“If you don’t have a totem yet? You still have to put in work,” Sandra Diaz-Twine tells me. The two-time Survivor winner is referencing the massive 20-foot busts of her and Rob Mariano that now stare out to the Fijian waters. Sandra and Rob–and their statue doppelgangers–are making a home on the “Island of the Idols,” as part of the reality show’s newest theme.

The 39th season will involve Rob and Sandra in a large capacity, though they will not be actually playing nor in the running for the million-dollar prize. Instead, they will become “mentors” to the twenty new contestants. Periodically, contestants will visit them on the Island of the Idols to learn a lesson from the pair that can help them in the game. Additionally, the Survivor students will be able to put their new skills to the test to try to earn an advantage.

Related: Meet the Full Cast of Survivor Season 39

At Sandra and Rob’s behest, the duo–who have played over 200 days of Survivor between them–will also be living on the island for the season’s entirety. They take a break from hacking down trees for a new shelter to talk with me, where they tell me their motto for Island of the Idols: “It’s gonna be great.”

“Sandra came up with that when we saw each other,” Rob tells Parade.com. “She said, ‘Rob, it’s gonna be great.’ I said, ‘Yeah, I’ll remind you of that on the first night when it’s pouring rain and we’re suffering.'”

Read on for my interview with Rob and Sandra, where they give their thoughts on their new roles as mentors. And make sure to check in with Parade.com every day for interviews with this season’s contestants and other on-set tidbits. Survivor: Island of the Idols premieres on September 25 with a special 90-minute premiere on CBS.

Sandra, you were playing in Fiji only a couple of years ago for Game Changers. Was this like getting back on a bike?

Sandra Diaz-Twine: It was crazy. Knowing I can’t be voted off, I get to do my 39 days. That was cut short on Day 16 in Game Changers. It’s a win/win. We’re not competing in challenges, which is something I really hate. Yeah, we’ve got a couple of things we have to do in terms of the “boot camp” and teaching them different things. But that’s easy stuff. That’s either camp life or strategy. That’s up here. (Points to her head.) So I don’t have to worry about anything.

On the other end, Rob, you haven’t played Survivor in over eight years. What was it like waking up on the island?

Rob Mariano: Not too bad. My back hurts since I’m not on a mattress. But not too bad.

What was your reaction to finding out about the twist?

Sandra: I was like, “Oh my God. Of all people, me?!” And Jeff was like, “Why not you? You’ve been out there and made it to the end. You’ve won the game twice. You’re obviously doing something right.” Between me and Rob, we have so much to offer. So I thought, “Okay, let’s do it.”

Rob: For a long time, every since Redemption, I never had any want or desire to go back. But I said if there was ever a special circumstance that made sense and I thought would be fun, then I would consider it. So when Jeff called me, we talked through what he wanted to do. The only thing I told him was, “I just want the experience to be authentic.” I don’t want to go back to a base camp at night. We’re out here; we’re doing it. If we’re gonna talk the talk, we should walk the walk. It’s really awesome. They get to come and learn different things from us. We can impact the game without playing the game.

Rob, how much do you think that game has changed since you last played?

Rob: It’s changed a lot. It’s still changing. Every season, it just seems like there’s a new twist or caveat. When I first played 18 years ago, there were no Hidden Immunity Idols. The game was focused on if you could provide for camp and how you did in the challenges. It seems like it’s evolved to where it’s primarily social relationships. All the other stuff matters very little.

I know that getting you to Fiji was shrouded in secrecy. What’s your alibi back home while you’re here?

Rob: I only told my wife and my parents. My kids think I’m working out of town in Australia. I’m still working in construction, so they think daddy got a contract job and he’s going away to work.

Sandra: I’ve been working at the same law firm for seven years. I was still working there during Game Changers, and I told the truth then. This time around, I said, “We’re getting stationed in Germany.” In the seven years I’ve been there, I’ve got from Fort Bragg, North Carolina to Fort Gordon, Georgia. Now we’re at MacDill Airforce Base in Tampa. So it was easy to say, “My husband got orders again. His last station is going to be in Stuttgart, Germany. I’ll reach out to you once I settle in Germany and figure out the WiFi situation.” Then I just came here. Friday was my last day of work, and by Wednesday I was here.

When you found out you were coming out here again, was there any preparation you did?

Sandra: I never prepare. That’s the thing with me. I don’t go and do something I don’t like to do, which is exercise. But I usually drink two to three cups of coffee a day with milk and sugar. So I started laying off the milk first. Then I went from white to brown to no sugar. I don’t want to be miserable out here. This is not easy and I don’t want to add to it. I know my body needs coffee. I was treating it like I was a smoker.

Rob: I had to eat a lot. That’s it. It’s not really something you can prepare for, I guess. Either you’ve got it or you don’t. This is a different situation. We’re not really in gameplay mode. As far as surviving, I know how to do it. I know how to catch fish and make a fire. Whatever needs to be done, I know how to do it. It’s like riding a bike; you don’t lose that.

