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After meeting on the eighth season of Survivor: All-Stars, Boston Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich fell in love, competed on The Amazing Race twice, married, and now parent four beautiful daughters.

For the first time in nearly a decade, 15 years for Amber, the couple have returned to compete against 18 other former Sole Survivors for a shot at another title.

Amber Brkich Rob Mariano
Amber Brkich and Rob Mariano | M. Caulfield

Currently, on the Edge of Extinction, Amber and three other castaways completed one of the hardest tasks in Survivor history to earn a fire token. After Episode 4 aired, Boston Rob took to Twitter to praise his wife for “crushing” the log challenge.

Boston Rob Mariano and Amber Mariano returned for ‘Winners at War’

In 2004, Boston Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich met while competing on the 8th season of Survivor, the first cast comprised of all returning players. Boston Rob, a physical and strategic threat from Season 4 Marquesas, immediately aligned with Season 2 Australian Outback star Amber, and both flirted with each other as a strategy.

However, the flirting turned real, and the two quickly fell for each other. Eventually, the showmance made it to the Final Tribal Council, and Amber’s social game beat her boyfriend’s aggressive style of play, earning her the win.

Boston Rob proposed at the finale, and the two married a year later. While he continued to return to Survivor and finally won in Redemption Island, Amber stayed at home with their four daughters, Lucia Rose (10), Carina Rose (9), Isabetta Rose (7), and Adelina Rose (5).

After 15 years, Amber returned to Survivor, alongside her husband, to compete against 18 other former champs for a historic $2 million grand prize.

Amber Mariano voted out in the first episode

The married couple began the game on separate tribes, and Amber’s tribe, Dakal, lost the second immunity challenge. Before filming started, Dakal tribemate Yul Kwon researched his opponents and noticed Tyson Apostol, Kim Spradlin-Wolfe, Jeremy Collins, and Boston Rob all participated in a poker tournament together last year.

Tyson even said the four of them would be a “power” alliance if they competed in a season of Survivor together. Therefore, Yul spread the information on the island, painting targets on their backs.

Out of tribemates Tyson, Kim, and Amber, by default, they chose to eliminate the latter as her relationship with Boston Rob proved too much of a threat. She joined Natalie Anderson on the Edge of Extinction and caught her first fish in her Survivor history.

So far, Amber has had three chances to earn a fire token, but Natalie outplayed her on the first two. For the last one, she, Amber, and newcomers Danni Boatwright and Ethan Zohn could win a fire token if they carried 20 logs located at the top of the island down to their campsite one at a time before sundown. 

Boston Rob Mariano praises wife for ‘crushing’ the log challenge

Wanting that fire token, all four began the grueling journey without hesitation. Danni compared it to childbirth, Amber struggled, and Natalie willed herself to continue.

Eventually, the ladies completed the task, and the All-Stars winner and San Juan del Sur champ immediately broke down in tears afterward, emotionally drained.

With only four logs left, two-time cancer survivor Ethan passed out and received medical attention. Against the advice of the doctor, the Africa winner continued and repeated the mantras he used to help him get through his cancer treatments to finish, and the three others joined him for his last trip.

The moving segment touched Survivor fans, including Amber’s husband, Rob. After the episode, he tweeted, “So proud of my wife Amber tonight! She crushed it on The Edge!”

His wife doesn’t have any social media, so he hashtagged her name instead of tagging her. Many fans replied agreeing with him and commended him on one of the biggest challenge comebacks in Survivor history.

Watch Survivor 40: Winners at War Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST on CBS.

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