Kriti Mehrotra
If there’s one thing absolutely nobody can deny, it’s the fact Discovery Channel’s ‘Survive the Raft’ is a reality competition series that breaks all bounds of the genre in many more ways than one. After all, it revolves around a group of truly diverse individuals as they sail near Panama for 21 days to really shine a light upon the actuality of today’s society as well as what it means to be a team. So now that the debut installment of this incredible production has long been aired (July-September 2023) — let’s just find out precisely what its leading players are up to these days, shall we?
Jonathan Dade is a Rabbi Plus Influencer
Although Jonathan admittedly grew up in a strong Christian household, his experiences and friendships as an adult ultimately led him toward Judaism to such an extent he evolved into a Rabbi. It thus comes as no surprise this former Navy official still serves in that capacity in his home state of Texas, yet it’s imperative to note he’s even the Executive Director at Messiah Echad, an Author and Founding Director at RLB Echad LLC, plus a growing public figure.
In fact, Jonathan prides himself on not only working “so that Religion, Leadership, and Business may find Echad (Oneness)” but also bringing together “Christian, Jewish, and Non-Religious Believers.” As for his personal standing, this Bachelor’s in Biology, Master’s in Theology, as well as MBA graduate, is a perfectly fit, proud family man who genuinely enjoys cycling, drinking wine alongside loved ones, influencing, swimming, and target shooting in his free time.
Summer Homayed is a Social Media Food Influencer
While Summer’s stint in the aforementioned original wasn’t long, she did leave a lasting impression from how she spoke of her modesty, Muslim community, motherhood, and passion for cooking. Hence, of course, we’re happy to report she wasn’t entirely exaggerating when she described herself as a chef — she is the full-time professional in her own kitchen to feed her family as well as those in dire need. She actually used to be a teacher turned caterer, but she left those days behind once her short meal clips on Instagram Stories led her to amass a loyal fan following plus a steady income — so that’s what she still does.
Mykhal Polite is a Comic as well as an Entrepreneur
Mykhal’s time in this game show obviously didn’t pan out in the way he’d expected, yet the truth remains it hasn’t negatively affected him or his career in any way, shape, or form. We say this rather confidently because he continues to serve as a Touring Stand-up Comedian and Founding Trainer of The Outsider Boxing Gym right in West Hollywood, California. Moreover, this athletic Fitness & Performance Improvement Specialist recently also established Podding in Public, a first-of-its-kind, live, interactive podcast pop-up experience hosted by him alone.
Lashanna Lintamo is an Influencer Through and Through
If we’re being honest, Lashanna is somewhat of a trailblazer when it comes to women in the physically taxing blue-collar industries thanks to her career as a Master Welder and Influencer. That’s because this freelance turned self-employed Ironworker has since evolved into “The Fashion Welder” on social media, through which she has even managed to land several other opportunities. This includes the launch of her own women’s workwear brand called Ingraham, her appearance on several television productions, plus her stability in Sacramento, California — where she resides with her husband, Ayele Alemu. So yes, her online community does seem to be her primary focus these days.
Jason Carr is a Proud Realtor and Engaged
Although Jason grew up in near poverty-stricken circumstances, he has turned his entire family’s lives upside down in the past decade or so by having dedicated himself to a career as a real estate agent. After all, he now deals in million-dollar homes in his hometown of Tuscaloosa, Alamaba, and thus earns incredible commissions too, especially as he currently hangs his licensee at Hamner Real Estate, Inc. Coming to his recent personal experiences, it appears as if he’s planning a cozy wedding with his long-term partner Anna DeRamus at the moment — he’d proposed to her back in March 2023 while on a vacation in Virginia.
CJ Duffie is More Than Just a Spearfishing Guide
While Charles “CJ” Duffie did introduce himself as a mere Spearfishing Guide plus an experienced freediver down in Miami, Florida, on the reality series, the truth is he is so much more. He’s actually a trained marine biologist who has spent the past 15 or so years taking his passion for freediving to the extreme, recently clocking over 17,500 hours underwater in a year alone. It hence comes as no surprise he has not only worked internationally on boats for months at a time, often with a small crew, but he has also since evolved into an instructor, photographer, as well as co-owner of Neritic Diving. CJ reportedly operates the latter alongside his father, providing customers with expert solutions for every aspect of spearfishing, beginning with equipment and gear selection.
Riley Ebenroth is a Proud Nurse
With a Bachelor’s degree in the Science of Nursing from Arkansas State University in 2020, where she even minored in Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, Riley now serves as a Surgical Trauma ICU Registered Nurse. She has apparently been employed at VCU Health in Richmond, Virginia, ever since she graduated, but we should mention she’d previously garnered some experience as a Patient Rehabilitation Nursing Care Technician at Encompass Health in Arkansas plus a Nurse Extern at Mayo Clinic Rochester in Minnesota. Coming to her personal standing, this former D1 soccer athlete turned TheScrubFiles creator currently appears to be in a happy, healthy engagement with long-term partner Morgan McKay.
