Bio
Twila Tanner was the runner-up in the 9th season of the reality television competition Survivor, entitled Survivor: Vanuatu - Islands Of Fire, in 2004.
On the show, Twila, along with the other women on the series, was a member of the Yasur tribe. Twila formed an early friendship with tribemate Scout Cloud Lee.
In the third episode sparks flew between her and Mia. In the fifth episode, a shuffling of tribe members sent Twila and Julie Berry to the Lopevi tribe. While the two had not been allied before, they now worked together to survive in a male majority tribe.
Worried about which of them might be chosen if the Lopevis had to vote out a member, Twila and Julie both also individually sought an alliance with Lea "Sarge" Masters. As it turned out, both women lasted until the two tribes merged in the eighth episode.
Both women returned to their original alliance with the other women and voted off three of the four remaining men in succession.
In the eleventh episode, two of her allies began to doubt Twila's loyalty. To reassure them, she swore to them on her son's life that she would stay loyal.
Twila would in fact later change her alliance and her former partners would hold the breaking of this oath against her, despite the fact that eventual winner Chris had told bigger lies throughout the entire game.
In the final episode, Chris Daugherty won the final immunity challenge and chose Twila over Scout to compete against him in the final council because he felt she had made more enemies during the series.
Twila went on to the final council where she lost to Chris in a 5-2 decision.
Tanner was born in Osceola, Iowa, where she lived for 11 years. She eventually moved to Missouri, where she attended Marshall High School.
Before Survivor she worked full time for the Missouri Department of Transportation, doing highway repair. She also worked part-time as a custodian for Marshall Public Schools and on the weekends for Brown Construction of Gilliam, Missouri, running heavy equipment.
Tanner describes herself as hardworking, problem-solving and a good friend who enjoys riding motorcycles, horseback riding and mushroom hunting when she can find the time.
She says her greatest accomplishment was being a single mom and raising her son, James, who spent three years in the US Navy working in aviation hydraulics.
Her hero is John Wayne, because "he always held his head high and never took crap from anyone," she says.
Tanner resides in Marshall, Missouri.