Long Beach Teacher, 'Survivor' Winner Takes New MTV 'Challenge'

LONG BEACH, NY — Tommy Sheehan became a reality star for winning the $1 million on CBS' "Survivor" two years ago. Now, he's returning to the TV competition world on MTV's "The Challenge," which was filmed in Croatia.

Sheehan moved to Long Beach after graduating from college upstate with his teaching degree.

"I absolutely love it," Sheehan told Patch. "There's always something to do and always people to hang out with."

Long Beach also provided a great backdrop for both show preparations.

"I did a ton of running on the boardwalk. I did a lot of swimming in the ocean; even in spring when it was kind of cold, I put a wetsuit on," Sheehan said.

For more traditional training, he was often in local gyms.

"Long Beach was the greatest place to live, to train for something like 'Survivor,'" he said.

He enjoys playing in the Thursday night beach volleyball league. Surfing though, "I stink at it," he joked. Not enough to deter Sheehan from those winter waves.

"I'm not that crazy. I've tried, but not good enough yet," he said.

When he's not taking on extreme adventures in front of the camera, Sheehan is a fourth grade teacher in the Floral Park-Bellerose school district.

People might recognize him as being famous for his outdoor exploits, but Sheehan's students think he's a superhero.

"It's really cool. They're asking me for my autograph," Sheehan said. "My school had Team Sheehan shirts made. They decked out the whole school in 'Survivor'-themed activities. Every school was watching every Wednesday night."

Did you know one of #TheChallenge37 Rookies has ALREADY been on #ChallengeMania?! We’ll be rerunning @TommySheehan22’s Podcast as a MANIA REWIND at https://t.co/Z6VVaDTxmW later this week! Be on the lookout! pic.twitter.com/OfnLxNYMUc
— Scott Yager (@SHOTOFYAGER) July 17, 2021

They also are his toughest critics as they watched his run to become the Survivor. He also so appreciates the school allowing him the time off for TV competitions that he calls each "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"The Challenge" will start airing next month, and Sheehan, 28, was mum on how well he performed. But he did confirm this is his swan song.

"I don't want to be a reality TV star," he admitted. "I'm retiring. I've done these two cool experiences. I just love teaching so much that no matter what gets pitched to me now. I don't want to be from Hollywood, I want to be a teacher."

Despite winning the $1 million on "Survivor," he never thought taking the money was running (literally).

"I'm one of the lucky people [who] love their jobs so much," he said. "I don't care if it was $1 million or $10 million — I still would go to teach."

So, that means that even if Sheehan is asked back to defend his "Survivor" title in an All-Stars format, you'll find him in the classroom.

"I've got nothing to prove," Sheehan said. "I can't keep leaving my students. I felt a little guilty the two times I did."

Sheehan will always have his "Survivor" and "Challenge" efforts as a memory and now as a teachable tool.

"The kids get so engaged. They're really excited when they get the letter that I'm their teacher. I think it actually correlates and helps me in teaching," Sheehan said. "They get really excited to watch the episodes and cheer me on."