Ethan Zohn Reveals How His 'Survivor' Journey Helped Him Through His Cancer Battle: 'It Puts Things Into Perspective'

Ethan Zohn is a survivor in every sense of the word.

After winning Survivor: Africa in 2001, the motivational speaker used his grit and determination to overcome a rare form of cancer called CD20-positive Hodgkin's lymphoma twice.

Zohn spoke exclusively with OK! at the Survivor 50 Watch Party at Game On! in Boston about how his time on the hit CBS show helped him navigate his health battles, who he wants to see win the show's current installment, who he thinks is the best player of all time and the genesis of his Reality Run Club events.

Following his television victory, the former soccer player navigated two cancer battles in 2010 and 2011.

"It puts things in perspective," Zohn says. "People always ask me, 'What's more difficult? Beating cancer or winning Survivor?' Obviously, with one, you're playing for your life and the other you're playing for a million bucks. But I do think, because I went through Survivor Africa, I pushed my body, my mind and my spirit to the absolute limit for 39 days, I knew how far you could push your body."

"[Being on the show] was so hard," he admits. "Harder than any other thing I've ever done. But going through that before I went through cancer, I was like, 'Oh, I know how weak and tired I can be.' Putting it that way was great. That was a good experience because I parlayed that into my fight."

For Zohn's big event at Fenway, he was joined by Survivor alums Wendell Holland and Charlie Davis, as well as current contestant Aubry Bracco.

"I want an old school player to win," the star reveals of who could come out victorious this year. "I'm going to go with Cirie [Fields]. I would love it if Cirie could pull this one out."

In 2004, Zohn returned to the series for their All-Star season and again for the Winners at War edition in 2020. For the 40th season, the athlete competed against the alumnus he considers the best competitor he’s ever faced.

"Boston Rob [Mariano]," he reveals. "He played an incredible game. That was his best season of Survivor. He should have won. There was a bitter jury. Obviously, he's won twice. He was an incredible player on that season."

Zohn, along with his fellow Survivor castmates, began the Reality Run Club. The events allow fans to run alongside their favorite television stars — all for a great cause!

"I'm always looking for innovative ways to raise money and awareness for important things," he says. "The Survivor universe is monstrous. It's having a revival. People are coming out to see us just like in the old school days. During the time I played, there was no social media. The only way we could interact with fans was by going out to meet them. Surprisingly, now, people still want to come out. They want to touch us and want to meet us. They want to play the games. It's really turning fandom into philanthropy."