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TAR Canada 1 Contestants - Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod - Married Fitness Icons

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slayton:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/entertainment/Team+Bodybreak+blames+blood+jealousy+bones+Amazing+Race+exit/8784556/story.html

Team Bodybreak blames bad blood, jealousy and old bones for Amazing Race exit
 
By Eric Volmers, Calgary Herald August 13, 2013

There was no F-bomb.

According to fitness guru Joanne McLeod, it was selective editing and creative “bleeping” that made her less-than-sporting response to Brett Burstein sound more profane and out-of-the-blue than it actually was on this week’s Amazing Race Canada.

In a conference call after Team Bodybreak was eliminated in Monday’s Regina-based episode, McLeod directly addressed what appeared to her against-type outburst: telling Burstein to “eff off” after he wished her team good luck following a challenge at Taylor Field.

“I said, ‘get off,’” she insisted.

“But through the magic of editing, you can ‘beep’ it and then have ‘off’ and you can let your mind go to wherever it wants to go,” adds partner Hal Johnson.

According to the buzz on social media, most people’s minds went to the conclusion that an exhausted McLeod had reached her boiling point when it became increasingly clear that Team Bodybreak was in deep trouble.

They were eventually eliminated, thanks to a disastrous three hours spent in a pit of lentils, injuries that made the football challenge difficult and a “U-Turn” imposed by the Two Tims.

But McLeod insists she was merely telling Burstein to get off the field, a reflection of earlier conflict between the teams that never made it to air.

“The things you didn’t see is that Brett had really chastised Joanne and I had stepped in in Whitehorse,” Johnson explains.

“He verbally attacked me in Yellowknife,” McLeod adds. “He’s a loose cannon.”

Whatever the case, Team Bodybreak remained positive — perhaps even a little cocky — Tuesday morning when chatting about their elimination and time spent on Amazing Race Canada.

While Tim Hague Sr. claimed the decision to “U-Turn” Team Bodybreak, which forced the fitness icons to go back and do another challenge on Taylor Field, Johnson insists the move was personal.

“Tim Sr. didn’t feel that we should be on the race because of our celebrity status already, that we had been in the media for 25 years,” Johnson says.

“What he didn’t understand was that everybody had a story. We are all actors in a play and everybody played a role. He also felt that our getting on the early flights, several different times, he told one other team that he thinks the producers were actually helping us because the producers want us to go further. It was a real kind of jealously and envy. And I think if you were to watch the show again, and we watched it knowing what had occurred, it was, ‘I gotta get Hal.’”

Johnson and McLeod have been the public face of fitness for 25 years in Canada, producing those infectious fitness TV spots to promote healthy living.

It was Johnson’s ability to finagle an earlier flight from Calgary to Regina that seemed to give them an advantage early in Monday’s episode and perhaps put a bigger target on their backs.

Unfortunately, whatever advantage the earlier flight gave them faded once they hit Regina and were plunged into a truckload of lentils in search of two tiny stuffed moose that held the race’s next clues. They searched for three hours in the huge bin before taking a pass and a two-hour penalty.

The episode also included a challenge at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police training academy, where teams were required to put together a cadet room that met the standards of a discerning inspector. There was also some joyless Ukrainian dancing in front of Regina City Hall before the teams hit Taylor Field, where they could choose between an athletic football challenge or one that required cheerleading. Thanks to the U-Turn, Team Bodybreak had to perform both.

But there was little cheer in the cheerleading by the time Johnson and McLeod began their routine.

“We were physically exhausted, but we also started to lose it mentally,” Johnson says.

Still, Team Bodybreak said they were proud of their accomplishments during their time on the show, although disappointed they were not able to try out upcoming challenges. Considerably older than the other teams — and more prone to injuries — McLeod said the fact that they were still considered a such a threat to the other teams was telling.

They plan to build on the exposure they have gained throughout the show.

“We have a 14-year-old daughter and it’s now cool,” says Johnson.

“Bodybreak wasn’t necessarily cool, but the Amazing Race certainly is and mom and dad beat people who were literally half their age. Our combined age is 111 and I think the closest team to us was 80 or 75. We were able to beat some teams that were quite a bit younger than us and hopefully that can be an inspiration to people 40-plus to say, ‘Get out there and get active.’”

