Waco coach reflects on competing in CBS show: ‘If Mitch who stutters can go and play Survivor, then you can too’
Mitch Guerra won over hearts across the U.S. with his persistence and energy.
WACO, Texas (KWTX) - Survivor fans in Central Texas watched one of their own compete for $1 million in the Season 48 finale of the CBS hit reality show.
The money did not come home to Waco but Mitch Guerra won over hearts across the U.S. with his persistence and energy.
“If Mitch who stutters can go and play Survivor, then you can too!” Guerra said as production began.
The 34-year-old former mail carrier and current P.E. teacher lived out his lifelong dream of making it onto the show.
“The goal is to come out here and prove to myself that I’m more than capable of doing anything,” Guerra said.
Guerra is lovingly known as “Coach G” at Castleman Creek Elementary School in Midway ISD.
“We’re so incredibly proud of him just to be here,” Principal Dr. Clint Glaesmann said proudly. “He’s already a rockstar on our campus...he didn’t have to be on TV.”
“He is absolutely electric,” music teacher Michael Isenberg told KWTX. “I feel like everybody that meets Mitch loves him instantly and it has showed both students and teachers and the people around him that your dreams don’t have to stay dreams.”
“It’s been really neat to watch those other students who maybe struggle with a stutter or have experienced something similar,” Guerra’s friend and coworker, Courtney Spink said. “For him to be an inspiration to say you can do anything that you want to do.
Guerra was the first contestant who stutters to compete on Survivor and used his platform on the show to inspire others to live out their dreams.
Hundreds of people gathered week after week starting in February at the Backyard Bar, Stage & Grill in Waco for watch parties with Guerra often in attendance. Team Mitch grew as he kept “surviving” until the final episode of the season. It was a moment that still brings mixed emotions to the determined “castaway.”
“It was absolutely heartbreaking,” Guerra told KWTX. “It has been so humbling. Everyone has been so supportive. Honestly, it was something I was super concerned about just because I was honestly so upset with how the story ended and was just hoping to make everyone at home proud of me.”
Survivor fans know that Guerra made it to the final 5 before his fellow castmates turned on him. They told him directly that they were voting for him to become the next member of the jury. Guerra told Lauren Westbrook with KWTX he would have preferred to find out a different way.
“I would have appreciated if they wouldn’t have told me...if I would have just experienced it very quickly,” Guerra said. “But I know that I had incredibly close relationships with everyone there and at that time everyone thought the most gentle thing was to tell me in person and it definitely was not.”
Guerra did not take the million dollar prize home to Waco but he also didn’t bring home any regrets.
“Everyone always asks me, Mitch do you have any regrets? No You can ‘t change anything,” Guerra said proudly. “That was something I was constantly processing while I was out there like do I need to make a crazy move now? I felt like I played a very calculated game from the bottom and I had to put myself in the best position to make it to the end and unfortunately, I couldn’t win. So no, I don’t have any regrets. Would I play differently on a different season with different people? Absolutely.”
Guerra’s castmates spoke often about how inspirational “Coach G” was on the show as he overcame challenges connecting to his speech impediment. It’s that kind of persistence and energy that motivates his students in P.E. class.
“I just think it’s really cool that someone with a speech impediment can go and do something like that,” 5th grade student, Carter Vause said.
“He is our coach and a really good inspiration to us,” 5th grade student, Keeth Gonard said.
“Who you see on TV is who he is every single day for our kids,” Assistant Principal Clint Glaesmann said. “He’s a motivator. He’s an encourager. He’s kind and he’s just so much fun. Our kids adore him.”
“He’s a bright light and so it’s just been cool to watch him live that out on the show and to share his story with millions of people and to use that platform to inspire and encourage others to do hard things and pursue their dreams,” Guerra’s friend and coworker, Stacey Spink said.
Mitch continues to feel the love back home. Some of his fellow teachers joined him with his family in Los Angeles after the season 48 finale for the cast’s watch party. Monday, June 2, he accepted an honor from “SAY” which stands for “The Stuttering Association For The Young,” in New York City. He can’t say thank you enough to every member of “Team Mitch.”
“I just want to say once again, thank you for everyone in the Waco community,” Guerra said. " Truly, all of the kind messages and everyone coming up and saying hello has meant so much to me so thank you again for following along this wild journey of Survivor Season 48. I’m sorry I couldn’t get it done for y’all but hopefully, I’ll get that opportunity again someday.”
When asked if he would go back on the show, Guerra told KWTX his story is not over and he’d go back in a heartbeat.
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