Survivor star featured speaker at April 26 Athletic Banquet

When Chad Crittenden participated in the CBS hit television show Survivor: Vanuatu in 2004, he shocked his tribe members by revealing he had an artificial leg. Crittenden survived until the ninth tribal council on the hit television show.

On April 26, Crittenden will share his story of the “Will to Survive” during the Western Nebraska Community College Athletic Banquet. The banquet will be held at Cougar Palace beginning at 5 p.m. Tickets are $15 each and includes a meal of Parmesan Chicken or Hawaiian Pork.

WNCC Athletic Director Jennifer Pedersen said it should be an informative evening. “Chad as many components he can offer,” Pedersen said. “He can speak to the general community college student, he can of his personal adversity and the power he had to overcome challenges, and then he can speak to athletes on how he prepared mentally and physically for the challenges of Survivor.”

Crittenden’s story of courage begins at an early age where he begin his love of sports, while attending Half Moon Bay High in California, where he participated in many sporting activities such as soccer, tennis, bowling, fishing, running and mountain biking.

After high school, Crittenden worked for a community college in California before pursing studies at the University of California at Davis majoring in International Relations. Upon graduation, Crittenden worked summer daycare jobs, working after-school tutoring programs, heading up a bilingual tutoring program in San Jose, and later as a second-grade teacher in a bilingual second grade.

Crittenden then taught two years in San Salvador, El Salvador. He then returned to the states and settled in the San Francisco area. About two years before Survivor: Vanuatu, Crittenden went to the doctor to have a lump on the bottom of his foot removed. As it turned out it was a cancerous tumor – Synovial Sarcoma – and amputation was necessary just below the knee.

Nine months after the surgery, he completed a triathlon and then earned a chance to compete on Survivor in 2004. Crittenden lasted until the ninth tribal council before he was voted off the island.

“We asked Chad to come to the WNCC campus to discuss a person’s ability to succeed in their endeavors even when obstacles get in their way,” Pedersen said. “As an institution, we expect a high level of commitment from our student-athletes, and occasionally as coaches, we forget that life is happening to the students as they play for us. I hope Chad will motivate the student-athletes to find the inner part of themselves that will help them to push towards success in all aspects of their lives.”

Besides Crittenden’s “Will to Survive” presentation, Pedersen said individual participation awards for all athletes will be handed out. Also team most valuable player and sportsmanship honors will presented, as well as male and female athlete of the year and Cougar award winners. A Patron of the year award will also be presented.

Crittenden will also speak to WNCC students earlier in the day at 11 a.m. Tickets for the evening event can be purchased at the WNCC athletic office. Reservations Reservations must be made by April 17. For more information on the event, individuals can call the athletic office at 308-635-6151.