Alenaveda:
FROM THE STAR.COM
http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/2013/08/13/bodybreak_duo_have_no_amazing_race_canada_regrets.html

BodyBreak duo have no Amazing Race Canada regrets.
Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod rooting for Jet Black and Dave Schram to win.
By Victoria Ahearn The Canadian Press, Published on Tue Aug 13 2013

BodyBreak duo Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod say they have no regrets about the way they played The Amazing Race Canada, noting it's "done a lot to revitalize" their famed fitness brand.

BodyBreak duo Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod say they have no regrets about the way they played The Amazing Race Canada, noting it’s “done a lot to revitalize” their famed fitness brand.

“It’s got our message out to people . . . that message of ‘keep fit,’” Johnson said Tuesday in an interview alongside McLeod (both were clad in matching grey BodyBreak track suits with neon green accents).

“And we showed it: ‘Keep fit and have fun.’ And I think what we really are most pleased with is that positive attitude. . . . And I think hopefully we can be an inspiration for young (people) but also a 40-plus, a 50-plus group to never stop.

“Because I’m 57, and if I can do it and you’re 35 and you go, ‘Ah, I’m too old, I’m not a kid again,’ well you know, we were beating kids that were more than half our age.”

The perpetually cheery married couple from Oakville, Ont., became the fourth team eliminated from the jet-setting CTV competition series Monday after gruelling challenges in Regina.

Their problems began when they and the other teams had to find two bull moose toys in a six-foot-deep bin filled with lentils. After an exhaustive search that came up empty, Johnson and McLeod decided to copy competitors Brett Burstein and Holly Agostino and quit the challenge, incurring a two-hour penalty.

Johnson said what viewers didn’t see was that they spent three hours working non-stop on the lentil task in 35-degree heat and only had “a little bit of water.” When they saw Burstein and teary-eyed Agostino abandon the challenge, Johnson and McLeod made a “strategic” decision to do the same, figuring Agostino was too “mentally and emotionally spent” to win.

But after completing their next task at a football field, they were set back again by a U-Turn (a strategy whereby teams can force opponents to face an extra challenge) and were ultimately last at the finish line.

“Overall, we think we played a really good game,” said McLeod, 54, who once represented Canada on the national track and field team.

“We raced hard, we raced smart, we used our experience. Hal with his travel experience, knowing what flights to get, doing things that other teams, some of them would say, ‘Oh, it’s sneaky.’ Well, it’s Travel 101 and that’s where our age was a benefit.”

McLeod said their strategy was to be flexible, never give up and stay calm. And they did just that in some “very difficult situations.”

“Hal, about 10 seconds into the race hurt his hamstring and that just mentally takes you out of the game. . . . But overall, we didn’t complain, we didn’t cry and we worked hard.”

They can’t escape reminders of what brought them down on the show, though.
“About a week ago I found a lentil on the rug at the cottage and it was like, ‘Where did this come from?’ So we’re still finding lentils,” said McLeod.

“Lentils were stuck all over our body,” added Johnson, a former Team Canada baseball player.

Johnson said they’ve had great feedback from couples who appreciated the positive support they gave each other.

He thinks they were portrayed as being “very vanilla” onscreen, even though Monday’s episode bleeped a word McLeod said and made it seem like she was swearing, which they insist she wasn’t.

“What people didn’t see is that I basically said, ‘Get off, get off the field,’” said McLeod.

Johnson said their high profiles made them targets during the race and as a joke for fans they’re now selling T-shirts with target signs on them on their website.

They also didn’t feel a camaraderie amongst the teams.

“We’re not one big family,” said Johnson. “You’ve got a whole whack of A-type personalities and so that’s going to be a tough family to mix together.”

On Twitter, fellow competitors Vanessa Morgan and Celina Mziray have criticized Johnson for making comments about their looks.

But he insists it was innocuous.

“I was asked a question about something, about their crying and so forth, and I made a comment about their eyelashes and they got very defensive about their eyelashes,” he said. “And I thought, ‘Well, if that’s the worst thing anybody ever says about you.’ I thought they cried so much that their eyelashes would fall off.”

McLeod said the eyelash comment stems from their time in Niagara Falls at the beginning of the show, when all the competitors were on a speedboat and Mziray “was having difficulty with her eyelashes.”

