Keep an eye on “Survivor Gabon: Earth’s Last Eden” contestant Jill Larson. She’s the “adventurous granny” in an initial group of 17 “Survivor” contestants competing for the $1 million prize by December’s final installment of the popular CBS reality show.

Larson also has a Placer County connection that makes it easy for locals to root for her.

Retired Auburn real estate broker Wayne Larson and his wife, Inez, will be watching the first “Survivor Gabon” episode with interest – starting at 7 p.m. Thursday on Sacramento’s CBS 13. Jill is the Loomis couple’s daughter-in-law.

Jill is also sister-in-law to the Larson’s son, Steve Larson, an Auburn resident and retired chiropractor, and Rhonda Larson, who works for Placer County Child Protective Services.

And Jill herself lived for a short time in Granite Bay.

A native of South Africa, Jill met the Larsons’ son Ron Larson while she was working as a nurse in Germany and he was in the Air Force. They’ve been married 37 years and now live in Temecula.

Ron moved with his family from Southern California and didn’t attend local schools but did graduate from Chico State.

The family didn’t even know that Jill had traveled to Africa for “Survivor.” With intense secrecy surrounding filming, the family was only told that she was on a Doctors Without Borders mission.

The family did know about Larson’s obsession to get on the show. She had applied 15 times since the program first started airing eight years ago.

At 61, Jill could become the oldest winner yet. She’s visited 46 countries and most of the U.S. states – much of the time backpacking.

“She’s that type of person who loves to do anything different,” Inez Larson said.