Naman Shrestha
CBS’ ‘Survivor‘ is a competition that demands the contestants to have both physical as well as mental fortitude if they wish to go far in the competition. Despite being the oldest participant in ‘Survivor 47,’ Sue Smey was not bothered by her age because she showed confidence in her abilities. With the chance of becoming the oldest individual to win the competition in the history of ‘Survivor,’ many viewers were impressed by her unwavering determination and counted on her to make history.
Sue Smey Faced Several Hardships During Her Childhood
Raised in the town of Kirkwood in New York’s Broome County, Sue Smey’s childhood was filled with difficulties. Although her family owned a generational island where the daughter of Darlyne Mitchell spent most of her summers, they did not have financial freedom and struggled to have access to basic needs. The nearest source of drinking water available to them was a mile across the island. So, they had to travel there with empty jugs in hand, fill them up to the brim, and make the return trip back home. Sue did not even have access to hot water for taking baths; she had to pour the shampoo on her hair and run down to the water source with soap in her hand to take a shower.
Since she had a habit of living rough from the beginning, Sue knew what she could encounter living on the island during her time in ‘Survival,’ which seemed to have worked in her favor several times. Thus, going into the survival competition, she felt experienced, confident, and most of all, comfortable as she was familiar with such rough terrains and situations.
The Pilot and Flight Instructor Owns a Flight School Today
Listening to her soul of an adventurer, Sue Smey decided that she wanted to become a pilot in her 50s. Once she had been certified as a pilot, she invested in a few airplanes and in June 2020, opened her own flight school called Whiskey Foxtrot Aviation, where she serves as a Flight Instructor. During a conversation about her profession, she told Parade, “All by myself, nothing from anybody else, no handouts. It’s 100% mine, and I’m so damn proud of it.” Whiskey Foxtrot Aviation is a Part 61 flight school that operates out of the Sky Acres Airport located in Lagrangeville, New York.
When she first got into the aviation industry, she received quite a lot of pushback from men because it is a male-dominated industry. However, after much perseverance and determination, she admitted, “…now I’m to the point where I do have a lot of respect, and it feels really good.” Today, she aims to use her position in the industry to encourage more women to become certified pilots and increase the percentage of women in the aviation industry.
Sue Smey is Thriving as a Strong and Independent Single Woman
From what we can tell, Sue Smey has a daughter named Chelsea Vilardi, whom she dotes upon. Not just that, the latter gave birth to a son named Aiden Joseph Hill in June 2018, giving Sue the pleasure of becoming a grandmother. In her free time, she loves spending time with her daughter and grandson. Besides that, she also has an affinity for adventure and traveling. In early 2023, she traveled to Europe with some of her friends and went skiing in the French Alps, Italian Alps, and Swiss Alps. Currently residing in Putnam Valley, New York, Sue Smey leads a single life as she lives life on her own terms, focusing on herself and her professional career.
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