Physics teacher and Survivor winner Robert Crowley of Gorham, Maine.

Once in awhile a dedicated educator earns fame in an arena outside of the classroom. One of these educators is Robert Crowley, who earned fame for winning the reality TV show Survivor.

Robert participated in the 17th season of the popular show. At age 57, he became the oldest winner in the history of the series. At the time of the episode’s airing, he was teaching physics at Gorham High School in Gorham, Maine.

Robert retired from teaching in 2009, but while he was teaching, he held a number of other jobs in addition to his responsibilities in the classroom. He worked as the first mate on a research boat for the Smithsonian Institution in Canada. He also worked as an entomologist for the USDA. In addition, he acted as a skunk relocater. And he served as the President, Vice President, and Chief Negotiator for his local Teachers’ Union. Robert also nurtured various personal interests, including journal writing, storytelling, photography, bone collecting, archeology, and camping.

After Survivor, this remarkable teacher wrote a book, and he later opened a luxury camping company called Maine Forest Yurts. The resort welcomes school groups, active military and veterans, and non-profit groups, like the Special Olympics, to stay in yurts free of charge. He also created a Survivor-based charity event called the Durham Warriors Survival Challenge to financially support the enterprise.

Robert was born February 25, 1951. Robert earned his Bachelor’s degree in forestry from the University of Maine, Orono, and his Master’s degree in Education from the University of Southern Maine.

To read more about this remarkable educator, see this link at the CBS shor Survivor.