By Samantha Swindler / Managing Editor
After 36 days in the Australian Outback, Roger Bingham came home 35 pounds lighter, and $65,000 richer.
Bingham, who appeared in 2001 on the second season of “Survivor,” spoke to Lynn Camp High School juniors Thursday about his experiences on the show, while giving them a few pointers on making “good choices” in life.
Bingham was an industrial arts teacher in his home town of Crittenden, Ky. when he was selected, at age 53, to compete on “Survivor.” He quickly earned the nickname of “Kentucky Joe” during his reality television appearance.
“For me to be honest with you, it honestly was never about the million dollars,” he said. “I was teaching school, I could have used a million dollars as good as anybody else, but for me it was always about the adventure and the challenge.”
About 49,000 people applied to compete on “Survivor II,” Bingham said. The applicants were eventually whittled down to 50 people, who were invited to spend two weeks in California auditioning for the show.
When he arrived for the audition, Bingham said he was put “under lock down” in his hotel room, allowed only to leave when he was called by the show’s producers. Later, he said, he realized why they enacted the unusual quarantine.
“They didn’t want us running out and about in the halls, maybe meeting some of the people that would eventually be on ‘Survivor’ and be starting to form some sort of alliance with those folks,” he said.
Bingham took “the longest test in his life” — a day and a half long test with more than 1,400 questions — along with strenuous physicals during his time in California.
At the end of the two weeks, the show’s producer Mark Burnett and host Jeff Probst came to his room.
Probst told Bingham, “‘I’ve got some good news for you and some bad news for you. The good news is you’ve been selected to go to Australia and be on ‘Survivor 2,’ and the bad news is you’re going to skydive out of an airplane to get on the Australian continent, and you’re leaving for skydiving school in the morning.’”
Bingham did attend skydiving school, but CBS ended up nixing that part of the show after they were unable to get life insurance for all 16 participants, he said.
Before heading to the Outback, contestants were given two survival book suggestions to study. Bingham bought and read those two — and five more.
“I felt I knew a lot already about that growing up in a rural area, living on a farm all my life, but I also knew I had to study; I knew to be prepared the best that I could possibly be prepared,” he said.
Bingham used his experiences on “Survivor II” to talk to students about the importance of making good choices, staying physically fit, and getting an education.
Between stories of venomous snakes and eating raw fish, Bingham worked in a conversation about four-wheeler safety, saying Kentucky is among the top three states for four-wheeler fatalities.
Bingham didn’t win the grand, $1 million prize from “Survivor,” but he did come home with $65,000 for placing fifth. Today, Bingham, 62, still lives in Grant County and now works for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. He speaks at schools and other functions across the state about “Kentucky Proud,” a locally-grown product initiative, and other state agriculture programs.
He said he enjoys getting to speak across the commonwealth, particularly to students.
“Kids this age are at a very impressionable age, they don’t always make the right choices,” he said before giving his presentation.
Schools
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Photo by Samantha Swindler
Discussion
Lynn Camp meets Kentucky Joe
Former ‘Survivor’ contestant speaks to students Thursday
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