“We’re sitting behind going, ‘Oooh, well that could be a problem on the race.’ So it was not out of anything being malicious.”

McLeod says they now plan to continue doing what they’ve been doing for the last 25 years, which is to “Get out there, be active” and “make as many healthy choices as possible.”

And they’re rooting for friends Jet Black and Dave Schram — who called them after Monday’s episode to send their best wishes — to win the show.

“We want the BodyBreak support to go to Jet and Dave, because they’re the most entertaining, they’re the most supportive of one another and they’re good guys,” said Johnson.

slayton:
http://www.bodybreak.com/i-would-like-to-clarify-the-issue-of-the-f-bomb.html/

--- Quote ---I would like to clarify the issue of the F-bomb as there appears to be some misunderstanding.

In an effort to focus on the real purpose of our media interviews yesterday, we jokingly diffused and made light of any questions about it. It had been obvious that I had said it under my breath. It came after a very long, frustrating day as well as dealing with a painful hamstring injury, not having slept for 30 hours, being dehydrated and there had been a history of verbal attacks from Brett. The Producers opted to single out this under-the-breath comment in the show and I apologize to the news outlets and to anyone I have offended. – Joanne McLeod
--- End quote ---

Leafsfan.:
Amazing Race Canada: Hal and Joanne are happy — except for one edit
When the Amazing Race Canada finish line is revealed on Sept. 16, it won’t be BodyBreak stars Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod who triumphantly burst across it. But no matter who does take the crown, the aging BodyBreak brand is emerging as the show’s real winner. “We’re busier now, or as much now, as we’ve ever been,” Johnson says from the couple’s Oakville, Ont., home, where he’s sitting up straight with the aid of BackJoy—the latest product the couple are signing a contract to endorse. In time for Christmas, they’ll also roll out a new $1,500-BodyBreak treadmill at Costco.

Despite their mid-race elimination, keeping fit and having fun is a winning combo again. This fall, you’ll see Team BodyBreak pop up as grand marshals of the Oktoberfest parade in Kitchener-Waterloo; as guests at the Grey Cup festivities in Regina; and at speaking engagements across Canada talking about health and teamwork. But McLeod doesn’t think the race deserves all the credit. “It’s really 25 years of being a trusted source for healthy living that’s doing it more than anything else.”

That’s right—25 years. The couple founded BodyBreak in 1988, after meeting at a gym and starting to date. Trying to explain the cultural significance that “Hal and Joanne” have taken on since then is like trying to explain the cultural significance of Tim Hortons. Here’s a shot at it: Two decades since Johnson and McLeod catapulted to Canadian celebrity status with their peppy fitness tips, people still dress up as them for Halloween. (Yes, they know this—and will be giving away a prize on their website for best costume.)


McLeod chalks BodyBreak’s iconic status up to reminding people of their childhood. “Even people who are the same age as us say they’ve grown up with us. I think it’s the memories—as well as the music.” Oh, yes. That synth-heavy theme song. It’s Johnson’s ringtone, too, and he’ll tell you how to download it from the website before you even ask.

BodyBreak’s silver anniversary coinciding with the inaugural Amazing Race Canada was a perfect match for the couple, and for CTV. If you heard anything about the race, it’s probably the fact that Johnson and McLeod were on it. The debut episode attracted a record 3.5 million viewers. But while the show seemed a natural fit for the fitness icons, it was also a risk. What if they were the first team eliminated? Would the entire 1990s have been a lie?

No need to worry. Johnson and McLeod spent months preparing for the competition. They studied prime ministers and researched the provinces. They mastered the products of the show’s sponsors. Johnson drove every stick shift Chevrolet at the dealership. He memorized Air Canada routes.

The couple is satisfied with the show, except for one edit. That edit, of course, is the bleeped-out swear word McLeod mutters in Regina, after a competing team passed them and they knew they’d fallen into last place.

They’re still stung the producers used the footage, discussing why it was unfair and unfit for a family show, before remembering they didn’t mean to talk about it so much. “If you know Joanne—I never hear her say it!” Johnson says. “We hope to move on from it, but we know it’s going to come up.”

Now in their mid-50s, the pair are still intimidatingly active. McLeod is training for a marathon. Up at the cottage over Labour Day weekend, Johnson returned their motorboat to the marina and then simply kayaked the 90 minutes back.

