He might not have had success on Survivor 43, but reality television personality Ryan Medrano had success at the 2024 Paralympics instead, taking home two silver medals in track and field.
While he was a warehouse associate from El Paso, Texas when he began his Survivor journey, Medrano left the beloved competition series a changed man, ready to begin para-athletic training after meeting his oh-so inspirational tribemate: Noelle Lambert.
Lambert was a 2020 Paralympic athlete (whose leg was amputated in 2016), informing Medrano (who was born with cerebral palsy) that his disability is a recognized disability sport classification, allowing him to compete as a para-athlete.
It is safe to say Lambert’s words touched Medrano, with the latter beginning para-athletic training in December 2022, competing at the World Championships in July 2023, competing at the Parapan American Games in November 2023, and competing at the World Para Athletics Championships in May 2024.
As mentioned, his most recent endeavor was competing at the 2024 Paralympics, where he saw a great deal of success.
In Paris, France, the 27-year-old placed second in both the T38 100 meter, and the T38 400 meter. For those who are unfamiliar as to what this classification entails, T38 races are designated for those with hypertonia, ataxia and athetosis, and as someone with cerebral palsy, Medrano was eligible to compete.
Posting times of 10.97 seconds and 48.49 seconds, respectively, Medrano placed behind fellow Team USA athlete Jaydin Blackwell in both events, allowing the United States to take home both the gold and silver medals.
Ryan Medrano’s Survivor Journey
As for what Medrano’s journey on Survivor 43 entailed, he began as a member of the Coco tribe, immediately clashing with tribemate Cassidy Clark.
Ryan instead formed a close alliance with tribemate Geo Bustamante, but when Bustamante was blindsided, Ryan found himself at the bottom of the food chain heading into the merge, where his game ultimately came crashing down once and for all.
Unable to find his footing, Medrano’s unwillingness to talk strategy and his physical prowess caused him to be eliminated on day 17, becoming the third member of the jury in a cutthroat double elimination.
While he might not have won the million-dollar prize, he had a much bigger impact on the hit competition show, spreading awareness about cerebral palsy and becoming an instant fan-favorite.
In fact, he even earned $50,000 from Australian singer-songwriter and Survivor superfan, Sia, who tends to give sums of money to castaways who did not win, but touched her in one way or another.
“I haven’t met many people with cerebral palsy, or in my case, mild cerebral palsy,” Medrano told Entertainment Weekly in an exclusive interview following his elimination, before delving into the details of his impact on Survivor viewers all across the globe:
“I responded to every single person that reached out to me. I had more than a hundred messages about people being inspired, and it was jaw-dropping…
“And to have so many people have that same disability or the same mindset of ‘This is what’s happened to me, but I’m gonna keep pushing,’ it was very uplifting for me, and I had nothing but positivity come from the show after being back.”
Placing second in two events at the 2024 Paralympics, it is safe to say Medrano is a force to be reckoned with within the track and field world, and fans are intrigued to see where he goes from here.
Who knows, perhaps he will even make his return to Fiji for Survivor 50 …