Teams » Season 20

Mark & Bopper
Name: Mark Jackson
Age: 45
Hometown: Manchester, Ky.
Connection to your teammate: Best friends
Occupation: Former State Inspector
What skills do you have that will help you win The Race? Don’t know but my heart will pull me through.
Three words to describe you: Loyal, outspoken and friendly.
Favorite hobbies: Golf, basketball and four wheeling.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Michael Jordan and Denzel Washington
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? Patrick Swayze
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? My kids
What scares you most about traveling? Flying
What excites you most about traveling? Seeing different things.
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together? Listening to each other.
Pet peeve about your teammate: He acts up too much. He doesn’t know when to stop.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? Scotland—to see some of the first golf courses ever built.
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? See the world.

Name: William "Bopper" Minton
Age: 41
Hometown: Manchester, Ky.
Connection to your teammate: Best friends
Current occupation: Motorcycle Mechanic
Describe what you do: I fix motorcycles and take care of my Mom and Dad.
How will these skills help you win The Race? I am good with my hands and it has made me a better person -- I think outside of the box.
Three words to describe you: Hyper, funny and exciting.
Favorite hobbies: Motorcycle riding, swimming and building bikes.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Jim Carey
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? Tiger Woods
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? My child
What scares you most about traveling? Getting lost and high places.
What excites you most about traveling? I have not done much traveling so I am really excited about getting to do that.
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together? For Mark to listen to me and realize that he is not always right.
Pet peeve about your teammate: He thinks he knows everything.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? Germany, because I have friends there.
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? To better our friendship and to see the world together.

Art & J.J.
Name: Art Velez
Age: 43
Hometown: Temecula, Calif.
Connection to your teammate: Friend/Co-worker
Current occupation: Border Patrol Agent
Describe what you do: I tell others what to do, how to do it, and I prevent illegal immigrants from entering the country.
How will these skills help you win The Race? I have the ability to adapt, adjust, overcome and make split second command decisions.
Three words to describe you: Funny, hilarious and good looking.
Favorite hobbies: Shooting guns in competition, golfing and smoking/cooking meats.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Ben Affleck
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? David "The Hoff" Hasselhoff
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? My incredible son and my marriage.
What scares you most about traveling? Getting arrested in a foreign country.
What excites you most about traveling? Experiencing different cultures.
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together: My partner needs to understand and learn that not everyone in the world is stupid.
Pet peeve about your teammate: His botox shots, plucked eyebrows and those loafers.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? spoke highly of New Zealand and they were wonderful people.
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? I want to see my partner cry on national television because I am his boss and he is a wuss.

Name: J.J. Carrell
Age: 42
Hometown: Carlsbad, Calif.
Connection to your teammate: Friend/Co-worker
Current occupation: Border Patrol Agent
Describe what you do: I supervise an anti-smuggling group of 20 agents in the United States Border Patrol.
How will these skills help you win The Race? I have to make quick and decisive decisions. I also have to think clearly and make sound decisions under extreme pressure.
Three words to describe you: Honest, funny and solid.
Favorite hobbies: Going to the beach, reading and working out.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Goose in "Top Gun."
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? The Tasmanian Devil.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Adopting my son.
What scares you most about traveling? Getting sick.
What excites you most about traveling? Experiencing other people and cultures.
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together: We always yell at each other. We need a smooth communication pattern.
Pet peeve about your teammate: His stupid gold chain that holds his badge.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? New Zealand, because I want to experience the people and the culture.
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? A better working relationship and better communication.

