Meet Mike Gabler, the metalhead coronary heart valve specialist who received Season 43 of hit actuality TV present competitors Survivor and donated all the $1 million prize to charity.
This beneficiant transfer was one thing the contestant, who was all the time referred to by his final identify, saved as a secret from the opposite opponents, which means it did under no circumstances affect the jury’s votes. All through the season, Gabler needed to lay low to keep away from being focused at tribal council, which earned him the nickname “Alli-Gabler,” as a result of he was a harmful risk who needed to submerge himself with a view to not appeal to consideration.
Gabler was on Loudwire’s radar too, however for various causes. Within the first episode, the center valve specialist who works with U.S. armed forces veterans reveals himself to be a metalhead in dialog with one other competitor. We’ll get to extra of that in only a bit, however as soon as we noticed that, Gabler turned our hopeful to win all of it.
Later discovering that he had a need to win the million {dollars} to assist out veterans in an excellent greater approach made him all of the extra likable as a favourite.
On this interview, we chat with Gabler about his time on the present, his love for heavy metallic and the way all of that prize cash is being divvied up.
Let’s speak concerning the first episode of Season 43. You and Ellie, who later turned rivals and also you had been in a position to get her voted out, fashioned a fast bond over heavy metallic. Nonetheless, it wasn’t completely honest as she later confessed that her late sister was a metallic fan and he or she was kind of parroting bands her sister was a fan of. Everybody performs their sport in a different way, as we all know. What was your response while you noticed this on TV?
She was actually cool. It will have been higher if she was into metallic as a result of we might have talked just a little bit extra. She was enjoying her sport and it is all a part of it.
One of many attention-grabbing issues about being on the present after which watching the edit on TV is that you do not know precisely the way it’s going to be portrayed. Then there’s different nuggets that can pop up and you are like, “Ah-ha! I knew it!”
I used to be actually blessed and fortunate to be in a season with so many cool folks. We’re all nonetheless mates. It is a sport of attrition and, little by little, folks get knocked out, but it surely positive was lots of enjoyable being on that loopy journey.
Whenever you’re not competing on wild actuality TV exhibits, you are a training coronary heart valve specialist. How lengthy have you ever been doing that for?
I am not an MD, however I do go into surgical procedure. I seek the advice of with the center staff forward of time for a transcatheter aortic valve alternative (TAVR). There are 4 valves in your coronary heart and what we do is we take a metallic stent that has bovine pericardial tissue that can seal properly into the aortic valve or mitral valve or wherever.
As soon as we work out the entry level, the method and the most effective dimension for every affected person, I will go into the process with the physicians (often an interventional heart specialist and a surgeon) thee anesthesiologist, some nurses and techs and my job is to place the valve collectively.
My function is like while you’re on the airport, your aircraft lands and also you see these guys with orange cones directing the pilot. I am the cone man — I make my strategies, they do it and we get the valve implanted. The entire process takes about an hour and it is exceptional. We’re doing 4 of them tomorrow.
My profession has spanned over 20 years, and it is actually wonderful to work in healthcare, serving the neighborhood, taking good care of folks and dealing with this cool expertise. The sufferers go dwelling the following day with an incision a few centimeter lengthy of their groin and that is it.
At what age did you grow to be a metallic fan? What first acquired you into it?
My dad took me on my first live performance again in February of 1984 — Ozzy Osbourne on the Bark on the Moon tour with Motley Crue opening in help of Shout on the Satan. A pair years later I noticed Ozzy once more on The Final Sin tour with Metallica opening. They nonetheless had Cliff Burton and had been supporting Grasp of Puppets.
Motley Crue had been wonderful and the one music that actually stood out to me at that live performance was “Take Me To the High.” The following day, I used to be like, “I’ve acquired to get that document.”
For thus many, music is a spot of consolation and helps will get us by means of lots of tough instances. What was it like with out music for the 26 days you had been competing on Survivor? That needed to be unusual.
[Contestant] Jesse [Lopez] and I had been true metallic folks collectively.
Whenever you stroll into the immunity problem space, you by no means knew what you had been going to see. You’d stroll out of the jungle and there can be this contraption or a area and nets, mud pits…no matter, proper in entrance of you.
I would be pondering about Metallica’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls” [mimics riff vocally] and Jesse would try this, too. We’d simply pump ourselves up as a result of we have not eaten in days. We’re ravenous. I misplaced 32 kilos in a really quick period of time and the longest I went with out consuming was about 12 days. So, Survivor is actual — should you do not discover it or win it, you do not eat.
On the immunity problem, you flip the nook and I’d all the time flip a swap. These competitions are each little bit of an hour and even longer generally. If you happen to take you and me at present, effectively fed and effectively rested, it might gasoline us each.