The two will tune in for the Amazing Race finale, but Johnson admits watching the show can be an emotional experience since their elimination. Like any athlete watching game tape, he analyzes where they would have succeeded and where they would have stumbled. He’s convinced they could have finished first in Iqaluit, a leg of the race that was particularly physical. “I look at that and I go, we could have won that leg, and that’s . . .” Johnson trails off, then bounces back. “We already won,” he says. “We have a memory that we’ll always have, of doing this. Our daughter thinks we’re pretty cool now. And it has introduced BodyBreak to a new generation.”

Source:When the Amazing Race Canada finish line is revealed on Sept. 16, it won’t be BodyBreak stars Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod who triumphantly burst across it. But no matter who does take the crown, the aging BodyBreak brand is emerging as the show’s real winner. “We’re busier now, or as much now, as we’ve ever been,” Johnson says from the couple’s Oakville, Ont., home, where he’s sitting up straight with the aid of BackJoy—the latest product the couple are signing a contract to endorse. In time for Christmas, they’ll also roll out a new $1,500-BodyBreak treadmill at Costco.

Despite their mid-race elimination, keeping fit and having fun is a winning combo again. This fall, you’ll see Team BodyBreak pop up as grand marshals of the Oktoberfest parade in Kitchener-Waterloo; as guests at the Grey Cup festivities in Regina; and at speaking engagements across Canada talking about health and teamwork. But McLeod doesn’t think the race deserves all the credit. “It’s really 25 years of being a trusted source for healthy living that’s doing it more than anything else.”

That’s right—25 years. The couple founded BodyBreak in 1988, after meeting at a gym and starting to date. Trying to explain the cultural significance that “Hal and Joanne” have taken on since then is like trying to explain the cultural significance of Tim Hortons. Here’s a shot at it: Two decades since Johnson and McLeod catapulted to Canadian celebrity status with their peppy fitness tips, people still dress up as them for Halloween. (Yes, they know this—and will be giving away a prize on their website for best costume.)


McLeod chalks BodyBreak’s iconic status up to reminding people of their childhood. “Even people who are the same age as us say they’ve grown up with us. I think it’s the memories—as well as the music.” Oh, yes. That synth-heavy theme song. It’s Johnson’s ringtone, too, and he’ll tell you how to download it from the website before you even ask.

BodyBreak’s silver anniversary coinciding with the inaugural Amazing Race Canada was a perfect match for the couple, and for CTV. If you heard anything about the race, it’s probably the fact that Johnson and McLeod were on it. The debut episode attracted a record 3.5 million viewers. But while the show seemed a natural fit for the fitness icons, it was also a risk. What if they were the first team eliminated? Would the entire 1990s have been a lie?

No need to worry. Johnson and McLeod spent months preparing for the competition. They studied prime ministers and researched the provinces. They mastered the products of the show’s sponsors. Johnson drove every stick shift Chevrolet at the dealership. He memorized Air Canada routes.

The couple is satisfied with the show, except for one edit. That edit, of course, is the bleeped-out swear word McLeod mutters in Regina, after a competing team passed them and they knew they’d fallen into last place.

They’re still stung the producers used the footage, discussing why it was unfair and unfit for a family show, before remembering they didn’t mean to talk about it so much. “If you know Joanne—I never hear her say it!” Johnson says. “We hope to move on from it, but we know it’s going to come up.”

Now in their mid-50s, the pair are still intimidatingly active. McLeod is training for a marathon. Up at the cottage over Labour Day weekend, Johnson returned their motorboat to the marina and then simply kayaked the 90 minutes back.

The two will tune in for the Amazing Race finale, but Johnson admits watching the show can be an emotional experience since their elimination. Like any athlete watching game tape, he analyzes where they would have succeeded and where they would have stumbled. He’s convinced they could have finished first in Iqaluit, a leg of the race that was particularly physical. “I look at that and I go, we could have won that leg, and that’s . . .” Johnson trails off, then bounces back. “We already won,” he says. “We have a memory that we’ll always have, of doing this. Our daughter thinks we’re pretty cool now. And it has introduced BodyBreak to a new generation.”

Source:http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/09/14/lose-the-race-win-the-marathon/

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