Nary & Jamie
Name: Nary Ebeid
Age: 32
Hometown: Los Angeles
Connection to your teammate: Friends
Current occupation: Federal Agent
Describe what you do: Enforce the controlled substance laws and bring criminals who grow, manufacture and distribute controlled substances to the criminal and civil justice system of the United States.
How will these skills help you win The Race? In this profession you need to be on your toes and make quick split and rational decisions under pressure. That is a tough skill to come by and making quick decisions for the Race is important.
Three words to describe you: Stubborn, loyal and warm-hearted.
Favorite hobbies: Working out at the gym, rollerblading and photo-scrapbooking.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Sandra Bullock in "Miss Congeniality"
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? Mike Myers in "Austin Powers" because of the funny voice she uses sometimes.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Completing the Academy, becoming a Federal Agent and getting my Masters degree in two and a half years, all while working full-time.
What scares you most about traveling? Being kidnapped or eating something that will make me sick and therefore ruin my trip!
What excites you most about traveling? The experience of seeing how other parts of the world look and how different people are and trying different food.
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together? We are both pretty good communicators with one another, but sometimes I may have to speak loudly to get it through her hard head.
Pet peeve about your teammate: She's hard headed and selfish sometimes - and a little high maintenance. For example, she told her fiancee that she wanted a $20,000 ring!
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? South Africa to see the African Safari.
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? The experience of a lifetime and gaining a stronger bond with Jamie.

Name: Jamie Graetz
Age: 33
Hometown: Los Angeles
Connection to your teammate: Friends
Current occupation: Federal Agent
Describe what you do: To enforce the controlled substances laws of the United States of America. In order to achieve this we target high-level drug traffickers and look to disrupt/dismantle them.
How will these skills help you win The Race? We are aggressive, pay attention to detail, are always ready for a challenge and never give up. Go hard or go home!
Three words to describe you: Alive, loyal and thankful.
Favorite hobbies: Running, baking and working out.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Austin Powers with a touch of Barbie.
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? Hulk Hogan—Nary is one tough cookie. You don’t want to see her get in a fight.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? When I was shot, the bullet shattered my right femur. I was close to losing my leg. I am most proud to be back at work and running again. Both are huge accomplishments for me.
What scares you most about traveling? Being kidnapped. I'd hate for my family and friends to wonder where I am or what happened to me. Or getting thrown in a foreign prison.
What excites you most about traveling? Where do I start? I love meeting new people and trying new food. Experiencing a different culture and sharing stories. It all gets me excited.
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together? We both always think we're right. We could definitely work on compromising every now and then. We also bicker quite a bit.
Pet peeve about your teammate: She is so stubborn. Once she's made a decision, it is an act of God to get her to change her mind.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? That's a tough one. I'd like to go to the Greek Isles with my boyfriend because it looks beautiful and for the great food. I want to go to Ibiza with my girlfriends.
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? Pushing ourselves to the limit and learning from each other. I'd love to see how we react in a foreign country under pressure. We travel a lot together, but it has never been stressful.

Joey & Danny
Name: Joey "Fitness" Lasalla
Age: 29
Hometown: Whitestone, N.Y.
Connection to your teammate: Friends
Current occupation: Trainer/Supplement Company Owner
Describe what you do: I own a supplement company and I help people get into better shape and look/feel healthier.
How will these skills help you win The Race? I know how to pay attention to detail.
Three words to describe you: Motivated, determined and trustworthy.
Favorite hobbies: Going to the gym, tanning and clubbing.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Jean-Claude Van Damme
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? The Terminator - Arnold Schwarzenegger, when he has his sunglasses on.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Landing the cover of Men's Fitness Magazine in May 2005.
What scares you most about traveling? Nothing... bring it on!
What excites you most about traveling? Trying out new things like exotic foods and meeting new people.
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together: We both usually want things done our way. In order to make it far we need to work on being a team and listening to each other's ideas.
Pet peeve about your teammate: He might party too much. All he talks about is clubs when we go to the shore to meet girls.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? Brazil - because the women are all beautiful and the beaches look amazing. It's definitely my kind of place.
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? Being able to say "I did this!" I want to travel and compete all over the world and develop a closer bond with my good friend.

Name: Danny Horal
Age: 27
Hometown: Holbrook, N.Y.
Connection to your teammate: Friends
Current occupation: Nightclub Promoter
Describe what you do: I market and promote several nightclubs in New York and the Jersey Shore. I book the DJ, create the event and persuade people to come.
How will these skills help you win The Race? People look to me to find out where to go and party. I'll use my persuasion skills to get people going where I want.
Three words to describe you: Self-motivated, athletic and sexy.
Favorite hobbies: Going to the gym, clubbing, tanning and sports. I'm a big New York Yankee's fan and New York Ranger's fan.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Rocky Balboa
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? James Bond
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Winning a New York State Baseball Championship and playing Division 1 College Baseball at St. Francis College in Brooklyn, N.Y.
What scares you most about traveling? I'm not scared at all.
What excites you most about traveling? Meeting new people and trying new things.
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together: Sometimes when he makes up his mind it is what it is -- even if I have a different opinion.
Pet peeve about your teammate: Once a day at the gym is enough. Joey goes 3 times a day.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? Australia - because throughout high school and college I did reports on it. It always interested me.
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? A better knowledge of the world and a closer bond with my friend.

