Survivor casts are usually composed of certain archetypes each season. There's usually the super fan of the show, the former professional athlete, the beauty pageant queen, and one or two parental figures. If a woman in her 40s or 50s is competing, she usually gets assigned the "mom" role, meaning that she will look after her alliance members and be deemed a non-threat due to her maternal energy and general sweetness.
This, of course, is all stereotypical and usually not the case. A lot of moms who have competed on Survivor have proven to be cutthroat and much more than just a mother, both in real life and on the island. Survivor moms have won the game, made it to the finals, and have gone down in history as some of the best to ever play.
Kathy Vavrick-O'Brien (Marquesas/All-Stars)
Kathy Vavrick-O'Brien was a mom of one when she competed on Survivor: Marquesas and All-Stars, but she quickly adopted her fellow competitors as her children on the island. Most notably, her relationships with "Boston" Rob and Amber were very protective and motherly.
The tight-knit relationship she had with Rob and Amber only made her elimination sting that much worse, because in a way she was backstabbed and betrayed by her kids. By voting out Jerri and keeping Amber (and protecting their infamous Survivor showmance), Kathy proved that she was a loyal motherly figure, both in and out of the game.
Ciera Eastin (Blood Vs Water/Second Chance/Game Changers)
The first time Ciera Eastin competed on Survivor, she did so alongside her mother, Laura Morett. What fans quickly learned though was that Ciera was also a mom, a young one at that, and had two children at home.
Ciera became a mom at the age of 17, something that both strained and strengthened her relationship with her own mother. She didn't let the labels of "mother" and "daughter" impact her game, and ended up iconically voting out her own mom when it was time in order to further herself and cement her own legacy status.
Laura Morett (Samoa/Blood Vs Water)
Laura Morett was famously the mother of fellow Survivor contestant Ciera Eastin, but she also had two sons back home in Oregon. Laura's mom energy was apparent from day one of Samoa, with the way she cared for her tribe-mates and talked about her family.
Laura's parenting was put to the test when she returned for Blood Vs Water and played opposite her only daughter. Though she wanted to win, she also couldn't help but root for her young daughter. The two had an unbreakable bond, but also an understanding that they had to do whatever it took to win, even if it meant leaving the other behind. Laura was a great mom cheering her daughter on from both Redemption Island and the jury.
Carolyn "Mama C" Rivera (Worlds Apart)
Carolyn Rivera was known as "Mama C" by her tribe-mates when she competed on Survivor: World Aparts. She was the only woman on her season to win an individual immunity challenge and was the sole woman in the final three alongside Mike and Will. She also found the hidden immunity idol on day two.
Carolyn's strength in the game came in her ability to form strong relationships with her fellow castaways, being trusted and perceived as loyal for her consistent voting patterns, and the way she mothered her tribe as the oldest contestant. Unfortunately, the jury didn't value her gameplay, as she was awarded the title of runner-up after only receiving one jury vote.
Janet Carbin (Island Of The Idols)
Island Of The Idols was a season of Survivor ruined by a problematic contestant and went down in Survivor history as mostly unremarkable. The exception to this was castaway Janet Carbin, who served as a motherly figure for many of her fellow contestants including the women on her tribe and eventual winner Tommy Sheehan.
Tommy typically referred to his and Janet's relationship as "Tommy And His Mommy", and the two formed a strong alliance and bond going into the final episode of season 39. Janet was supportive of her female tribe-mates, specifically Kellee Kim, and was praised by fans for being the mother everyone needed on the island.
Sunday Burquest (Millennials Vs Gen-X)
Sunday Burquest was beloved by all of her cast-mates on season 33 of Survivor. She was adored as a mother on and off the beach and known for her kindness and loyalty in all stages of the game.
Sunday's tribe-mates constantly referred to her as "Mama Sunday," with eventual winner Adam Klein talking in-depth about what a great friend and support system she was to him. Sadly, Sunday passed away after her appearance on Survivor following a battle with cancer, but her family and former castaways have kept her legacy alive and strong, and have maintained that she was the best mom in the world.
Chrissy Hofbeck (Heroes Vs Hustlers Vs Healers)
Chrissy Hofbeck was placed on the "Heroes" tribe in season 35 due to her role in life as a working mother. Chrissy quickly proved to be much more than an actuary or a mother of three though by becoming a challenge beast and strategic threat to win the game.
Chrissy was not only seen as a motherly figure to her competitors but also as their biggest opponent. She could've won it all (and fans argue that she was a Survivor runner-up that should've won) had it not been for the plethora of advantages that were put to use that season.
Tina Wesson (The Australian Outback/All-Stars/Blood Vs Water)
Tina Wesson was the first mom to compete on Survivor to win the game, becoming the second winner and first female to be crowned Sole Survivor all the way back in 2001. During her first season, Tina was 39 years old and had two pre-teen children at home.
Tina's motherly energy served her well, as it allowed her to create a bond so strong with Colby Donaldson that he ended up taking her to the final two. Tina returned for Blood Vs Water to compete with her daughter, Katie, and had plenty of hilarious "mom moments," like trying to set her daughter up with Vytas and Hayden.
Cirie Fields (Panama/Micronesia/Heroes Vs Villains/Game Changers)
Cirie Fields has gone down in history as one of the most likable Survivor contestants to ever play the game for a number of reasons. One of the biggest ones is that she always had a big motherly heart, talking about her three sons and her husband in several confessionals each time she has appeared on the show.
Cirie was a strategic mastermind while simultaneously being referred to as "the woman who got off the couch" by host Jeff Probst. Cirie proved that Survivor players could be two things at once; she could be a ruthless strategist and a kind, loving mother. In fact, in most of her alliances, she was looked at as the mother figure, only increasing her credibility as a loyal person to work with.
Sandra Diaz-Twine (Pearl Islands/Heroes Vs Villains/Game Changers/Winners At War)
Sandra Diaz-Twine was a mother of two young children the first time she played Survivor, and in 2022 she competed alongside one of her daughters on Australian Survivor. Sandra has used her experience with motherhood in a different way to most players, using it to fuel her to be the best rather than using it to gain trust and make alliances.
Sandra won the game twice for a reason; she was a great player who didn't care who got voted out or lost, as long as it wasn't her. She worked hard for her family back at home and didn't care who she needed to betray in order to win. In many ways, Sandra's gameplay paved the way for her daughter Nina to compete with her years later.