LI 'Survivor' champ Tommy Sheehan to compete in MTV's newest 'Challenge'

Long Beach teacher Tommy Sheehan, winner of CBS' island-survival competition "Survivor: Island of the Idols" in 2019, is now among the 34 contestants in MTV's "The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies," premiering Aug. 11.

"Building my life resume," Sheehan, 28, a fourth-grade math and science teacher at Floral Park-Bellerose School in Floral Park, wrote on Instagram Wednesday, captioning promotional photos of the cast. Well-wishers commenting on his post included several of his "Challenge" castmates, as well as his "Survivor" ally Lauren-Ashley Beck — who joked, "Did they put your name on your shirt so you wouldn't forget it[?]" — and Roslyn-raised entrepreneur and Atlanta Hawks co-owner Jesse Itzler.

Sheehan competes as one of 19 "rookies" on this 37th season of the "Challenge" franchise, in which contestants, including past-edition "veterans," are isolated in some global location to face both mental and physical tests. The upcoming season was shot along the Mediterranean coast of Croatia, with an espionage theme.

The son of Thomas and Sandy Sheehan, Tommy B. Sheehan was born in Queens' Maspeth neighborhood and raised in Bayville. After winning season 39 of "Survivor," he came home to propose to girlfriend Nicole Badillo, a pharmacist. Postponing their wedding due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have since rescheduled it for May 13, 2022, in Roslyn.

Sheehan attended Bayville Primary, where his mother remains the school nurse, and attended Locust Valley High School, where he graduated in 2010. Following college at SUNY Cortland, he fulfilled his dream of becoming of teacher.

A second dream, he has said, was to compete on "Survivor," and on the Dec. 18, 2019, finale of the "Island of the Idols" edition, Sheehan bested runner-up Dean Kowalski, a New York City technology salesperson, to take the $1 million prize.

Ahead of the season premiere of "The Challenge," MTV will air a meet-the-cast special on Aug. 9. The basic-cable network also announced that the official "Challenge" podcast for this season will premiere Aug. 12 through the iHeartPodcast Network, hosted by "Spies, Lies and Allies" castmates Tori Deal and Aneesa Ferreira.