Elliot & Andrews
Name: Elliot Weber
Age: 28
Hometown: Scottsdale, Ariz.
Connection to your teammate: Twins
Current occupation: Musician
Describe what you do: I'm a singer/songwriter based out of Phoenix, Arizona.
How will these skills help you win The Race? Music is a universal language and it's very competitive. I will take my aspirations for music and life, and use them to race for first.
Three words to describe you: Competitive, passionate and loyal.
Favorite hobbies: Music, soccer and working out.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Tommy Lee
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? Sean Connery
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Finishing my last record. It was a grueling process, but a great product. Be on the look out for it in spring 2012.
What scares you most about traveling? Nothing much, but I guess not having a parachute. What excites you most about traveling? The unexpected in terms of culture and people...I love to people watch.
Pet peeve about your teammate: He doesn't stick up for himself enough.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? I would love to go to Australia.
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? I hope my brother and I will grow even closer and begin many new chapters in our lives personally and together.

Name: Andrew Weber
Age: 28
Hometown: Menlo Park, Calif.
Connection to your teammate: Twins
Current occupation: Professional MLS Player
Describe what you do: I am a professional goal keeper in Major League Soccer. Day in and day out I train and compete to keep my skills up so that I am ready for the season beginning to end.
How will these skills help you win The Race? Being an athlete I am always pushing myself and my teammates to be the best. Having this mindset and attitude allows me to put my team in a position to be successful.
Three words to describe you: Confident, humble and level.
Favorite hobbies: I enjoy playing with my dog, Harley, going to concerts and outdoor activities such as hiking, body boarding, etc.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Professional soccer player Iker Casillas
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? Brandon Boyd (from the rock group "Incubus")
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Becoming a professional athlete.
What scares you most about traveling? Nothing really scares me about traveling. Long trips can get irritable but I manage. It's part of my job. I guess at times it can get uncomfortable/frustrating if you are in a country where you don't speak the language or are not able to communicate with the locals.
What excites you most about traveling? Seeing the world and experiencing all the different cultures across the globe.
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together: I feel that we communicate very well. But I hope we can get past the times when we are dishonest with each other. With both of us being super competitive there are times where we want to do things "my" way instead of doing it together or "our" way.
Pet peeve about your teammate: He has a short fuse at times and like me, he can be impulsive without thinking thing through. There are circumstances where he doesn't put himself first. He doesn't practice what he preaches. He needs to stop making the same mistakes.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? I would love to venture to the beaches of Thailand because they are amazing. I love the water and the photos look exotic.
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? I hope it can bring us together and make our bond that much stronger. Hopefully we can work through some of the things that we need to sort out in our relationship i.e. work more for each other and not as individuals. Win or lose he is my best friend and we'll always have each other's back.

