Nina Cervera

Nina Cervera is a contestant from Survivor: Peru – The Inca Empire.

Profile
Nina Cervera was born in the slums of Tijuana, Mexico. Growing up in poverty, she seized any opportunity whether a bargain or a freebie to better her and her parents' lives. After saving enough money to flee the shanties, she and her family moved to California. Emigrating to the U.S. gave her new hope; however, her anticipation took a turn when she lost her mother and father to an apartment blaze weeks later. Without close relatives to settle with, she fended for her nine-year-old self with merely the clothes she had on and a rag doll, the last remnant of home left. Living off small change, food scraps, and a makeshift dwelling, she spent much of her childhood homeless.

At age seventeen, a street gang held her for ransom, but fortunately a witness named Marissa ran to her rescue. Once Marissa learned of her condition, Cervera was legally adopted by her. High school no longer an option, she rigorously teaches herself curriculum to earn the credentials necessary for decent jobs. In her downtime, she also polishes up on speed-reading, sewing, and Pilates techniques to keep herself busy. Now visioning her rough past as water under a bridge, she welcomes a more confident self to the world. A survivor since birth, her resilience and overcoming of tough adversities will give her a distinct advantage in the game.

Cervera's hobbies include baking artisan goodies, dancing to Britney Spears, embroidery, floor exercises, growing rock candy, Spoons, string art, and surfing the Internet for new hobbies. A Survivor megafan who has seen every American season, she describes herself as "kooky, cunning, and creative". Her biggest achievement in life is holding onto the same optimism she carried twenty years ago through all her struggles. She thinks the biggest challenge in this competition is dealing with bullies. She believes the Sole Survivor title will go to her because she will interact in a soft-spoken tone to gain others' respect, use her brainpower "tool box" to deceive enemies, and fake-sleep to spy on castaways sneakier than her during nights. She wants to be on LEXX'S SURVIVOR to find her personality pros and cons to make herself a more worldly person, form her first ever group of friends, and win the $1 million to change her life forever.

Cervera lives in San Diego with her guardian Marissa and is single.

Trivia

 * Nina was the first unemployed contestant in LEXX'S SURVIVOR and in the Survivor franchise.
 * Nina shares the record with Dante Sanchéz, Juliana Perez and Phoenix Gallagher as the first Hispanic-American contestant.
 * Nina is the youngest female and youngest member overall of the original Apu tribe.
 * Nina's luxury item is a childhood rag doll.