What are some lessons you hope to teach the contestants this season?

Rob: It depends on what point they come. We’re not going to teach social dynamics and game theory to the first person who shows up here. We might teach them how to make a fire or catch a fish. But as the game progresses, the lessons will get more in-depth. It’ll also depend on who the person is and what they need. We have a lot to offer. We’ve been out here seven times and over 200 days between the two of us. We’ve won, but we’ve also lost. So we also know what that feels like when things aren’t going your way. Between Sandra and me, we’ve experienced just about everything you can experience in the game.

Sandra: “As long as it ain’t me.” Don’t trust anybody. You have to trust a couple of people. But at the end of the day, go with your gut. It’s how you feel and how you read the situation. Pay attention to details and watch what’s going on. Loyalty is also big for me. Now they have these “voting blocs.” I’m one of these old school players where I believe in loyalty from the very beginning. If we’re together on Day 1, I hope we’re together in the final six.

How do you anticipate sizing up the people who come here to see you?

Sandra: Survivor is always different kinds of people from all different kinds of backgrounds. I’d like to get a dose of everyone and see how they feel about me and Rob, and how they’ve prepared. We’re going to try to help them out, but we’re not picking favorites. Anything they bring here stays here. We want to engrave into them that whatever happens here, stays here. That way, this continues to be successful with people not giving tidbits about what happens on Island of the Idols.

Rob: Some people are going to show up and they’re going to think they know everything. Some people will be helpless and scared. I imagine all of them will be apprehensive at first until they know the premise and that we’re not a threat to win their game. Hopefully, they use us to their advantage. I just hope we can help them. Our whole point being out here is to impact their game in a positive way. We’re not trying to make them lose. If they lose their vote because they lost a challenge, then they need to be able to see the underlying lesson. There are going to be lots of negotiations out here, and you shouldn’t always believe what the other person is telling you. Or vice versa.

What’s your reaction to finding out that you get to negotiate terms for the tests?

Sandra: We’re going to be kind. We’re not coming out here to be assholes. We might pick at them just a little bit for fun. But we’ll know we’re limits depending on who comes out here and what kind of feel. For this first round, we get to offer safety for up to three Tribal Councils. But Rob is hoping to get them at one, two max. He’s hoping it doesn’t get to three. If they don’t choose what we offer, then that’s good for them as well. They know we’re obviously trying to trick them and take something that’s very valuable from them while giving them something we feel is very valuable in the game. We want to give them time to think the whole process through.

Rob: Depending on who the person is, we’ll know how much to offer them. But we can utilize stuff they tell us against them. That’s what we do best. For example, they tell us they’re in a really good alliance. Well, that’s a reason to gamble! You don’t really need your vote. They tell us they’re in a really bad alliance. Well, that’s a reason to gamble! (Laughs.) You really need this. You can play it both ways, depending on who the person is and what they give up. In negotiating, usually whoever talks first loses. I know how to negotiate pretty well. It doesn’t really matter if I offer you a bowl of apples or one apple. The prize doesn’t really matter. The fact of the matter is if I’m out here doing it for 17 years, I’m going to do it better than you.

So if this is a good cop/bad cop situation, who’s who?

Rob: I think Sandra and I would be bad cop/bad cop. (Laughs.)

Sandra: I’m the good cop. I can butter them up. I’m a mother, so I’ll motivate them and help them out as best I can. I’d like them to beat Rob.

If you could teach one lesson to yourself back in your first season, what would it be?

Sandra: Looking back on the Pearl Islands, sometimes you have to step away from a situation. I can get aggressive. My whole Jonny Fairplay “I can get loud too, what the [expletive].” That [expletive] where the fans are quoting it back to you. They loved that. And this is for future Sandra as well, if need be. You’ve got to look at a situation from the outside in, instead of throwing more fuel on the fire. As I get older, I need to take a step back and say, “I know you didn’t mean that. If you were, I’m letting you know that’s not how you need to be talking to me. I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt that it came out wrong. So let me take a step back, and then let’s go at it.” I mean what I say and say what I mean.

Rob: In Marquesas, I would probably tell myself, “This is a big opportunity. Take it a little bit more seriously.” I was just out there having a good time. One lesson that any Survivor player should know is that no matter what happens out here, you have to be adaptable. There are a lot of lessons you’re going to learn. But whatever your gameplay is, the person who’s best able to adapt to whatever situation they’re in is the one that’s going to be able to go the furthest. Lots of things are going to happen to you, and things aren’t going to go your way. If you can figure out a way to switch it up, be prepared. You can get into perceptions and wondering if people are paying attention. But the main thing is to be able to be adaptable.

Next, Everything You Need to Know About Survivor Season 39