The Amazing Race: TAR35 Teams Introduction

 Good afternoon! Nope, this is not about Big Brother. Does everything have to be about Big Brother? No, it does not! I'm here to talk about the upcoming season of The Amazing Race and brief you on the teams.

The season starts on September 27. From that Wednesday forward, BB25 will be on Tuesday nights and Wednesdays will be 90-minute episodes of Survivor followed by 90-minute episodes of The Amazing Race. For the first time the show will feature 13 teams. According to CBC, the race will be a "23,800-mile adventure around the world." We will see the return of commercial flights instead of the private Covid-era flights. Plus, there will be no non-elimination legs, there will be a twist on the U-Turn and the Express Pass will be back.

Here's a cast video from Parade.com --

Here are the teams:

Alexandra and Sheridan Lichtor, brother and sister team from Chicago. She's 34, he's 29. Both graduated from Northwestern University with a Chemical Engineering degree and both currently work for the same global management consulting firm. Alex also plays tennis and has won multiple half marathons.

Ashlie and Todd Martin are a married couple living in Chino, California. They are both 38 years old. Ashlie is a hospitality account manager while Todd is a special education teacher. 

I can't seem to find much more on them other than the fact they first met at age 15. So, they should surely know each other's quirks by now!

Elizabeth and Iliana Rivera are a mother - daughter team from Tampa, Florida. Elizabeth is 52 years old and Ilana is 27. Their professions are listed as retired lieutenant and entrepreneur. Hmm. Lieutenant where I haven't a clue, nor entrepreneur in what.

Nothing like a bit of vagueness.

Greg and John Franklin are brothers living in New York City and Mountain View, California. Greg is 25, John is 27. Greg is a software developer while John is a product manager. I dunno. Both sound techy to me!

I've read that they have done quite a bit of traveling to other countries together. That could be a very good thing!

Jocelyn Chao and Victor Limary are both 49 years old and yes, they are married despite different surnames. They live in Albuquerque, New Mexico where they are both grocery store managers.

Like many others, they say reading the clue is very important. Let's see if they can practice what they preach!

The Amazing Race 34: Team Photos Cheat Sheet

 After all my confusion posting last week, I decided this was needed! It won't totally cure my confusion but at least there will be a handy reference of which team is whom.

Aastha and Nina

Abby and Will

Aubrey and David

Derek and Claire

Emily and Molly

Glenda and Lumumba

Linton and Sharik

Luis and Michelle

Marcus and Michael

Quinton and Mattie

Rich and Dom

Tim and Rex

Of the teams, I think the last one, Tim and Rex, have the coolest team name -- T-Rex!

The Amazing Race: TAR34 Preview Video and Cast List

What? No non-Philimination legs? The Amazing Race 34 makes its premiere Wednesday (September 21), at 10PM ET following a two-hour Survivor season premiere. BB24 is not on that evening and will air a special Friday show on the 23rd with its finale on Sunday, the 25th.

Have I confused you yet?

 

Here are the teams:

Aastha Lal (33) and Nina Duong (34), an engaged couple from Marina Del Ray, CA

Abby Garrett (24) and Will Freeman (25), childhood sweethearts from Birmingham, AL

Aubrey Ares (29) and David Hernandez (29), ballroom dancers from Los Angeles, CA

Derek Xiao (24) and Claire Rehfuss (25), a Big Brother reality romance living in Los Angeles, CA

Emily Bushnell (36) and Molly Sinert (36), long-lost twins from Ardmore, PA, and Palm Beach Gardens, FL, respectively

Glenda (41) and Lumumba Roberts (41), newlyweds from Norcross, GA

Luis Colon (34) and Michelle Burgos (34), a married couple from Miami, FL

Linton (50) and Sharik Atkinson (23), father and daughter from Brooklyn, NY

Marcus (38) and Michael Craig (30), military brothers from Richmond Hill, GA, and Alamogordo, NM, respectively

Quinton Peron (29) and Mattie Lynch (27), former Los Angeles Rams cheerleaders from Pasadena, CA, and Vista, CA, respectively

Tim Mann (40) and Rex Ryan (59), golf buddies from Brentwood, TN

Rich Kuo (32) and Dom Jones (35), motivational speakers from Huntington Beach, CA

TAR32: Meet the Cast - Part 3

The show starts tonight, right after Big Brother. Be there or be square. Or something like that. You can catch up on the teams in my posts -- Meet the Cast - Part 1 and Meet the Cast - Part 2. Without further ado, here are the remaining three teams we'll be watching --

Best Friends: Nathan and Cody

Nathan Worthington is 39 from Dayton, TN. He works in La-Z-Boy manufacturing. Ohh ... how comfy! He's very outdoorsy which can be a plus, but he doesn't seem well-traveled or used to big strange cities. 