Elliot Capella is a Powerlifting Champ and Trainer
It was back when Elliot hadn’t even started transitioning that he was lifting to address gender dysphoria, meaning he knows first-hand what it’s like to not feel at home in one’s own body. Yet as time passed, he felt as if he’d found his true calling here and quit his stable job as an IT technician for competitive powerlifting, only for it to boost his self-confidence to a positive extreme. The fact this Richmond, Virginia-based growing trans activist, public speaker, and social media influencer has since chosen to help others elevate their power is thus just his way of giving back while also ensuring those struggling have a safe space under his guidance.
Russell Ellis is Still a Civil Rights Activist
As a former mountain boy from North Carolina as well as a veteran military man, Russell admittedly had a lot of different prejudices ingrained in his brain until he was in his late 20s or early 30s. He actually unlearned a few crucial aspects naturally, but then he made active efforts to educate himself to the best of his capabilities before opening his eyes, ears, and hearts to others. That’s when he realized there was a significant need for change, making him evolve into a Civil Rights Activist — a title he proudly holds to this day, alongside those of Jolly Good Ginger, father of five, nature lover, and CEO of #NoSafeSpacesForRacists.
Merissa Underwood is Now a Production Coordinator
Merissa may be a vegan who’d won Miss Montana USA 2020, yet it’s very imperative to note that’s not all she is — she’s also an environmental activist, a public speaker, and a published author. Residing in Los Angeles, California, at the moment, this 30-year-old primarily works as a Production Coordinator at MALKA Media, where she assists in all areas of an audio-visual original for her mission to tell positive impact stories. Though when not focusing on her professional career, she enjoys swimming, river rafting, as well as horseback riding – some of which she learned back when growing up in a farming community in rural California.
Maddie Witt is Adventurous and Creative
If there’s only one way we can ever describe Maddie, it would have to be as a creative adventurer — she’d developed a sense of exploration at an early age thanks to being raised near the water in Cookeville. In fact, over the years, she even learned archery, basic survival skills, deep-sea fishing, and shooting, all the while also keeping in touch with her pure feminine side with beauty plus makeup. Therefore, today, this 2019 graduate of UTC’s Communication Department resides near a river in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where she usually spends her time creating intricate makeup looks, renting out water sports equipment to tourists, serving as a non-profit coordinator for charities, and simply enjoying some adventures alongside her long-term boyfriend.
Tara Colucci is a Family Woman
After losing her mother at the tender age of 12, New York native Tara was left all alone and had hence admittedly made it her life’s mission to have a big, tight-knit family of her own one day. Therefore, once she found a good man in Philip Colucci, the proud conservatives tied the knot and settled down in North Babylon before welcoming five beautiful children into their world. As for this loving married mother’s professional experiences, it appears as if this former NuBest Salon & Spa, Cactus Salon & Spa, plus Alter EGO Hair Studio employee now holds the title of President at a private Marketing and Sales firm called Angelo Cartar, Inc.
Summer Sawaya is Actually a Woman of Many Hats
Although it’s true Summer is a skilled swimmer – having even been a part of the Division 1 Team at St. Bonaventure University — she hasn’t let it box or limit her avenues in any way conceivable. In fact, this Biology, Exercise Physiology, and Human Movement Science graduate has dabbled her foot in various industries while still keeping her passion as well as independence at the forefront.
In other words, this New York turned Fort Lauderdale, Florida resident is presently an Account Manager at Moxy Management, a Chief Stewardess/Chef on call for Motoryacht Magpie, a Private Travel Expert at ETA Jets, a 3-Time Spearfishing World Record Holder, a Yacht Sales plus Charter Broker at Blue Oceans Yachting, and finally a Real Estate Agent employed at ONE Sotheby’s International Realty.
Jimmy Yessin is Seemingly Still in Pennsylvania
While Jimmy was the most polarizing figure on ‘Surviving the Raft,’ either earning him the complete trust of others or handles such as “You Philadelphia car salesman p****-o*-s***,” he was a good player. He was cunning, he was manipulative, and he did whatever was necessary to ensure he could earn as much money as possible to give back to his loving, single mother, which he did. Yet now, it seems like he prefers to maintain some distance from the limelight, which is why all we know concerning his recent affairs is the fact this Brookhaven, Pennsylvania native is in a happy, healthy relationship with a woman named Kimberly Roche.
Garrett Weir Continues Pursuing His Passion for the Waters
Last but definitely not least, we have former Navy official turned fisherman Garrett, for whom his love affair with the waters is not just never-ending but actually growing with each passing day. We say this because he has since evolved into a Brooklyn, New York-based Fishing Captain closely associated with Van Staal, Rheos Nautical Eyewear, On The Water, Grundéns, and Century Rods while also running his own brand PhishPhinders. However, Garrett’s priority was and always will be not just providing for his family but also spending quality time with them whenever possible.
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