Atlanta criminal defense attorney Alexis Levine takes on "Survivor" Season 51
As fans count down the final hours until the premiere of "Survivor" Season 51 on CBS, one Atlanta contestant is bringing a unique blend of grit, courtroom experience, and resilience to the ultimate game.
Alexis Levine, an Atlanta-based criminal defense attorney, is set to compete on the upcoming season. For Levine, the island's challenges are backed by personal battles that defined her life long before she set foot on the beach.
"I was one of many people who were part of what we now call the opioid epidemic," Levine said.
Now a decade into recovery, Levine's journey through the justice system served as the catalyst for her legal career.
"I saw firsthand the way that substance abuse and mental health and the law collide to really make so many people's lives worse," Levine said. "I just knew I had a calling to work in this field and helping people who are accused of crimes and who are at the hands and the mercy of our criminal legal system."
That same fortitude that helped her navigate addiction and advocate for clients across Georgia courtrooms is what Levine will lean on if she ever has to face Tribal Council.
"I love 'Survivor' because I think it just represents the very best of the human spirit," Levine said. "There is physical toughness, but there's also this toughness and grit of the spirit, you know, this endurance, and then there's social strategy and really just likability."
She believes her legal career has prepared her to handle the complex dynamics of the game.
"The best contestants on 'Survivor' are able to navigate all these sort of different scenarios, but also very different people and a very diverse outlooks and mindsets on the cast," she said.
Levine also praised the cast assembled for the milestone installment, noting how representative it is of the country.
"I think 'Survivor' has really hit the nail on the head with this cast particularly. It's just a great group of people very representative of our country, and it's going to be really fun to watch it all play out. I can't wait," she said, adding: "I think that this season is going to be one for the books."
While being away from her husband and daughter was tough, securing a spot on the show fulfilled a longtime aspiration.
"I sat at home and watched season after season of Jeff Probst saying 'If you want to be on the island…' and one day I just was feeling myself, felt good. I felt like I could do anything, and I made a video, and I sent it in," Levine recalled. "And I'm so grateful because I got to go live out my dream and be on 'Survivor.'"
Now, Levine is eager to show how grit, grace, and gut instinct can outwit, outplay, and outlast the competition on a national stage.
"I'm so proud to be representing Georgia on this national level in 'Survivor,'" she said.
"Survivor" Season 51 premieres Wednesday at 8 p.m. on CBS.
