There have been a number of record-breaking contestants on Survivor, from players who have collectively spent hundreds of days on the show to the one castaway that’s won the game twice. Age also comes into play when we talk about breaking records, with 72-year-old Rudy Boesch taking the title of oldest contestant to ever appear on the show during Survivor: Borneo (Survivor‘s first season).
And while Boesch didn’t snag the final prize, fans are also curious to know which castaway is the oldest player to actually win their season.
The oldest person to win Survivor is Bob Crowley.
Robert “Bob” Crowley won Survivor: Gabon at the age of 57. Gabon was the seventeenth season of Survivor, and the season featured twists including Exile Island, a schoolyard pick for tribes, two tribe swaps, and a delayed merge.
After the merge, Bob won three straight immunity challenges, and he made it to the Final Three after beating Matty Whitmore in a fire-making challenge. He was known for his subtle gameplay, kind nature, and close relationship with his ally Sugar Kiper.
Bob went on to win the season in a 4-3-0 vote against Susie Smith and Sugar. He also won the Sprint Player of the Season award at the reunion show, making him the first contestant to win the million dollar prize and the Fan Favorite Award in the same season.
Bob is also known for making two extremely convincing immunity idols. He gave one to Randy Bailey, who played it and ended up going home, and the other was made in order to save his alliance member, Corinne Kaplan, although she ultimately ended up going home.
After Survivor, Bob wrote a book, and he later opened a luxury camping company called Maine Forest Yurts, and a Survivor-based charity event called the Durham Warriors Survival Challenge is held at the location every year. And fun fact—Bob was actually season 9 contestant Julie Berry’s teacher in high school.