As a New York City firefighter, boxer and wellness coach, Danny Massa’s skills and experiences seem suited for a show as intense as “Survivor.” A Bronx native, Massa is competing on the current season of CBS’ Emmy award-winning series, which premiered its 44th season on March 1 and airs every Wednesday at 8 p.m.
The show brings 18 strangers together on an island to compete in a series of physically and mentally demanding challenges in harsh conditions, with the goal of winning $1 million.
However, Massa’s physical and mental prowess aren’t the only qualities that make him fit to compete.
Having grown up around Pelham Bay Park, he says that his Bronx upbringing has allowed him to fully appreciate diversity, a value that he says proved useful on a show like “Survivor,” which features a diverse and inclusive cast.
“I feel like being from New York City, and the Bronx, especially, it gives me a huge advantage that I can go on the subway and see more cultures in 20 minutes than a lot of people have the opportunity to see in maybe their whole life,” Massa said.
Being able to regularly interact with people from a variety of cultures and backgrounds, he said, makes it easy for him to get along with others despite their differences.
“You put me in a room with a bunch of people who speak in three different languages, and none of them are English, I can communicate,” he said. “ I know how to — communication is so much more than language. And that is just, it’s a powerful trait. I don’t feel out of place anywhere.”
Despite his ability to connect with others, Massa recognizes that some people might misjudge him for being a New Yorker. In a show where perception and relationships are important, he hopes that being genuine and open-minded will give him an advantage.
“A lot of us Bronxites get a bad rep for being all tough or not friendly, and I think that’s just like anywhere else in the world,” he told the Bronx Times. “You come…
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