Maybe it's just me but there are far too many guys named Cody in reality television! Cody Buell is 33, from Point Lick, KY. He too is outdoorsy liking hiking, scuba diving and more. Both friends are into noodling. No, not canoodling! That's way different! Noodling is catching catfish by hand. Yikes. They seem like they will be fun to watch.

Pro Volleyball Players:
Riley and Maddison

Riley McKibbin is 31 and lives in Honolulu, HI. Yes, both he and his partner are professional beach volleyball players. Um. Okay. Sounds athletic enough.  But what isn't mentioned is that they are brothers. Yep, I can see the resemblance. Riley is a YouTuber whom I have never noticed. In his bio on the CBS site he's extremely longwinded while his brother is simply longwinded.

Maddison McKibbin is 29 and also from Honolulu. I certainly hope they aren't as wordy on the race as they are in the bios. He's also involved in the YouTube Channel -- The McKibbin Brothers. They have traveled with the volleyball circuit, but I don't know how much travel outside the country. We'll see.

  

Dating: Will and James

Will Jardell is 30, residing in Nederland, TX. He is a public health specialist and dance teacher. Ohh ... maybe he will have to do a dance roadblock! His dance instruction is in Los Angeles. I have no clue on the commuting! He's 6'6" so I will be able to tell them apart from the start. That's a problem I always have in the beginning with same-sex teams.

James Wallington is 31 and from Grand Rapids, MI. He's apparently living in the Los Angeles area where he's an event coordinator and social media manager. Of course, the latter can be done from anywhere. He says he's a superfan of the show, watching since he was 12. We'll be the judge of that -- keywords: stick shift and swimming. He's applied to be on the show nine times and finally made it. 

TAR32: Meet the Cast - Part 2

Father and Son: Jerry and Frank

Frank Eaves is 25 and resides in Louisville, KY. He makes a living in luxury car sales. It sounds like he has some interesting clientele between stars and sports figures! He's athletic, always a plus in the race. His bio makes it sound like he's in it just as much for the adventure with his father or more so than for the money.

Jerry Eaves is 61, also residing in Louisville. He's a host of sports radio and also the athletic director/coach of men's basketball at Simmons College of Kentucky. Heh ... he said what scares him the most about traveling is the middle seat. I can so get behind him on that one! He seems athletic considering he's probably the oldest racer on the show. Like his son, it seems the adventure and bonding are more of an incentive than the winning monies.

Sisters: Kaylynn and Haley

Kaylynn Williams is 30, living in Bluffton, SC. She's a real estate agent. It sounds like she's a pretty good fit for the race -- likes anything to do with on the water, running and such. She refers to her sister as her best friend and it sounds like they have a great relationship unlike some of the love/hate ones we've seen.

Haley Williams is 31 and also lives in Bluffton. She is also a real estate agent. I think I'm sensing a theme here! She refers to her sister as her "best friend attached at the hip." They share not only the same town, same job but pretty much the same interests, too. Both seem on the athletic and adventurous side. Hopefully their personalities will shine as much as their smiles do.

Former Olympic Hurdlers:
Kellie and LaVonne

Kellie Wells-Brinkley is 38 and resides in Richmond, VA. She's an on-air personality, public speaker and is a strategic partnership manager for a tech company (whatever that is!). Oh my. She likes pole-dancing. I wonder if that particular hobby will come into play on the show! It's a pretty sure thing that she's athletic. She loves and is used to traveling and competition. We could have a contender team here.

LaVonne Idlette is 34 and resides in Hampton, VA. She's a real estate impact investor and fund manager/mortgage broker. She explains the former in her bio and it sounds way complicated. She has also passed her bar exam, so she has athletic skills and smarts, too. She calls Kellie her best friend.

