by Gina Scarpa

 

Going into Sunday night's finale of The Amazing Race, Vanessa was nursing an ankle injury from India that haunted her during the next leg in Japan. She fell over and over while trying to complete a Road Block that had players running on treadmills for a Japanese game show. But in true Vanessa style, she toughened up and finished the task. The couple checked in last at the pit stop and was eliminated just before the final leg. Today, we talked to them about that loss, their partnership, their rivalries, and more in an exclusive interview.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What made the two of you want to do The Amazing Race?
A. Vanessa: It's something I've been wanting to do for 10 years. Ralph was the spark behind it, saying, "Let's go do it!"
A. Ralph: Literally, we decided the night before to audition. We left about 1am, waited in line for 8 hours in 105 degree heat, did the audition, and the rest is history.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Like you guys said on the finale, you had your moment in Bavaria and you worked your way through it. When you watched it back on tv though, was it more eye opening than when you actually went through it?
A. Vanessa: There are a lot of things I saw on tv that were eye opening, so to speak. I didn't realize... I know that I have the capability of being mean but I never heard myself being mean. That's a behavior I'm modifying. They didn't show why I was mad in Bavaria, but it was on CBS.com.
A. Ralph: You were mad because you wanted to take the carriage. How many carriages did we pass going up the hill?
A. Vanessa: You know, I don't remember...

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Vanessa, you and Rachel really did not get along this season but had a semi-reconciliation later on at one of the pit stops. Are the two of you on good terms now?
A. Vanessa: We're on the best terms - we don't speak! That's as good as it gets! I was being mean. Say what you will about Ralph, but he was good at calling me out when I was a little over the top. Watching it, he was right. I was a little harsh on her. The reasons why we didn't get along, which are neither here nor there, were justified.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Ralph, your girlfriend is one tough chick! I was especially impressed with the way she stuck it out at the Road Block in Japan. Tell us how you were feeling as you watched her run on that treadmill over and over until she finished.
A. Ralph: Obviously, standing there, you feel kind of helpless. I didn't want to see her in pain and I knew what it was doing to her. I would've supported whatever decision she made. It would've been a non-issue. I knew she hurt herself in India. It was a lot to fly to Japan, we had to run to where the temple was, and she was on it for a long time. She stuck it out and it was wonderful to see, but at the same time, it hurt.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Vanessa, what was Ralph's greatest strength as a partner?
A. Vanessa: Ralph's predominant strength is his physical strength. That was very helpful but if he wasn't patient, and if I was there with someone who had the same temperament as I do, I think we would've been sent the hell back to America.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: I always say that the only thing worse than being sent home first is being eliminated right before the finale. How did the two of you handle that?
A. Ralph: Wow, that was tough because we were so close but I think that we handled it well. It was tough to swallow because we wanted to be on that last leg and truly racing for the final pit stop. At the same time, we talked about it and if all the circumstances were the same, it would've been a really, really hard day in Hawaii with Vanessa's ankle. It would've been really tough for us.
A. Vanessa: I think it was harder for me than it was for him. You go all that way and you give everything that you possibly have.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: That being said, you guys made it very far in the race! What do you attribute your success to?
A. Ralph: Luck!
A. Vanessa: What? We had horrible luck!
A. Ralph: But we had good luck as well. We had maybe the worst luck of any team on the race but we were able to finish well enough to continue racing. You just have to be patient with each other. Even though Vanessa's patience runs thin a lot, the times where she needed to be, she was and that says a lot. You're going to get under each other's skin and that's what I wanted to see this season was if the other teams went through a lot of the same things we did.
A. Vanessa: For getting under each other's skin as much as we did, we communicated well enough and we each knew when to take the backseat. I think comic relief is a big thing too!

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What's next for you both?
A. Ralph: I'm boring, I'm back to my regular life.
A. Vanessa: I'm working and I want to travel more! Now, I'm going to try to broaden my horizons and travel to places I never would've thought of going.

 

 

(Image courtesy of CBS)

 

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