Kaelan Lockhart has been one to watch on Australian Survivor 2025. The charming PhD student, ex-engineer and pro paddleboarder has quickly become one of the season’s biggest threats (and fan favourites).
With six victories under his belt, Kaelan has set the record for most individual Immunity Challenge wins in a single season of Australian Survivor.
What else do we know about Kaelan from Australian Survivor? And what’s he been up to since filming wrapped?
Kaelan is an Australian Survivor fave on screen and around camp
Kaelan has his own dedicated Reddit threads, thirsty Insta comments, and a growing fanbase online. He’s even got fellow castaways a little starry-eyed.
“Kaelan’s social game was so far and above everyone else’s,” Myles Kuah told Chattr in an interview. “Everyone out on the island loved Kaelan.”
Literally all of us ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ #survivorau https://t.co/5AnoWBDfRX
— Myles Kuah (@mylesmkuah) February 27, 2025
Zara Callianiotis also told Chattr that Kaelan is “so beloved” among the tribe.
“He is the man who he can’t put a foot wrong. Socially, everybody adores him. He is constantly helping out around camp, getting everybody coconuts,” she said.
Australian Survivor’s Kaelan has brains and brawn to boot
Don’t let the bod fool you, Kaelan definitely earned his starting spot on the Brains tribe in Australian Survivor.
He graduated from the University of Queensland with a double degree in electrical engineering and physics. He’s now a PhD student using AI and drones to map vegetation in Antarctica.
He went full strategy nerd talking when chatting with Channel 10 about Australian Survivor. “This is a life-size board game, how fun is that?” he said.
“As long as you’re in the rules of the game, nothing is immoral. But also, you must judge what people think is immoral, so you still get votes at the end.”
He used to be a pro paddleboarder
That said, Kaelan can play both sides of the Brains vs Brawn coin.
Growing up on the Sunshine Coast, he spent his time surfing, playing rugby, and even competed as a professional stand-up paddleboarder in Europe for two years before starting his PhD.
“I’ve lived in a tent for extended periods, I’ve slept on the beach, I’ve lived in a van so doing the surviving part won’t bother me,” he told Channel 10. “I can go without sleep, food and can perform under pressure.”
Looking at his Instagram, it’s clear he can’t get enough of the great outdoors. From hiking in Papua New Guinea, snowboarding in France, and (you guessed it) a whole lot of paddleboarding, the man is always on the move.
He’s literally skiing across Norway right now (for charity)
Right now, Kaelan is in the middle of skiing the entire length of Norway (a 2,700–3,000 km solo trek) to raise funds for Cottage by the Sea, a charity that helps give seaside experiences to kids who wouldn’t otherwise have the chance.
The route includes over 54 kilometres of elevation gain — about 15 times the height of Mount Everest from Base Camp.
He took a quick break from to help map surging glaciers in Svalbard with drones. As one does. But now he’s back at it! If he pulls this off, he’ll be the first Australian to ever complete the trek.
He’s about as full-package as they come, but will Kaelan go all the way on Australian Survivor? With the finale fast approaching, we’re about to find out.
Chookas for everything, Kaelan!
Stream Australian Survivor 2025 Sundays – Tuesdays on Channel 10 and 10Play.
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