Ethan Zohn

Ethan Zohn is the 2002 winner of the reality television show Survivor. With his 1 million dollar prize money, Ethan co-founded Grassroot Soccer, a nonprofit organization that trains professional soccer players to teach African children, through a tailor-made curriculum, about HIV/AIDS prevention. Since its founding GRS has caught the attention of (and now partners with) Nike, the Gates Foundation, FIFA Futbol for Hope, Daimler Chrysler, DeBeers and Kellogg Foundation, and ‘graduated’ over 300,000 youths. By the FIFA World Cup in South Africa in 2010, the organization’s goal is to graduate one million African youths from the program.

In August 2008, Ethan officially launched Grassroot Soccer UNITED an international, youth-led movement to raise money and build awareness for his foundation and mission to end HIV/AIDS in Africa, by embarking on a world-record-breaking 550-mile journey on foot, from Boston, MA, to Washington, D.C. – dribbling a soccer ball the entire route. Ethan is also the national spokesperson for America Scores, an organization that helps inner city kids participate in educational soccer programs. Other extensive charity work includes the Colon Cancer Alliance, Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Organization (IREO), Autism Speaks, St. Jude Hospital, and Maccabi USA.

In May—less than 30 days after his diagnoses with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma—Ethan was asked to serve as National Ambassador for “Stand Up 2 Cancer.” Ethan has also been asked to stand in for Lance Armstrong as the keynote speaker for all of the Livestrong Challenge Races this summer while Lance is training and competing in the Tour de France. And he plans to do both while battling his cancer.

In recognition for his charitable work, Ethan has been awarded the Nkosi Johnson Community Spirit Award by the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care, the Heroes Among Us Award from the Boston Celtics and the Massachusetts State Health Department, and the Auxilia Chimusoro Award from the U.S. State Department in Zimbabwe. In addition, he was awarded The 2007 Peace Abby “Courage of Conscience,” the 2008 A Caring Hand’s “Philanthropic Achievement Award,” and was named one of People Magazine’s “Helpers of the Year” in 2005.

Among his many broadcast credits, Ethan’s own television show, EarthTripping —profiling eco-friendly travel and adventure around the globe—premiered internationally in 2008. Ethan has also hosted The MSG Soccer Report (Madison Square Garden Network) and F.C. Fox (Fox Soccer Channel), in addition to working as a commentator and soccer analyst for The U.S. Men’s National team at the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan, MLS, USL1, MISL, and ESPN Radio.

Other credits include Survivor: All-Stars, Eco-Challenge Fiji, Fear Factor, Challenger World, Celebrity Paranormal Project, guest-host appearances on MTV and VH1, a principal role in the feature film The Scorned, and TV and print campaigns for HP, PUMA and Nike. Recently, Ethan was featured in the documentary film A Closer Walk along with The Dalai Lama, Bono and Kofi Annan.

As a motivational speaker, Ethan routinely addresses high school, college, corporate and professional sports audiences. In 2005, he was voted Campus Activities Magazine’s ‘Rookie Speaker of the Year’.

Originally from Lexington, MA, Ethan graduated from Vassar College in upstate New York, going on to play professional soccer for Highlanders FC (Zimbabwe), Cape Cod Crusaders (Massachusetts, USA) and Hawaii Tsunami (Hawaii, USA). Ethan also played for the 1997 and 2001 U.S. National Maccabiah squads.

Off the field, from 1998 to 2002, Ethan was the Assistant Coach for the Fairleigh Dickinson University Men and Women’s soccer teams. In 2003, he was Head Coach of the U.S. National Maccabiah team at the Pan-American Maccabiah Games, in Santiago, Chile.

Ethan is also an aspiring inventor. His EZ Crunchbowl (www.ezcrunchbowl.com) will be featured on the Discovery Channel hit Pitch Men with Anthony Sullivan and Billy Mays.

Ethan resides in New York City.