Purple Tribe

Writer

A historian and bestselling author focusing on rebellious women in Australian history, Eliza is a natural storyteller, ready to break the game wide open.

“I am standing on the shoulders of giants. I have made a career studying badass women of Australian history. Now it's my turn to become a badass woman of Survivor history.”

Bold, brash and playful, Eliza, 34, describes herself as an exuberant “poodle of a person”, determined to play with fun, curiosity and cheekiness.

Raised on a cattle farm in the Yarramalong Valley in regional New South Wales, Eliza’s childhood without TV and the internet formed a love for the outdoors and an ability to be flexible to the elements, regardless of what life throws at her. No stranger to lighting fires, fending off snakes, getting dirty and sleeping rough, she admits none of that will be a challenge on the Samoan beaches. “I am adaptable, I'm fluid, I am full of life, and I'm an eternal optimist.

“I'm perfect for this game because I'm curious, I'm strategic, I'm smart, social, and I like getting a bit rough, dirty and don't mind a couple of bugs.” An endurance athlete with a high pain threshold, Eliza also works as a reformer Pilates teacher. And with both the title and prize money at stake, Eliza says she’ll go down swinging.

“History remembers the winners, and I didn't come here to be a footnote.”

Insta: @eliza.reilly