’t like me as much as I can".
Who is Ricard Foye?
Ricard Foye is a 31-year-old flight attendant, who has always lived a life outside of his comfort zone. He has endured many trials and tribulations, including being deaf in one ear. But Ricard has always triumphed against these odds. He hopes that his 'people skills' and jokes will help him bring home a million dollars. Something people don't notice about him at first glance is that he focuses heavily on reading lips. He is also fluent in ASL.
Early life
Ricard used to watch the show 'Survivor' growing up when he was about 10 or 11 years old. It was definitely a big spectacle for him, coming from an white-passing family, for the most part. He didn’t understand his race, but just knew that he looked 'different.' Around this time, his mother was watching the show 'Survivor', most of whom were brown people. In reality, these were just some badly tanned people but this little instance sparked an interest for Foye to figure out his own heritage, and so, the show means a great deal to him. Ricard plans to play strong but not come off as a threat. He’s really hoping to be the first “brown, gay, hard of hearing” winner!
Career
Ricard currently works as a flight attendant. When asked what accomplishement he's most proud of on Parade, he said, "I've always been willing to make a change, pick up and go. It makes me feel brave to know I've changed my career when unhappy. I've purchased a one-way plane ticket not knowing what to expect, just to audition to dance around the country and succeeded. I've moved alone to new states on a whim. I only have this one life, I don't want to waste it doing what's easy".
Relationships
Ricard is happily married to husband Andy and together, they have two children; a son and a daughter. During an interview with Parade, he said that his hero is Andy, who had navigated life successfully despite many setbacks, including the tragic loss of a parent in a car accident. Andy focused on putting his physical comfort behind, and desired for his family to grow. He carried their children as a transgender man.
Catch the premiere of 'Survivor' Season 41 on September 22 at 8/7c on CBS, the CBS app and Paramount+.