Sweden
Meet The Participants Of Season 8 Of ‘The Great Swedish Adventure’
Last night was the season premiere of “The Great Swedish Adventure,” a competition/reality TV series where American contestants uncover their Swedish roots.
While the show ultimately is a contest, castmates typically form friendships and experience hardships when having to say goodbye to each other and Sweden.
“It was tough spending weeks with castmates – people I started to get close to – and then have to set my feelings aside when it was time for another challenge,” said Season 7 winner, Dylan Ratell, in our interview earlier this year.
This season’s cast is diverse – including a rock and roll artist and a religious stay-at-home mom. And while each contestant’s knowledge about their Swedish heritage ranges from knowing the names of relatives who emigrated in the 1800s to merely knowing a grandparent who had Swedish ancestry, their goal is to learn their culture, meet relatives and find their connection to Sweden.
Meet the cast of Season 8.
Tanya Edgil
Age: 39
Home: Hamilton, Alabama
Edgil is a descendant of Swedish pastor Erik Jansson, an emigrant from Hälsingland who, with disciples, built the Swedish town of Bishop Hill in the 1840s. Edgil is a church-going, stay-at-home mom studying social work.
Christina Wright
Age: 34
Home: Maryville, Tennessee
Wright’s maternal grandmother hails from Sweden. The single mom and teacher is hoping to discover more about her grandmother’s heritage.
Domonique Jackson-Russel
Age: 34
Home: Seattle, Washington
Jackson-Russel’s maternal grandfather emigrated from Sweden. She’s a veteran and licensed lawyer who runs a chiropractic clinic with her wife who also has Swedish roots. Jackson-Russel hopes to move to Sweden in the future.
Susan Snyder
Age: 58
Home: Roswell, New Mexico
Snyder’s grandfather moved to the United States from Sweden at a young age. The widower, mother of three and hard-working sales representative knows very little about her Swedish background.
Ashley Mullinax
Age: 32
Home: Clifton, Virginia
Proud of her Swedish heritage, the preschool teacher is a member of her local Vasa Order along with her Swedish grandmother, who she calls her best friend. Mullinax is engaged and plans to wear her ancestor’s wedding ring that has been in the family for generations.
David Neslund
Age: 42
Home: Sutton, Alaska
Neslund lives with his Swedish-Norwegian wife and two sons. He sees the opportunity to participate in “The Great Swedish Adventure” as a pilgrimage to his and his wife’s homeland.
Andrew Morrison
Age: 28
Home: Scandia, Minnesota
Growing up in the Swedish-American town of Scandia, Morrison is in touch with his Swedish culture having regularly celebrated Lucia, Midsummer and more.
Kevin Chown
Age: 48
Home: Escanaba, Michigan
The rock-and-roller plays with Finnish superstar Tarja and Red Hot Chili Pepper’s drummer, Chad Smith.
Kyle Johnson
Age: 29
Home: Independence, Minnesota
Johnson grew up in the town where his Swedish ancestors emigrated and recently purchased the farm where they lived.
Louis Larsson
Age: 52
Home: Covington, Kentucky
After the birth of his daughter, Larsson wanted to learn more about his Swedish heritage. He is hoping to learn more about his culture and connections to Sweden.
Watch the full first episode of Season 8 here, and keep up with “The Great Swedish Adventure” on Facebook.
