Interview ‘The Amazing Race Canada’ finalist contestants Katie and Taylor

Katie and Taylor, one of the four finalist teams from “The Amazing Race Canada,” shared their reflections on their journey during an interview with “The Extra Mile”

TEM (The Extra Mile) : What motivated you to participate in The Amazing Race Canada and whose idea was it?

Taylor: yeah so that was my idea you know we both seen a little bit of the amazing race Canada over the years you know I used to see it growing up on the TV and what not and I think you know I saw the ad come out for the application and I was like yeah Katie you want to apply for the amazing race and she was like yeah say less, let’s go she’s like if we make it on I’ll just drop everything and we’ll go do it, It’s going to be perfect. It’s going to be so much fun. So honestly, it was just like, seeing the application, we just said, hey, why not? Like, let’s just put in an application, see where this takes us. And obviously, it’s taken us across the country. There wasn’t too much thought to it. It was just like, I want to do this. Let’s do it.

TEM: So once you guys kind of heard you were going to be on, what did you, how did you mentally and physically prepare?  Was there any preparations that you did outside of things that you already do on a day to day?

Katie:  I’d say for sure. But obviously leading up to it, we did our research. We made sure we watched every season, you know, what we were trying to kind of prep ourselves that way. We also did a few escape rooms. Yeah, pressure, you know, okay, and it’s a fun way to do it. Other than the physical side, I guess, yeah, we did some bouldering and then for the physical side, we’re both pretty physical people, obviously, with wrestling. you know, we weren’t too stressed with that side of it. We knew that our wrestling would come in handy. So, it was just more of that, you know, how can we prep for being on the show? And that was, I’d say, the majority of it was watching and then a little bit of the fun little dates that we had of doing escape rooms.

TEM: Which task would you say was the most fun and the most challenging?

Taylor:  Oh, most fun. Well, I mean, for me, I think it’s the classic one, know, repelling down Niagara Falls, like, who gets to do that? That was insane. I’ll never look at the falls the same ever again. It was the most fun roadblock, but I think for like detour for me, I loved , I don’t know. No, there’s so much fun. What about you?

Katie: There’s not a lot I didn’t like, if I’m being honest, obviously, maybe not the the pig brain. I could have lived without doing that. The grain, the grain hopper. Maybe Regina as a whole. I’d say if I know we’re talking about favorite, but that might have been the least favorite for sure. My favorite, I’d say, honestly, was probably the two different horse challenges I did, both very different, but fun and just unexpected. And obviously I kind of had my heart out for those ones, for my friend Holly. So those meant a lot to me in that way. And I had fun doing both those horse challenges, the hobby horse, and then riding the real horse. So that’d be my favorite.

TEM: What would you say is like a strength that you brought to like, you could say one thing about one another.

Taylor:  So for Katie, I’d say the strength she brought. it was her level-headedness. We, you know, we see a lot throughout the season, I like to cry, you know, I’m a killer. And so I’m, you know, Katie’s just there, like, she lets me do my thing, but she loves me cry, but she’s like, okay, bud, like, right now is not the time. She is like, we got this, it’s okay, like, let’s just stay in our heads and we’ll get this done, you know? So it’s her just being able to, like, bring me down from my, like, over excitement in certain situations, you know? I just get very like, oh, no, it’s gonna happen. And she’s like, okay, let’s reel it back into it. So I’d say that’s the best part about Katie.

Katie: I’d say for Taylor, definitely is probably her determination and her willpower. You know, there’s times that, you know, she struggled and she’s come, but she would never give up. And I know that about her, that no matter what, she’s never gonna give up. She’s like, just, hey, give me a minute, let me cry now, and then I’ll get back to it. But, you know, I know that I’d never have to worry about her, a challenge being too difficult or too challenging that she would ever stop. So I know that she can just push through, no matter what, that’s just kind of how she is in normal day-to-day life. She takes on a lot and she is just persistent and is determined to be better every day.

TEM:  Without revealing too much, what would you say your thoughts on going into the finale?

Katie: Obviously excited, because you know starting off the race everybody’s dream is to make it there, but to actually stand on the mat and have John tell you you’re in the finale, that’s I don’t even have words to describe how that feels. Like this is what we’ve been working towards and it’s so exciting and I think what’s awesome about it too is that we are going against such competitive teams. Everybody wants it just as bad as everybody deserves it at this point. We’re all at this equal playing field. Everybody has won. a leg that has won a trip, you know, we’re all in it and in it to win it.

TEM : So what would it mean to you guys to win the amazing race Canada?

Taylor:  I mean, you know, we had the opportunity to be, you know, or showcase like how strong is beautiful throughout this entire race. That’s kind of our mantra and what we were going into the race with. And we just wanted to show, you know, younger female athletes, no matter your size, your gender that you can do wherever you put your mind to, we’re up against some super athletic people. We’ve got some 6’5 baseball players, we’ve got, you know, the twins, we’ve got, so, and the newfies they’re awesome, you know, so the thing is, like, we, we wanted to show Canada that, you know, girls can do whatever we put us to, and I think for us being, you know, female wrestlers as well, like, in such a male-dominated sport, we, we know that there’s points where we get down, but we know we can come out on top, and we just, we feel so great to be able to represent that and to be the face for, you know, these young girls hopefully going into the next leg here.

TEM:  We’re all about going the extra mile, so what’s one thing that you do in your professional life or personal life that you do where you go the extra mile?

Katie:  I’d say we’re all kind of speak for both of us real quickly, but I’d say we’re both, you know, taking that coaching role. Taylor, more so than I am. But I’m stepping up in there where, you know, we want to be role models in the sport of wrestling in our daily lives, and we, you know, want to prove that you can be something in this sport. And, you know, we want to show these young girls that, you know, you can do it. Wrestling is a tough sport, and we want to try to grow it, especially for females. then just for myself as an athlete, you know, I want to push my partners. I want to be present in the wrestling room. And, you know, push people the extra mile to pursue their wrestling dreams and to, you know, make it to, if it’s a national team, Team Canada, whatever it may be, or even just to win USport, a national title, which we both have. So it’s just kind of a dream and to be there and support our teammates for myself and as an athlete and now coming in as a coach, and as well to those little kids. You know, I’m, I am a teacher and I, I sub for Edmonton public schools and I want to be a role model for them as well. And to be, you know, especially bring in my wrestling into teaching, you know, I want to, I want to promote physical fitness and I want people to be active in their daily lives. So that’s something I try to install in every day that I am submitting, teaching, coaching, wrestling.

The final episode of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA airs at a new time next week!! Find out who the winner is on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 8 p.m. ET/PT/MT/AT/CT on CTV, CTV.ca and the CTV app.