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TAR 19: Bill & Cathi Alden ( Married for 40 years/Grandparents)

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“Get Out There" – Reality News Online's Exclusive Interview with The Amazing Race 19's Bill & Cathi
by Teeuwynn Woodruff -- 12/12/2011
Bill & Cathi (right) were the last team to hit the Pit Stop on leg one – but luckily for them, and us, it was a non-elimination leg. After that leg, Bill & Cathi showed they were a strong team, particularly when it came to challenges. What was the real reason they were eliminated? How did The Amazing Race change Bill’s view of Cathi? And what did their six kids think of seeing their parents in those bodybuilder outfits? All this and more inside!

Reality News Online: Hi Bill & Cathi! Thanks for talking to Reality News Online!
Cathi: We’re happy to!
RNO: What made you decide to apply for The Amazing Race?
Bill: You just heard her voice! We watched for a long time. Because of our life on the farm and kids, we had sort of done a lot of the tasks we’d seen on the race so we thought we could do that. We talked about it – laughed about it. Then suddenly Cathi had an application and one thing led to another.
RNO: What did your six kids think of you going on the race?
Cathi: They were really supportive. Then, when we ultimately got on the race, they were just shocked. I think they didn’t know what to think. They thought it was nice we were giving it a try, but had no hope of actually getting on.
RNO: And you did well on the race – although the first leg was not a good one for you. What was your thought process in going so far to that building and dealing with that first challenge?
Cathi: Oh, it was awful! Not only while we were doing it – it was awful watching it. What was really funny was [our kids] were looking online at the spoilers as we were doing the race. Our daughter saw something online that said, “The old people are lost in Taipei.” They assumed we were done the first leg. They were mortified!
RNO: What did the kids think when you weren’t eliminated and went on in the race?
Cathi: They were like, “Oh, thank heavens!”
Bill: To a team you say, “Just don’t let us go out on the first leg!”
RNO: You were eliminated in a two leg section of the race that looked exhausting. You did the body building competition – and looked awesome in it, I must say. What did you think when you saw the outfits you’d be wearing?
Cathi: Oh, I just died! I went in and saw this little plastic bag with three strings in it. It never occurred to me that we’d have to put on something that tiny.
RNO: How many times did you have to do the body building routine?
Cathi: We only did it twice because we practiced like crazy. There was no way we wanted to go in front of the audience any more times than we had to.
Bill: We got some boos [the first time].
RNO: What did your kids think when they saw you in those skimpy outfits?
Cathy: They were prepared. We had told them they were going to see us in next to nothing. I think they were grateful that most of the shots were long shots. They see us in triathlon gear which isn’t too far off.
RNO: Do you know how far behind Tommy & Andy you got to the check in Pit Stop?
Cathi: We think we were only about five minutes behind because we actually saw them racing to the gazebo as our taxi pulled up.
RNO: There looked to be a lot of driving in this double leg – and that a lot of teams got lost. Did that happen to you much?
Cathi: We weren’t ever lost we were just inefficient in covering the distance. And you’re right, if you look at a map of Belgium – from Brussels to the far northeast, Antwerp, then to the central south of Gent, then back to Brussels. It was a tremendous amount of driving.
As we look back, we just don’t think we were aggressive enough behind the wheel.
Bill: That’s another thing that came with our age. We grew up in an era of rules you just didn’t violate. So a speed limit, when I saw one, seemed awfully important. Then, on the autobahn, I didn’t realize there was no speed limit.
I was too conservative in the driving, then we didn’t know shortcuts. Some of the teams did understand Europe a little more than we did and reading the maps. But we got into traffic and we were at a standstill for a while. All of those things combined, five minutes here – five minutes there, and pretty soon you’re 30 minutes behind. So we arrived to the wall late and it was dark and we had trouble finding the clue.
RNO: It looked like, in the tasks, you guys did just fine. Bill, how many times did you have to do the slalom course in the Ford Roadblock?
Bill: I loved the slalom! I’m a downhill skier so maybe that was part of it. I probably did it four times. I never hit a cone. I was always ahead of the clock, but you only had 20 inches leeway to get your car into the box. I didn’t want to hit the thing in front and I kept stopping too early.
I noticed that a couple of the professional drivers said things to their drivers – and mine didn’t. If he had told me just to roll forward a little bit I would have gotten it the first time out. But I did it four times, and I had a blast. I’d have done it five more times!
RNO: Do you know how far behind Marcus & Amani you got to the final Pit Stop?
Cathi: We were 30 to 60 minutes behind them – based on the lighting. So it wasn’t much, but even one minute is too much.
RNO: Bill, you said the race has improved your relationship, even though you two have been married a long time. How do you think the race changed that?
Bill: Fifty years… We’ve grown up and grown old together, so we know so much about each other it’s like we don’t need to talk many times. But I saw my best friend in a deeper race commitment. In the race you are under a tremendous amount of stress all the time. You’re running on adrenaline.
When your partner, your friend, steps up and supports you even more than normal… I saw hidden depths in her and that made it more special.
RNO: What was the smartest thing you did on the race?
Cathi: Probably making a commitment at the beginning to have fun – to enjoy it. Certainly to do our best and compete as hard as we could, but not to lose sight of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have these memories. We wanted to make them as positive as we could.
RNO: What was the most memorable moment on the race for you?
Bill: In the tobacco factory the workers were so fun – they were cheering. They were for us and with us, and I think they felt some empathy for the old guy. They were happy people – and that’s what we saw all over Africa.
It was depressing to see how poverty stricken Africa was, but the people didn’t seem to feel sorry for themselves. They seemed to be carrying on and enjoying life and being happy. That was very, very special to me.
Cathi: For me, one of my personal joys was carrying the bed on my back going by the other teams. I liked that feeling of “Do it!” For me, as an older woman, it was an opportunity to show what’s inside.
RNO: Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers about yourselves or the race?
Cathi: I think if something looks interesting or challenging then you should do it. We could never have believed that we would be selected for this show – and yet we were.
Bill: I’m more of a homebody even than I look on the race. Cathi keeps www.travelsuit.com at hand. She loves to travel. She’s my best friend and partner, so I go with her. So, get out there while you’re still able to. Don’t wait until you’re ancient!
We have bicycled Europe, bicycled the British Isles, and so forth. We always meet wonderful people. So, don’t be shy. Get out there and enjoy because when you’re too old, you’re too old.
RNO: Well, you two are obviously not. Thank you for talking to me and congratulations on a race well run.
Bill & Cathi: Thank you!

Ney:
I think they both did incredibly well considering the competition, like most people I had them down as going out early but boy did they surprise me, and continue surprising me, it reached a point where I'ld have no objections seeing them in the final 3. It was like backing the underdogs lol

It was sad to see them eliminated but on a whole I think they exceeded every viewers expections and then some, and proved that the older generation are just as capable as the younger, and then some. Over the years we all have seen some weaker older teams come in and get eliminated on various racers early, for one to do as well as Bill and Cathi, they deserve the praise, fair play to them.

Theo:
BIG :hrt: FOR BILL & CATHI

Prophet:

--- Quote from: Theodorus on January 13, 2012, 11:14:32 AM ---BIG :hrt: FOR BILL & CATHI

--- End quote ---

IKR :hearts:

:bigwelcome to RFF!

Theo:
Thank you so much, Prophet. I'm glad I finally realize that I'm not the only one who loves TAR in this world. My friend doesn't know TAR at all :gaah:

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