Kerri & Stacy
Name: Kerri Paul
Age: 30
Hometown: Gulfport, Miss.
Connection to your teammate: Cousins
Current occupation: Program Coordinator
Describe what you do: I coordinate recreational programs and cultural events for the city of Gulfport.
How will these skills help you win The Race? I am very skilled at the planning and execution of events, activities, etc. I pay very close attention to detail which will help at completing tasks with precision.
Three words to describe you: Loquacious, resourceful and driven.
Favorite hobbies: Running on the beach, organizing (my home, social events, gatherings) and watching reality TV.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Beyonce - big hair and southern girl flair
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? Angelina Jolie. Stacy is a smoking hot mom! She is a dynamic individual, beautiful, adventurous and has a big heart. You never know what her next move will be.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? I am a first generation college graduate. I'm most proud that I was the first person in my family to graduate from college, and I was the first to obtain a masters degree as well. It was a proud moment for me and my entire family.
What scares you most about traveling? The thought of the unknown scares me. In the U.S. everyone speaks the same language and has the same culture. It's frightening to imagine stepping off a plane where you can't even ask people questions because they don't speak English.
What excites you most about traveling? It's exciting to get the opportunity to see places that you're only able to see on TV or the internet! Growing up I've been fortunate to travel all over the U.S., but I've never had the opportunity to travel abroad. It will be exciting to experience different customs, foods and ways of life. It's a chance of a lifetime!
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together: Stacy doesn't assert herself enough. I want her to give her ideas, thoughts, opinions and not hold back. I can be very overpowering at times ("mouth of the south"), and I want her to speak up more and not have me do all the talking.
Pet peeve about your teammate: She's fashionably late to everything. My super procrastinator cousin always has everyone waiting for her to arrive. Also, she tends to go off on a tangent with these long, drawn out stories/monologues. I find myself "listening" to be polite when I really want to cut her off and start talking myself.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? Brazil/South America, because I think the culture is very exotic and colorful. I would love to experience "Carnival" because it is the birthplace of Mardi Gras, which is a tradition that my family celebrates coming from South Mississippi (near New Orleans).
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? We have been separated in our adult lives due to Hurricane Katrina, college, marriage, etc. We hope to use this time together to strengthen the bond that we once had as children. Also, I want to take this time to travel, accomplish my goal of winning The Race and to do something adventurous before my husband and I settle down and start having children.

Name: Stacy Bowers
Age: 30
Hometown: Gulfport, Miss.
Connection to your teammate: Cousins
Current occupation: Self Employed/"Basketball" Wife
Describe what you do: I spend most of my time working on various projects. My husband and I are currently working on a Youth Basketball Camp to be held this upcoming summer. I also spend a lot of time traveling back and forth between the U.S. and Italy, where my husband plays professional basketball for "Umana Venezia" in Venice.
How will these skills help you win The Race? I can multitask easily. I have developed a lot of skills and resourcefulness throughout the years.
Three words to describe you: Analytical, witty and tenacious.
Favorite hobbies: Spending time/playing with my children, cooking and gaming (Sudoku, Monopoly, Scrabble, Taboo). I,m also very much into politics. My friends often look to me to explain the latest "possip" (political-gossip) and hot political topics.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Jennifer Lopez, because she goes from sweet to heat in 0.2 seconds.
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? Kerri is a mix between Beyonce and Tamar Braxton. She is absolutely beautiful, adventurous and intelligent. She's also very talkative. I never know what "craziness" will come out of her mouth!
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Other than being a great mommy, I am proud that I was able to complete my MBA with a 4.0 GPA.
What scares you most about traveling? Traveling is not really scary to me, however, the thought of being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no means of communication is a bit scary.
What excites you most about traveling? I am excited to see and experience new cultures.
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together: Kerri has a big mouth and often talks over me. She also always automatically assumes that her opinion is the only one that counts -- or that my opinion isn't important.
Pet peeve about your teammate: Not only does Kerri speak often but she also speaks very loudly sometimes. She just wants to be the only voice heard throughout the planet. She is 100% drama queen.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? I would love to visit Spain - especially Barcelona, mainly because it's a very beautiful country, rich in culture and history. Plus, I've always wanted to try authentic Spanish food.
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? I hope to prove to both of my children, but especially my 11 year old son, that anything is truly possible with hard work and determination. He had speech challenges early on, and would easily get discouraged and very frustrated with his situation. I want him to see me work through challenges with steadfast determination. I hope that in seeing me compete, it will encourage them to dream big and show them that there are no limits to accomplishing one's ambitions. I want them to think to themselves, "If Mommy can compete for the sky, then we can reach the moon!"

