Tawny Lynn

Tawny Lynn was born June 17, 1987 and raised in a Christian home in Crescent City, CA. Her life seemed pretty ordinary at first, but no one could have anticipated what was to come. By the age of 16, Tawny endured more hardships than most people will in a lifetime. She suffered through her parents' divorce and the obstacles that followed nearly killed her. She developed a survivor mentality by necessity and was homeless by the age of 16, but being on her own gave her a sense of freedom and escape. At age 18, she relocated to Washington State, married by age 21 and gave birth to their daughter, Jaelynn Kole. Tawny and her husband divorced a few years later. She and Jaelynn Kole relocated to Spokane, where she immediately began working in the corporate world and tending bar by night. Then she met a man who invited her to the gun range to shoot and take photos. Tawny's life was never the same after that, because firing those weapons triggered something within her. For the first time, Tawny felt a sense of empowerment and fearlessness that she had never known. It was therapeutic and changed her from the inside out. She felt in control, in charge and unafraid. As she continued her training and posting footage to social media, Tawny rapidly grew in popularity and became well-known as a public figure in the firearms industry. She is such a confident woman now and her story offers inspiration and hope instead of sadness and hopelessness. Tawny no longer lives in fear and she no longer feels vulnerable or unwanted. The firearms industry can be controversial and the journey has not been easy for Tawny, but she would not dare give up this new dream and continued to learn and thrive. In April 2015, Tawny received an email regarding casting for Naked and Afraid. She disregarded it until her friends encouraged her to pursue it. The challenge itself did not intimidate Tawny, however the idea of being fully exposed in front of the whole world was overwhelming. She was known in the industry as a very classy woman, not flashy or exposing herself in a provocative or non-conservative manner. But Tawny does like a challenge, so she accepted. Despite the fact that she had very little survival training, Tawny wasn't the least bit concerned about her ability to complete the challenge on the show. In her mind, it was just another thing she had to survive and whatever she'd be faced with would be minimal in comparison to what she had already endured. Tawny wants to pursue acting and a life in the public eye (which is not for the faint of heart) to demonstrate that anyone who suffered hardship is not defined by their past. Tawny says, "I want women to be inspired by my story. I want to let people know that the sky is the limit for their future. Don't give up, don't quit. Keep on fighting for yourself and for those you love and love you. God bless."