 

Sisters: Michelle and Victoria

Michelle Newland is 34 from Lafayette, LA. She is a luxury auto salesperson, apparently BMWs as she hash-tagged in her bio on the CBS site and considers them "the ultimate driving machine." I just hope that includes stick shifts! She loves her job. She doesn't seem to enjoy any athletic pursuits but loves to photograph her food. She would like to see Vietnam as their parents came to the US for a better life and she has never been there.

Victoria Newland is 33, also living in Lafayette. She is a physician auditor, consultant and educator. Well, that's not like selling BMWs! She likes sleeping. I doubt she'll see a lot of that on the race! However, she does list some more athletic pursuits such as biking and working out. So, that's good. Both sisters like cats. So I must like them, right?

You can find Part 1 of the cast posts HERE.

If you want in on the blog pool, you would need to sign up HERE -- not here here, on that link! The deadline is looming!

TAR32: Meet the Cast - Part 1

Dating: Alana and Leo

Alana Folsom is 29 from Somerville, MA. She's an Internal Communications Associate at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Oh my. She enjoys poetry, cooking and running. Hmm. One of those might help her, maybe all dependent on the challenges. 

 Leo Brown is 31 and also from Somerville, MA. He's a senior healthcare data analyst. So, we're talking mostly about software computer stuff there. I don't think any of his hobbies are going to help him in the race too much -- "Playing the violin, vegetable gardening, eating peanut butter, and hosting friends in our backyard." He would like to go to Australia to meet a platypus. Ah, a man after my own heart. He wants to prove to Alana that he's a keeper. I don't know how they'll do but I think they will be likable.

Siblings: Aparna and Eswar

Aparna Dhinakaran is 26 from Berkeley, CA, She is an engineer/entrepreneur. Cool -- she's very involved with AI (Artificial Intelligence), It won't help her on the race, but cool anyway. She says she likes writing in cute little coffeeshops and preparing for her Bollywood breakout. Um. Okay.

Eswar Dhinakaran is 24, from Fremont, CA. He's a software engineer/entrepreneur. Thankfully, he at least has some more athletic hobbies than his sister. In his CBS bio he's nowhere near as wordy as she is. Both siblings grew up watching the show and it's a lifetime dream for them to actually be on it.

Former NFL: Gary and DeAngelo

Gary Barnidge is 34, from Middleburg, FL. He played for the Carolina Panthers and the Cleveland Browns and is now running a non-profit football-related organization. As I don't watch football at all, I had to look him up. He's the white guy.

DeAngelo Williams is 37, from Charlotte, NC. He played for Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers. All he lists is retired for now.

Both seem to be a bit bored and are looking for adrenalin excitement as well as adventure. They will probably do well.

Married Parents: Hung and Chee

Chee Lee is 38 from Houston, TX. He lists his occupation as financial planning and analysis. He seems to be athletic although he enjoys binge-watching shows with his wife and once ate five pounds of pizza in an hour to win a contest.

Hung Nguyen is 39 also living in Houston. She's a professional development coach -- turning potential into promotions (she says). She was born in a refugee camp and is kind of hoping the race will take her back there as she has never returned. Both parents seem to be supportive and both like to experiment with new foods. I think they too will do well!

If you haven't signed up for the blog pool yet, please sign up by going to THIS LINK. Please don't sign up on this cast post! The deadline is looming! The season premiere is Wednesday, October 14, after Big Brother.

TAR32: The Amazing Race Blog Pool OPENS!

Well, that just kind of sneaked up on us. Or, at least, on me! The season premier of The Amazing Race 32 is next Wednesday, October 14, at 9pm ET/PT -- following the Big Brother episode. The season was filmed long before the pandemic hit and has been waiting in the wings.

I'll be posting more on the cast over the next few days. However, I want to get this pool in motion! Lifeguard SueGee has graciously volunteered to run the blog pool. She's cool like that, y'know. 

What's it all about? 

Our esteemed and accomplished Lifeguard SueGee (AKA SqueeGee) will randomly match up pool entrants with the race teams. Once matched up with a team, you need to cheer them on until they're Philiminated or win it all. Yeah, even if they're obnoxious. Deal with it! 

What will I win? 