Vanessa & Ralph
Name: Vanessa Macias
Age: 31
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
Connection to your teammate: Girlfriend
Current occupation: Freelance Writer
Describe what you do: I do freelance TV commercials and shows. I also write whatever people tell me to do.
How will these skills help you win The Race? I am an amazing communicator. My years in TV and politics have made me great at dealing with difficult people.
Three words to describe you: Smart, impatient and super-awesome.
Favorite hobbies: Reading, eating and talking politics and religion with people.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Jessica Simpson, sadly.
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? Marky Mark, maybe?
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Having the guts to start my life over from scratch.
What scares you most about traveling? I have a weird fear of being abducted. That and crazy natural disasters.
What excites you most about traveling? I like getting lost and finding street vendors. I love hanging out with new people even if I can't communicate with them verbally.
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together: We blame each other for everything.
Neither one of us likes to take responsibility for our mistakes and we can justify anything. I want to address how we are sometimes mean to each other.
Pet peeve about your teammate: He can be a jerk sometimes. Typically he's very kind and patient, but sometimes he's a grade "A" jerk. And he ends his sentences with prepositions.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? Rome! I've always wanted to see such an old city.
It ticks me off that I was born in such a young city...our buildings aren't that cool.
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? I want to see the world with Ralph. We’ve known each other for a long time, but not very well. I know we rushed into this relationship, but I want to see how we work under horrible stress.

Name: Ralph Kelley
Age: 36
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
Connection to your teammate: Boyfriend
Current occupation: Bar Owner
Describe what you do: I own and operate a bar outside of San Antonio.
How will these skills help you win The Race? I am physically fit and dealing with "not so sober" adults gives me considerable patience (or lack of patience) to deal with the sometimes jackass contestants and "partner."
Three words to describe you: Clever, quick-witted and well-made (props to my mom!)
Favorite hobbies: Cooking, reading and exercising.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? The Rock
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? Audrey Hepburn - she's a timeless beauty and captivating personality.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Being a father to my daughter.
What scares you most about traveling? Not wanting to come back home.
What excites you most about traveling? Seeing new places, food and taking in other cultures.
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together: We truly think the same and share the same brain, but we never allow each other to finish talking without both needing to be "alpha" so I'd really like for her to understand she's not.
Pet peeve about your teammate: The disaster that hurricane Vanessa leaves in her path - she's really messy!
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? Greece, for their history and culture.
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? I hope to test our relationship on different levels of stress and communication planes. I want more than anything to become closer to my partner - and maybe "get lucky" in some off the wall locations.

Dave & Cherie
Name: Dave Gregg
Age: 44
Hometown: New Port Richey, Fla.
Connection to your teammate: Married
Current occupation: Ambassador of Laughter
Describe what you do: My wife and I work for Ringling Bros. We visit cities and bring educational programs and laugher to schools, hospitals, libraries and kids who might not get a chance to see the show.
How will these skills help you win The Race? As ambassadors of laughter we understand the international language of comedy and how it can connect our world.
Three words to describe you: Lucky, friendly and easy going.
Favorite hobbies: Geocaching, playing games and sight seeing.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Tom Hanks
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? Lucille Ball
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Having the courage to walk into a clown college audition for the second time. It changed my life forever.
What scares you most about traveling? Injuries or possibly even worse.
What excites you most about traveling? Seeing the places I've read about in National Geographic.
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together: She sometimes thinks she know everything. Nine out of 10 times she does, but I still like to argue for the 10%.
Pet peeve about your teammate: She can be painfully honest.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? Japan, because the culture and history is very intriguing.
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? This is a dream come true. I want to celebrate our 20 year anniversary running around the world and having the adventure of a lifetime!

Name: Cherie Gregg
Age: 44
Hometown: New Port Richey, Fla.
Connection to your teammate: Married
Current occupation: Ambassador of Laughter
Describe what you do: As ambassadors of laughter, my husband and I get to bring free programs to schools, libraries, hospitals, etc. We bring a little circus to kids who might not be able to attend the big show while getting the word out on TV, radio and newspapers that Ringling Bros is coming to town.
How will these skills help you win The Race? Clowning is a universal language. Plus, we're used to working and traveling together. We have a "show must go on" attitude!
Three words to describe you: Spoiled, logical and friendly.
Favorite hobbies: Geocaching, Harry Potter books and sight seeing on days off while traveling for work.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Lucille Ball
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? Forrest Gump
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Even though I never got into Ringling Bros. Clown College, I was able to not only perform in the show for five years, but become one of the two full-time "Ambassadors of Laughter" for the Greatest Show on Earth.
What scares you most about traveling? Being separated from Dave without knowing how to find him.
What excites you most about traveling? Finally getting to see and experience more of the world.
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together: I don't usually speak up unless I know I'm right. We would save a lot of time if Dave would just listen to me the first time. 98% of the time we do things my way so why bother arguing about it?
Pet peeve about your teammate: When he says he will do something and doesn’t – or he forgets.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? Australia. I've always wanted to go, but it is so far away and very expensive. I've been told it's really beautiful.
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? I think it will be a great way for us to celebrate 20 years of marriage and create memories of a lifetime.

