Military Heroes John Burk, Riki Long, Chloe Mondesir and Grady Powell
Serve as “The Cadre”
WWE® Superstar John Cena® welcomes 17 new competitors – who either have lost their grit or never had it – to sunny Hampton Island, GA, on Season Two of AMERICAN GRIT, premiering Sunday, June 11 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. There, Cena and a brand-new group of mentors, known as “The Cadre,” will live alongside these men and women at Camp Grit, where the drama quickly heats up. They will take these competitors under their wings as they lead them through all-new team and individual challenges. In the end, only one individual will win a quarter of a million dollars, but hopefully, all of them will find their grit.
This season, The Cadre includes John Burk, an Infantry Drill Sergeant with the U.S. Army; Riki Long, a U.S. Marine; Chloe Mondesir, an Ammunition Technician with the U.S. Marines; and Grady Powell, a Green Beret. The Cadre will build their teams and leverage their very different mentoring styles to prove they have what it takes to help their competitors find their grit. It will be as tough a competition for The Cadre as it is for the teams, as tensions will rise and emotions will flare. But there is some fun to be had when the most unlikely personalities are brought together under one roof – and anything is possible in the Georgia sun.
Each week, the competitors will undergo a series of team challenges designed to test their ability to work together, strategize and lead. The winning team is safe from elimination but the losers’ fate is in the hands of the winning Cadre leader who selects three rival competitors to face off in a final test of endurance. With these brand-new challenges focusing more on will, desire and mental toughness, rather than mere physical prowess, the strongest may not be the one who survives. With something to prove, they must either wipe their tears and step up or “ring out” and go home.
Watch/share a first-look promo: https://youtu.be/K65Oqs0VscQ
Meet “The Cadre”:
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| JOHN BURK An Infantry Drill Sergeant with the U.S. Army, Burk enlisted at the age of 17 to pursue his dream of fighting for his country. He signed up as an Infantryman and was deployed to Iraq from 2003-2004, again to Iraq from 2006-2007 and then to Afghanistan from 2010-2011. Burk dedicated many years preparing young and less experienced soldiers for war by imparting his own experiences. He is currently an entrepreneur and lives in Dallas, TX. |
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| RIKI LONG As a U.S. Marine, Long was in charge of the legal administration at the Marine Corps’ largest personnel center, IPAC. In turn, she was responsible for leading a group of young Marines during her four years of service. She received two meritorious promotions and was honorably discharged as a Corporal. Long is now a fitness nutrition specialist and a competitive Olympic-style weightlifter. Originally, from San Diego, CA, she currently resides in Long Island, NY.
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| CHLOE MONDESIR An Ammunition Technician with the U.S. Marines, Mondesir was awarded a Certificate of Commendation for issuing over 300,000 tons of ammunition in Iraq. She spent her last year of service leading a group of Ammo Techs at Camp Geiger’s School of Infantry and was honorably discharged as a Corporal. She lives in California with her eight-year-old daughter, has earned two college degrees and donates her time to a non-profit organization called Pin-Ups for Vets, which raises money for underfunded Veteran Affairs programs. |
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| GRADY POWELL As a Green Beret, Powell served in the 10th Special Forces Group at Fort Carson, CO, where he was soon named Senior Detachment Weapons Sergeant and worked with his unit through tours to Iraq and Africa. After his time in the service, Powell traveled to Europe to re-acclimate to civilian life. He eventually made his way back to St. Louis, MO, where he helped open up a now-nationwide firearms training facility. |
Meet the 17 all-new men and women competing on this season of AMERICAN GRIT:
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| Scarlett Angelina Age: 24 Hometown: New Brunswick, NJ Occupation: Public Relations Coordinator |
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| Shermon Braithwaite Age: 22 Hometown: Brooklyn, NY Occupation: Hotel Clerk |
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| Herman Brar Age: 26 Hometown: Billings, MT Occupation: Nurse |
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| Hannah Butera Age: 23 Hometown: Newburyport, MA Occupation: Housewife |
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| Chris Edom Age: 48 Hometown: Merrick, NY Occupation: Kindergarten Teacher |
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| George Foreman IV Age: 28 Hometown: Houston, TX Occupation: Publicist |
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| Gigi Gustin Age: 20 Hometown: Glassboro, NJ Occupation: Sales Associate |
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Alison Kempkey Age: 36 Hometown: Seattle, WA Occupation: Fashion Consultant |
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| Melanie Mahanna Age: 29 Hometown: Brooklyn, NY Occupation: Tutor |
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| Richard Mallard Age: 32 Hometown: Berryville, TX Occupation: Vlogger |
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| Nathalie Martin Age: 45 Hometown: Youngsville, LA Occupation: Cleaning Business Owner |
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Carla Mireles Age: 26 Hometown: Chino, CA Occupation: Account Executive |
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| Janessa Morgan Age: 36 Hometown: Los Angeles, CA Occupation: Telecommunications Manager
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| Michael Wilson Morgan Age: 39 Hometown: Brooklyn, NY Occupation: Costume Designer |
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Gill Morton Age: 36 Hometown: Vernal, UT Occupation: Yoga Instructor |
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| Heather Pincelli Age:36 Hometown:Lakeland, FL Occupation:Private Investigator
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| Will Westwater Age: 23 Hometown: West Hollywood, CA Occupation: Swimming Instructor |
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AMERICAN GRIT is produced by Leftfield Pictures and executive-produced by David George, Brent Montgomery, Jon Kroll, Alycia Rossiter, Adam Sher, Will Nothacker, Simon Thomas and Anthony Carbone. John Cena also serves as executive producer. “Like” AMERICAN GRIT on Facebook at facebook.com/AmericanGritFOX/. Follow the series on Twitter @AmericanGritFOX and join the conversation using #AmericanGrit. See photos and videos on Instagram @instagram.com/americangritfox/.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: For information on AMERICAN GRIT, please visit www.foxflash.com.]
-FOX-