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Even as Survivor: Africa was airing, I was busy collecting
photos of the tall blonde with the sassy attitude and a sexy bottom that even the leeches couldn't resist. Edited as
a total bitch, her emotional scene at her final tribal council showed she actually had a heart filled with love for friends.
I later found that simply to know her is to love her!
After Linz was voted out in Episode 6, I followed
her whirlwind of appearances on the Early Show, Letterman, Craig Kilburn, Regis and Kelly and Stern shows.
Later, after we had become friends, she sent me links to commercial spots in which she appeared...some shown in the collage
above.
In July, 2002, I met Linz for the first time at the
VIP preparty for SurvivorFest in Lincoln, Nebraska. The first photo I ever took of her was as she signed an autograph
and she immediately told me to give her a chance to smile before taking pictures because she didn't want to appear "unattractive".
I thought she looked darling, but I've never shown that first photo to anyone. Others taken of her at the 2-day event
are shown above. At the live auction the final night, I bought her auction lot and we got to chat again.
A couple months later, I was in Detroit for Mike Skupin's
Survivor Golf Event. At the Friday night preparty as I was sitting off by myself sorting the photos I
had brought to be autographed, Linz came over to say hi. She signed all those I'd brought of her, posed for more and
gave me her email address. But my best memory at this event came on the golf course the next day. My group arrived
at a Par 3 hole where a Hummer was parked behind the tee; the golfer closest to the pin on that hole got to drive it for 2
weeks. Linz was standing beside it, and as I approached, she hugged me and shouted to everyone, "Darrell is gonna
buy me this Hummer!". She thought it would be perfect to transport her mountain bikes. We kidded about the Hummer
for several months afterwards.
In December of 2002, in conjunction with the Thailand
Finale, I attended a brunch in Los Angeles. Linz was there and introduced me to her then boyfriend, Kirt Voreis.
As we chatted later, I asked if she ever got a Hummer. She told me to go tell Kirt to buy her one, but added "After
he buys me a ring!" I walked over to him and told him what she said...soon after that event came word they were engaged.
As you can see in the above photos, Linz was looking especially lovely...and
playful for my camera... that day.
Linz and I stayed in touch via email and chatted by
AIM thoughout 2003. She and Kirt traveled the mountain bike racing circuit that summer (he is a world-class biker)
and she was unable to attend any of the big Survivor events. In September, Linz and Kirt got married and she sent me
photos of the wedding, some of which are shown above. I called to congratulate her and she was really pleased with the
direction her life had taken.
When I offered to sponsor her attendance at a charity
event in March, 2004, Linz declined saying Survivor was not really a part of her life anymore. So I was really thrilled
when she turned up for the All Star Finale. We met at a preparty and I got the biggest hug ever! She introduced
me to her best friend, Tiffany, who had been her bridesmaid and we posed for each other's cameras. The following night,
we met again at the afterparty. Ask me the best thing about the All Star Finale and I'll tell you it was getting
to see Linz! Gotta love that girl!
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