Misa & Maiya
Name: Misa Tanaka
Age: 27
Hometown: San Diego
Connection to your teammate: Sisters
Current occupation: Car Buyer
Describe what you do: I conduct vehicle appraisals, coordinate on-site auctions and attend regional auto auctions to source inventory. I utilize leadership, decision making and time-management skills in a high pressure competitive environment.
How will these skills help you win The Race? I perform extremely well under pressure and these skills are going to be invaluable when performing detours and Roadblocks. Making the right decisions and utilizing time wisely separates us from the competition and will help us win.
Three words to describe you: Hilarious, passionate and engaging.
Favorite hobbies: Snow boarding, surfing and snorkeling.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Cameron Diaz - she's fun, athletic and likes to laugh.
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? Michelle Branch.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Finishing college and paying my way independently without having to take out any student loans.
What scares you most about Illnesses and natural disasters.
What excites you most about traveling? New experiences, learning about other cultures, exploring and trying new things.
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together: Communication issues -- sometimes we don't see eye to eye. And since we're sisters we definitely argue.
Pet peeve about your teammate: She gets bossy and very angry when she's hungry.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? I'd like to visit Japan. It's where my grandparents grew up, and I'd like to be more familiar with my family history.
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? I hope to gain a much closer relationship with my sister and experience traveling around the world together. We never travel together.

Name: Maiya Tanaka
Age: 25
Hometown: San Diego
Connection to your teammate: Sisters
Current occupation: Professional Golfer
Describe what you do: I hit a little white ball around a manicured lawn, toward a small hole in the ground, and try to do this better than everyone else. I compete on the LPGA Symetra Futures Tour.
How will these skills help you win The Race? I'm competitive, have a lot of mental and physical talent and drive - I want to win!
Three words to describe you: Inquisitive, driven and compassionate.
Favorite hobbies: Golfing, hiking and any competitive game or activity.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Danica Patrick - she's competitive in a male dominated sport.
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? Tia or Tamera Mowry.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Starting the girls golf team with my sister at our high school and overcoming the odds with my golf career.
What scares you most about traveling? Getting a weird disease and the food.
What excites you most about traveling? Learning about new cultures and the way others live. Expanding my perspective on the world.
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together: We communicate very differently. Sometimes I don't understand her stubborn ways. She gets mad but then gets over it where as I kind of hold a grudge.
Pet peeve about your teammate: She is stubborn and likes things to be her way - or the highway.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? I'd like to go to Japan because my family is from there and I would like to learn more about our lost culture. I would also like to go to Australia or New Zealand because I love the accents!
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? I hope to build a bond with my only sister. We never get the chance to travel together, and I'd like to learn about new cultures while having the adventure of a lifetime.

Brendon & Rachel
Name: Brendon Villegas
Age: 31
Hometown: Westwood, Calif.
Connection to your teammate: Engaged
Current occupation: Ph.D. student at UCLA
Describe what you do: Cancer research via Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Imaging. I am investigating biological mechanisms in the human brain that may aid in preventing neurodegenerative disease; also involved in proliferation of various types of cancer.
How will these skills help you win The Race? I am a logical thinker and believe I am fairly proficient at cartography.
Three words to describe you: Fun, competitive and intellectual.
Favorite hobbies: Running, reading and swimming.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Stephen Colbert
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? Scarlett Johansson
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Working on my PhD. in Biomedical Physics.
What scares you most about traveling? Nothing.
What excites you most about traveling? Exploring new places with the love of my life.
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together? I am impatient.
Pet peeve about your teammate: She's short with me and often doesn't want to listen to me.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? South America, because they are Latin and I feel like I share similarities with them, culturally.
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? I hope we are able to enjoy the small moments and not forget to stop and smell the proverbial roses.

