After Applying For 10 Years, A Survivor Superfan Will Finally Get His Time To Shine On Season 48

Mitch Guerra is truly a trailblazer, already making Survivor history before his journey on Survivor 48 even begins — how wild is that?

Mitch was recently announced as a cast member on the monumental 48th season of Survivor, with the Emmy Award-winning series returning to our television screens on Feb. 26 via CBS.

Will he have what it takes to secure the title of "Sole Survivor" and the million-dollar prize, though? Well, we'll let you be the judge of that...

After scouring the internet, keep scrolling for everything you need to know about Mitch before he makes his Survivor debut.

Mitch Guerra's Age, Career And More

Stemming from Waco, Texas, 34-year-old Mitch enjoys "lifting weights, running with friends and going dancing," as well as "playing tennis, volleyball or slow-pitch softball."

As far as his occupation goes, although he's worked as a physical education teacher for the past four years, he's also a "relational leader, motivational speaker and stuttering advocate" (per his LinkedIn profile).

In regards to the latter, Mitch has already made Survivor history as the first castaway with a speech impediment, opening up to Survivor writer and reporter Mike Bloom about his stutter in an exclusive interview, published ahead of the premiere of the reality television series.

"Growing up with a speech impediment was definitely challenging," he prefaced, delving into the details:

"I remember, as early as kindergarten and first grade, hating going to school every morning. I would get sick to my stomach most days, just because I was anxious. The idea of just walking down the school halls and someone asking me, 'Hey, how are you today? What time is it?' — simple, everyday things would make me anxious."

"It taught me so much about just kind of hanging in there, and obviously, as a person who stutters, I got picked on a lot just because I didn't speak like everyone else. So, you stick out."

"It forced me to be really resilient, and it also taught me to be super empathetic to other people," he concluded, eventually doubling down on this sentiment in his official Survivor biography.

According to Mitch himself, the resilience and empathy he gained from his speech impediment will allow him to be successful on Survivor 48. He explained:

"Growing up as a person who stutters really forced me to become comfortable being uncomfortable. It forced me to work through hard moments every day by continually putting myself out there, thus allowing me to become more resilient."

With his speech impediment aside, he continued:

"I will be the 'Sole Survivor' because of my ability to build relationships with people. I'm non-threatening and can use that to my advantage in this game. I thrive in a little chaos and when things get challenging is when I thrive."

Eager to play a game that is the perfect blend of Spencer Bledsoe, Joe Anglim and John Cochran — all with an ally by his side that is "easy to talk to and listens well," as well as "level-headed and understands this game is built on strong relationships" — fingers crossed Mitch's Survivor journey is everything he's dreamed of and more.

After all, he's been waiting over a decade for his big break...

Mitch Guerra's 10-Year Casting Journey

In his interview with Parade, Mitch admitted that he fell in love with Survivor during Survivor: Africa, with his affinity for the show growing during Survivor: The Amazon.

According to the Survivor 48 castaway himself, the latter was the first time he had ever seen representation on his television screen, inspiring him to apply. He gushed:

"I remember watching Survivor: The Amazon, and there was a contestant named Christy out there who was hard of hearing, and it was like, 'Wow, I can see someone who also struggles with something and is not like everyone else.' Watching her have to overcome that... That just encouraged me of like, "Hey, like, maybe one day too, I could go out there and play Survivor, so it's been a crazy journey just to get out here."

"I've been applying since 2014," he admitted — how wild is that?

Describing his relationship with the casting department as a "toxic" on-and-off relationship, he continued:

"Every year I would apply, one of the casting directors would call me and say, 'Mitch, we like you,' and then I'd get absolutely ghosted. I applied for years, and I would get some calls, and then the last few years, I was like, 'Listen, it just isn't meant to be,' so I took a break from applying."

During said break, Mitch ran a half-marathon, a marathon and a half-Ironman, as well as got his teaching credential. Achieving lots of life goals within the past few years, now he will finally face his biggest dream of all: playing Survivor.

Now we will just have to wait and see if the last thing gets ticked off of his bucket list — winning the game, duh!

Everything You Need To Know About Survivor 48

Survivor 48 is certain to be just as spectacular as previous seasons, as host Jeff Probst told TV Insider in an interview that “Survivor 48 has a really fun sense of humor about it," as well as "a lot of emotion" and "really great gameplay." He continued:

“Blindsides are at an all-time high, and I don’t see them going away."

“The Shot in the Dark alone changed everything, because if you tell me or I sense that I’m going home and I really think I have no options, I’m going to play my Shot in the Dark. Low odds, but if I get it, you’re the one I’m voting for.”

“It’s the threat that I will play it that makes every other player squirm," he concluded, teasing that the Shot in the Dark advantage might make an appearance or two...

Nevertheless, 18 castaways (including Mitch) will be competing for the million dollar check — and the title of "Sole Survivor," of course — on Survivor 48, beginning in mere hours. Said castaways are as follows:

From a pizza parlor manager to a stuntman, will Mitch have what it takes to outwit, outplay and outlast the competition, emerging victorious come Final Tribal Council?

To see for yourself, tune into brand-new episodes of Survivor 48 each and every Wednesday, with the premiere episode airing on Feb. 26 via CBS.

Already booked and busy? Have no fear — you can always stream brand-new episodes of Survivor 48 the following day via Paramount Plus.