IF you win, you'll be pleased to know there is NO CASH PRIZE! Nuh-uh. No way. That would cheapen the whole thing, don't ya think? Instead of paltry prizes, you get BRAGGING RIGHTS. Yep! From now through all eternity YOU will be a blog pool winner here. Feel free (and I encourage it) to put your win in your sign-off signature so that everyone can oooh and ahhh. Can't you hear the crowd now?

 

How do I get in on this wild action?!?! 

You just need to sign up in the comments of THIS POST and THIS POST ONLY. If you put your name in on another post or Facebook or Twitter, it might be missed. If you come here as anonymous, you must come up with some sort of name in you comment. Otherwise, we can't tell the anonymous folks apart. Well, except for the unruly ones, maybe. 

When is the deadline for joining the pool? 

The deadline for signing up is TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13 at NOON Pacific Time (that's 3pm ET). Don't put it off! Sign up TODAY!

The Amazing Race 27: Meet the Cast Video

The good news is that the new season of The Amazing Race premieres next week!

The bad news is that it's once again scheduled for 8pm ET/PT on Friday nights. Unfortunately, I fear that a lot of the audience has gone by the wayside since the show started airing on Friday nights a few seasons back.

That said, it looks like an interesting cast this season and I'm looking forward to watching! Will you be watching the show?

The Amazing Race 26: Casting the Couples, Part 1

I've done the looks at the blind dates in the casting for this season's The Amazing Race. Time to delve into the already existing couples they'll be up against!

LEBYA AND CJ

CJ Harris, age 26, is an IT tech who's been dating Lebya Simpson, age 25, a medical support assistant for the VA Hospital, for over ten years. Yeah, she wants him to put a ring on it. They both hail from Tuskegee, Alabama. They've known each other since childhood.

I'm not sure how well they'll do on the race, but I like this couple. I think they're going to be entertaining.

ROCHELLE AND MICHAEL

Well, these two are a bit different. Michael Dombrowski is 26, a truck stop manager (his parents' business) and pro-wrestling promoter, living in Traverse City, Michigan. Rochelle Nevedal is 29, a contract engineer who does business with companies such as ATT, plus she's the co-owner of a roller derby league in her hometown of Kalkaska, Michigan. They've only been dating eight months.

She wants to use the race to "test" the relationship as she has a young son and wants to make sure she makes good decisions about her future relationship. Um. Okay. I'm not sure the stress of the race is the best way to fast forward a relationship. We'll see. They both better not keep saying "actually" and "at the end of the day" throughout the show!

JONATHAN AND HARLEY

Squee! Squee! It's a NKOTB member! Of course, they kind of came after my teenage years. I'd like to know how Jonathan Knight is actually 46 years old these days?!? That makes me feel even older than my years. His partner is Harley Rodriguez, age 41. Harley is a master fitness trainer. They have been together seven years and live in New York.

Y'know, I think these two might very well do quite well on the show. Between the used to traveling and physical factors, they're light years ahead of a few teams. A seven-year relationship is probably more stable than the eight months of the previous couple.

The Amazing Race 26 - Casting the Singles, Part 2

Finally I'm on to the remaining singles headed for the blind date of their lives on the upcoming season of The Amazing Race ...

JACKIE

Jackie Ibarra is 27 years old, a Las Vegas showgirl. (She quite obviously differs from Jackie, your loyal blogger.) In her video, she talks about needing respect and how she'll "keep him in his place." Oh my. That wouldn't necessarily be my own first thoughts about a possible relationship. She might have some issues, methinks. In her online bio, she's listed as a "professional dancer" instead of a Las Vegas showgirl. Hmm. She seems to enjoy traveling and trying new things. I'm a bit hesitant about her due to her also mentioning either "respect" or "disrespect" more than a few times in the bio in addition to what she said in the video. I'm wondering if things are going to be her way or the highway.

She's teamed up with:


JEFFREY

Jeffrey Weldon is 26 and works as a sales account executive in Tampa, Florida. In his video he says he has no filter and will probably say things without thinking first, but he's determined to make it work. He's looking for someone with a sense of humor and hopefully good at building things because he's not. In his bio, he mentions (amongst other things) that he's looking for someone with a great-looking face. Sigh. I'm not sure how this couple will mesh. I get the feeling there might be some fireworks.

