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The Amazing Race 15: Exclusive Interview with Brian Kleinschmidt and Ericka Dunlap

Posted on 12/08/2009 by Gina in The Amazing Race and Cast Interviews

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Brian Kleinschmidt and Ericka Dunlap from The Amazing Race 15

 

by Gina Scarpa

 

Along the way on The Amazing Race this season, Brian Kleinschmidt and Ericka Dunlap caught some lucky breaks.  The most notable was the leg in Amsterdam, where they were three hours behind another team.  When poker players Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho were unable to complete a task, they quit the race, leaving a spot for Brian and Ericka to continue on.   That event pushed the husband and wife and they made it all the way to the finale, where they finished third but reached their goal of being able to cross the finish line.  Today, Brian and Ericka spoke to RealityWanted in an exclusive interview about their experiences on the show.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted:
What made you want to try out for The Amazing Race this season?
A. Brian: I’ve been watching The Amazing Race since the show started.  Ericka started watching it when she met me.  One day she said to me, “Do you wanna do this?”  We got our stuff together in two days and sent it off to CBS. 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted:
Did you have any reservations about going on the show?
A. Ericka: I had some reservations because I’m aware that the show will make you face your fears.  I have a fear of deep water and Brian has a fear of heights.  There’s also that general fear of the unknown and I was a little concerned about

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Ericka, you really represented strong women well and it was great to see two strong women in the final leg.  Are you proud of the way that you were shown on tv?
A. Ericka: Absolutely!  I’ve spoken with several women who told me their husbands call them “Ericka” because they remind them of me.  I was a strong woman and I’m really happy with the way that  I was represented.   Meghan is also such a strong person.  She’s this tall, beautiful, blonde… you’d never expect that she would be so athletic and competitive.
A. Brian: That’s what so great about the race.  It’s not like the Super Bowl where you have to decide between two teams.  There are 12 different teams here and every single person can relate to a team.  I’m honored to have been a part of it.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted:
This has to be the nicest cast I’ve ever seen on a reality show - especially you, Brian.  Did you have a strategy going in to help others or is that just your personality?
A. Brian: Honestly, some people thought it was strategy but you can ask Ericka.  If I see people in need, I’ll help them.  I couldn’t help Big Easy with “Franz”, though… that would’ve been going too far!

Q. Gina, RealityWanted:
You two definitely caught some lucky breaks this season.  What was the turning point for you, do you think?
A. Brian: Our turning point was actually our worst leg, in Amsterdam.  We had a rough start at the airline, Ericka had that headache with the bells… there is no reason that we should’ve continued on the race.  We were 3 hours behind the other teams but the girls couldn’t finish and we caught our best break and fed off of that all the way to the finale.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted:
Ericka, you said in the finale that you hoped that your family would get to see a side of Brian that perhaps they hadn’t before.  Have things changed with them now that they’ve seen all the episodes?
A. Ericka: Definitely!  My mom called after the show and she didn’t necessarily apologize, but she said that we were both winners.
A. Brian: Her mom is on the right route.  We were just there on Thanksgiving and she referred to me as her son-in-law and called me by my first name which is the first time she’s ever done that.  The race turned her around.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: All of the teams seem so close this season.  Are these friends that you will keep?
A. Brian: We made the best friends of our lives on this race.  It’s something that you share with this small group of people.  Sam, Dan, Cheyne, and all of the girls and I got matching tattoos.  Do you remember that first challenge, with the license plates?  We all got tattoos of that logo.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What are you two up to now?
A. Ericka: We both live in Nashville and I’m pursuing a career in country music.  I’ve talked to Mika and Canaan and we’ve discussed writing together.


(Image courtesy of CBS)

SEE ALSO
The Amazing Race 15: Finale Recap
The Amazing Race 15: Exclusive Interview with Winners Meghan Rickey and Cheyne Whitney
The Amazing Race 15: Exclusive Interview with Sam and Dan McMillen


Follow Gina at twitter.com/ginascarpa

For more Amazing Race links, visit SirLinksALot.net


  


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