So, popping out of the jungle and having some music in your head to harden you and amp you up was an actual profit.
You’re the first ever Survivor winner to donate your $1 million prize. You donated all the prize package deal, right?
All the million {dollars}, sure sir.
Ensuring this cash goes to veteran companies was crucial to you. Did you divide the cash up or did you donate all of it to at least one institution?
We divided it up.
Going into the sport, my spouse and I talked about what I would do with the cash if I received. We have one child in school and one other one which’s going to school in a few years. We have a home fee… All people might all the time use extra money, however we began eager about it and we really feel very blessed the place we’re in life. We have labored actually exhausting.
Simply realizing how necessary that cash is to folks on the market, particularly veterans… one % of our nation defend the 99 % of us. They arrive dwelling, however generally they do not come all the best way dwelling [carrying trauma, injury, etc. back with them] and there is a lot that’s missing [regarding veteran care], which is backed up by horrible statistics concerning veteran suicide.
I by no means had the distinction of serving, however to have the distinction to serve those that served us may be very huge to me, particularly coming from a navy household. If we save one life, it is price it and we’re going to be saving greater than that as a result of we have donated to a wide range of crucial veterans foundations. A few of them deal immediately with PTSD (post-traumatic stress dysfunction), TBI (traumatic mind harm) and suicide prevention.
We additionally helped out a few different foundations which might be equally necessary, such because the Particular Operations Wounded Warrior Basis, who care for the kids of the fallen Particular Forces people and Medal of Honor recipients principally from the cradle to school.
How a lot cash has been given out to date?
To this point, we have given away $550,000 and we have now about $425,000 to go.
After I acquired again from the present, we visited with some accountants to ensure that we do not get in bother with the IRS like Survivor Season 1 winner Richard Hatch did. We created this factor referred to as a Donor-Suggested Fund the place all the cash bypassed me and went immediately into that fund so that each penny that goes in there needs to be used for veterans’ charities, 501 3c charities. I can not even purchase a cup of espresso with it.
By parking the cash in there, we reduce the taxes, which was a very necessary step.
In your every day life, you serve those that served and on Survivor you competed with one other noteworthy hero preventing their very own private battle, Noel Lambert, a observe and area paralympian.
She’s the younger lady on the present who solely has one leg and is a exceptional particular person.
I used to be speaking to her after the season ended about making a basis or a fund and he or she gave me an instance of her basis referred to as Born to Run, which anyone can donate to.
There’s this little boy in Africa who was born with none legs and he is 5 years outdated now. He was sort of scooting round on his bum attempting to play soccer along with his palms. His dad and mom cannot afford to purchase prosthetic legs and Nicole stated it may be $10,000 to get him a brand new pair of legs.
I assumed, “Effectively, how a lot for these badass blades like you’ve Noel?” It was $10,000 extra so we donated a few of my prize cash and took care of his legs. He is strolling round now. It is unbelievable to see this wonderful baby, and it is simply warms your coronary heart.
So, it is a non-veteran charity that we donated to, but it surely’s for an excellent trigger to assist a baby stroll.
Noel was a incredible, inspiring competitor on Survivor. There was a problem it appeared like she was going to surrender on and he or she wound up making the most effective comebacks the present has ever seen. When she collapses proper when she secures the win, you can inform that victory second is about a lot greater than a problem on a actuality TV present.
I used to be within the lane subsequent to her. It was 105 levels exterior with 95 % humidity.
I might see her as a result of everyone acquired by means of the impediment course sooner than she did and he or she was falling off the stability beam — on a prosthetic leg for goodness sakes. She had tears in her eyes however hearth in her coronary heart, and he or she simply saved coming and each time I rotated to get one other beanbag to throw to attempt to win this and win some meals, I would see her just a little nearer. Finally she acquired to the tip and on her second throw, nails it. Complete athlete, whole stud.
Noel, was an inspiration all through all the season, not only for me, however I feel anyone watching.
Survivor Reward Problem: Put a Ring On It
Since Ellie introduced up Mastodon — a twenty first century metallic band — what are a number of the extra fashionable bands you want?
Lamb of God are actually good. They have some nice depth.
They don’t seem to be metallic, however Queens of the Stone Age are largely from the twenty first century. They only put collectively cool music they usually’re unique.
I actually like Amon Amarth, too.
Amon Amarth simply hold enjoying greater and larger venues. It has been actually nice to see their rise in recognition over the past couple of many years.
Go see them now as a result of they’ll be in even greater venues going ahead!
That is all the time sort of enjoyable. The final time I noticed Slayer was in Boise, Idaho, on the Revolution Middle, which is a fairly small venue [editor’s note: 2,300 capacity venue] and it is actually cool.
Due to Mike Gabler for the interview. Comply with him on Instagram and study extra about ‘Survivor’ right here.