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LAURA

Laura Pierson is a 29 year old talent booker living in Los Angeles. In her video she says she needs to feel loved and cherished in a relationship and that she can be bossy. Uh-oh. I think I see a few red flags! It could be just me, but I'm not getting a heck of a lot from her online bio despite the fact she "talked" a lot. I have no clue how she'll do on the race. But I do know she enjoys cooking and doesn't want to be with someone who doesn't like her friends. She's teamed up with ...

TYLER

Tyler Adams is 26 and living in Santa Monica, California. In his video, he says he's looking for a partner to help him win and doesn't care for whiners. In his bio, it sounds like he develops those games which annoy me so much on Facebook! Yikes! He doesn't like a girl with a negative or pessimistic attitude. I wonder how he does with bossy? After reading his bio, I'm much more impressed with him than I am with his blind date. He sounds a bit like a dream guy and I like that he mentions attributes other than looks in what he's looking for in a romantic partner.

There you go. I'll delve into the actual couples in my next TAR post!

The Amazing Race 26 - Casting the Singles, Part One

I think this "blind date" bit for a twist this season might be rather interesting. Perhaps the five couples will be strangers at the start. However, by the end they'll have shared a special experience and should either love or hate each other.

Oh. That's kind of like the established already couples on the show. Never mind. Let's check these people out:

KURT

Hmm. He seems to place more emphasis on physical qualities in his "blind date" than the real stuff of a relationship. Now, I'm not talking physical qualities as in what's needed to endure and compete in the race. Nope. He's talking the shallow stuff.

Kurt Jordan Belcher is 24 years old and hails from Butler, Kentucky. His online bio kind of confirms the video with little else thrown in there for us to ponder. He's matched up with ...

BERGEN

Bergen Olson is 23 and currently living in Sunnyvale, California. He's originally from Minnesota. While Kurt tends to go for such deep things as good looks and muscles, it seems that Bergen tends towards more laudable traits in his online bio -- good personality, sense of humor and commitment. That conflicts a bit with what he says in the video (in which he's also going for looks a lot). Overall, I think I like him better than I do Kurt. Neither has ever been out of the country.

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JELANI

Jelani Roy is a 32 year old lawyer from New York City, New York. I like him. He comes across as both smart and knowing that the concept of the date is to WIN THE AMAZING RACE. Unlike the first person in the last couple I looked at, Jelani seems a lot more laid-back regarding any sort of romance. It sounds like, to him, if that happens ... cool. If not ... he still wants to win the race. In his bio, he mentions the fact that he passed the NYS bar exam on the first try. He seems confident and I'd certainly partner up with the dude! He's matched up with ...

JENNY

Jenny Wu is a 32 year old lawyer/blogger from Los Angeles, California. A blogger! Woot! Woot! I think she's got a good match with Jelani. She doesn't seem to be searching for the love of her life -- she wants someone she can work with. Unlike Kurt (and to a lesser extent, Bergen), she wants strengths of the mind, humor and athleticism. In her bio, she mentions photography being a hobby. I already like her! A relationship deal-breaker for her is "an aversion to desserts." Boy, I like this gal. I'm not sure if she'll see any resemblance to Leonardo DiCaprio in Jelani, but she'll get over it. I think these two could be contenders!

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HALEY

Haley Keel is looking for the win and the man of her dreams. Okay. Haley is 28 years old, a registered nurse currently residing in St. Petersburg, Florida. She original hails from Ohio. She's um ... perky, bubbly and upbeat it seems. I personally don't do those traits, but more power to her. She's intelligent and likes to do athletic kind of things. Having a need to control might not work in her favor seeing that she's on a blind date race around the world. We'll see. She's partnered with ...

BLAIR

Blair Townsend is a 31 year old physician from Amelia Island, Florida. He's originally from Virginia. Obviously, TAR is really trying to set up relationships here -- lawyer/lawyer, doctor/nurse. From his online bio, he mentions doing Ironman competitions and such. Haley should like that! I really like how he came across in his video. If Haley is strong, these two could make a formidable team on the show. I think I like him more than her. Bubbly tends to get on my nerves. Hopefully she won't be bubbly on the show. (No offense meant for those who enjoy bubbly.)

What do you think of these matches?

The new season premieres Wednesday, February 25.