by Gina Scarpa

 

On The Amazing Race, if decisions aren't made in a split second sometimes, it can throw off your entire leg or even cost you the race. No one knows that better than Justin and Jennifer, after hesitating at a Road Block because Jennifer couldn't find her clue and wasn't sure where to go next. The siblings fell to the bottom of the pack and were unable to make up the time that they had lost. Today, we talked to them in an exclusive interview about their experiences running The Amazing Race.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Whose idea was it to try out for the race?
A. Jennifer: I think we kind of both decided that it would be fun and something to do. Our family said, "You'd be great, you'd be funny. I'd watch you!" We figured out the deadline and it was a day away. We made our tape and sent it off the next day.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: I thought you were a strong team who could've gone all the way. Going in, were you feeling that you would be frontrunners?
A. Justin: I definitely did! We talked about it from the start. When we applied, we said, "This is something we can totally do and definitely win!" It was a lot harder than we thought. But overall, I thought that we were a great team.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Speaking of it being harder than you thought, what was the toughest part for you about running the race?
A. Jennifer: I think the hardest thing was communication. The challenges were pretty okay, they were manageable stuff. Communication is sometimes something that you can't tuck away.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Jennifer, why did you wait so long at the Road Block for another team?
A. Jennifer: We delivered to three separate places in the same village. See, I still don't even know if it's the same village! I was like, "Somebody has to come here. I know somebody was behind me!" And then I thought maybe I had missed them. I just lost all track of time and if I had realized I had been there that long, I would've hopped on that bike and hotfooted it back.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Justin, it must be tough to sit there helplessly and wait for your teammate to come back.
A. Justin: It was a little awkward. At first, you're excited and pumped and ready for her to come back and keep moving. After I saw one team come back and another and another and then Marcus and Amani, it became a little frustrating. I was mostly worried that she wasn't run over by an elephant. At that point, it was important to just go.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: I love that you finished strong, even though you knew you were at the bottom of the pack.
A. Justin: That was definitely important to us. You never know. The race is unpredictable. We had the Double U-Turn that could help us out. You never know what could happen to other teams. You don't know you're out until you hear Phil say it's so.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Was it tough for you to hear Phil say those words on the mat? Like I said, I really thought you guys could go all the way to the final leg.
A. Jennifer: We thought so too. Phil really is a great guy. When he said he was sorry, I thought he genuinely felt bad about it. We had a lot of fun on the mat and in between legs. You take it with a smile. No matter what, you're still blessed to have made it this far. You can't even pay to do the things we got to do! Yeah, I would've loved to make it all the way with my brother, but it was still pretty good.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What did you take away from the race that you brought back into your daily life?
A. Jennifer: I think for me, it was just learning when to be quiet and listen and learning how to respond to people. It's not always what you think is a joke or what you think isn't that serious. It might be hurtful to someone else.
A. Justin: For me, I think it's just appreciating the adventure that life presents you. Taking the time and not getting caught up in everything at work that bogs you down. Take the time to experience things you really enjoy. The race really opened my eyes to that. I'm glad I got that opportunity.

 

 

The Amazing Race airs Sundays at 8/7c on CBS.

 

(Image courtesy of CBS)

 

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