Name: Rachel Reilly
Age: 27
Hometown: Westwood, Calif.
Connection to your teammate: Engaged
Current occupation: Event Hostess
Describe what you do: Just got off "Big Brother."
How will these skills help you win The Race? We're very competitive. Brendon and I work very well together: fast, strong, smart. If we can survive "Big Brother," we can do anything.
Three words to describe you: Fun, bubbly and effervescent.
Favorite hobbies: Working out, making clothes with glitter and hiking with my dog.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Lucy from "I Love Lucy."
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? Ricki from "I Love Lucy." He's a fiery Hispanic and I'm the ditsy, flighty redhead.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? My B.S. Chem degree. I worked really hard. My magazine cover with Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. Winning "Big Brother."
What scares you most about traveling? I love it.
What excites you most about traveling? Meeting new people, experiencing new cultures and seeing the world.
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together? Brendon is impatient.
Pet peeve about your teammate: Impatience. He's always rushing me.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? Africa on a Safari. I’d love to go to Egypt and Kenya.
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? Traveling around the world, bonding, falling deeper in love and working together as a couple.

Dave & Rachel
Name: Dave Brown Jr.
Age: 33
Hometown: Madison, Wis.
Connection to your teammate: Married
Current occupation: U.S. Army Officer
Describe what you do: I have served in a variety of capacities as an officer for the Wisconsin Army National Guard including Blackhawk Helicopter Pilot, Military Intelligence Officer, and Assistant Professor of Military Science for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
How will these skills help you win The Race? The obvious response would be the ability to cope and manage excessive stressors, and physical fitness due to the nature of the challenges. But persistence and attention to detail seem to be the attributes most essential for success.
Three words to describe you: Motivated, resourceful and aggressive.
Favorite hobbies: Socializing, boating, fitness and traveling.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Bill Clinton - we share a common affinity for music, politics, academics and socializing.
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? Marilyn Monroe – being vivacious, beautiful and the center of attention.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Having graduated from undergraduate studies in three years while being a young father (unexpectedly), a full-time employee and serving in the National Guard.
What scares you most about traveling? Being disoriented in an unfamiliar environment without knowing the language.
What excites you most about traveling? Experiencing foreign cultures and "once-in-a-lifetime" experiences.
Pet peeve about your teammate: Rachel is a persistent optimist which, for a realist can be annoying and overwhelming.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? Russia, due to the historical significance of the Cold War and prevalence of vodka!
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? Travel, communication and competition. Traveling to exotic locations while honing our communication skills and improving upon our relationship.

Name: Rachel Brown
Age: 30
Hometown: Madison, Wis.
Connection to your teammate: Married
Current occupation: Project Manager
Describe what you do: I manage healthcare software implementations in hospitals and clinics. You probably grew up with paper charts and I am helping replace them, and other electronic medical records, with our software.
How will these skills help you win The Race? I work with and manage many different people and personalities, and I have a "do what it takes" approach to work and life.
Three words to describe you: Optimistic, driven and outgoing.
Favorite hobbies: Dancing, traveling and intramural sports-volleyball, softball, kickball.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Ryan Seacrest-I know he's a guy, but we both get along with everyone and we are very driven, hard-working people.
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? JFK Jr. because he is smart, sexy, witty, likeable and politically savvy.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? I'm proud of myself for always being up for trying anything. Life is short and I want to experience as much as I possibly can.
What scares you most about traveling? Nothing scares me when I travel. I dread hotels without elevators when I'm packing heavy, though.
What excites you most about traveling? I love to travel! I love experiencing different cultures...people, history, food, animals and shops.
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together? Neither of us likes to be wrong and we are very competitive with each other. I would like to work on being a team and taking each other's advice.
Pet peeve about your teammate: He's insanely anal...obsessive-compulsive anal. Things always have to be neat, clean and exactly how he wants them.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? Bora Bora, Tahiti-I've seen pictures and it looks amazing. I would love to stay in one of those huts in the ocean.
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? I hope to reconnect with Dave. Being away from my husband for a year, with a lack of regular communication and having nothing in common due to our environments was way more difficult than I ever thought it would be.