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Survivor<\/em> season 43 winner Mike Gabler<\/a>, 54, unveiled a stunning, colorful, full leg sleeve tattoo on August 28, and fans of the reality competition are completely blown away by the “special tribute.”<\/p>\n “Thank you, [Darcy Nutt] & [Chalice Tattoo Studio] for all of your hard work making this dream become a reality,” said the champion<\/a> while showing clips<\/a> of his tattoo journey, from its inception to completion. “This is a special tribute to Survivor<\/em><\/a>season 43 and all of the castaways and fans who were on this epic adventure<\/a>.”<\/p>\n Related: Jeff Probst Is \u2018Embarrassed\u2019 by This Outdated \u2018Survivor\u2019 Rule<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The tattoo artist, Nutt, also highlighted<\/a> some of the special details included in the the expansive tattoo and the meaning behind them, including:<\/p>\n The purple octopus, which was “the mascot specifically for season 43.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n The alligator, or AlliGabler, which “is a reference to Mike from the last episode of season 43. “<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n The season 43 immunity necklace.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Statues and flowers to “represent Fiji, where the season was filmed.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Mike\u2019s very first tattoo, “which is the shark silhouette on the outside of his ankle.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n The artist also revealed that the piece of art won Best Sleeve at the Boise Tattoo Convention, and called Gabler “a badass, a friend, and all-around inspiration.”<\/p>\n Fans and friends alike were blown away by the tattoo, and took to the comments to show their admiration. “Holy s–t balls! That\u2019s crazy!” wrote Survivor <\/em>legend and House of Villains<\/em> star Johnny Fairplay, while season 43 tribemate Noelle Lambert wrote, “So [fire emoji]!!!! Nice touch on the left leg.”<\/p>\n Gabler won season 43 of the show despite being the oldest contestant on the season, and one of the oldest champs ever. He shocked fans by donating his entire $1 million prize to veteran causes.<\/p>\n “It was my honor to be able to serve those who served us, and it was very important to me to be able to do something special,” he told VA News<\/a><\/em> in March 2023. “To be able to save lives, even one life, would be incredible. I know we\u2019re on the way to doing that now. That money\u2019s going to do a lot of good for a lot of people for many years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n Next: \u2018Survivor\u2019 Icon Reveals Wild Behind-The-Scenes Story That Got Him \u2018Heavily Reprimanded\u2019 by Producers<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n This story was originally reported by Parade<\/a> on Aug 29, 2025, where it first appeared in the News<\/a> section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
Mike Gabler Won Season 43 of Survivor<\/em><\/h2>\n