Alabama mother-son duo to compete on 'The Amazing Race' season 27
Amber Sutton |
asutton@al.com on September 24, 2015 at 9:25 AM
A mother-and-son duo from Alabama will be among the teams grabbing their passports and touring the world when the new season of "The Amazing Race" premieres on Friday.
Denise Williams and James Earl Corely, both of Prattville, have watched "The Amazing Race" since its first season, and Corely said he knew from a young age that competing on the reality series that takes place around the world was something he'd do.
"I'm a big fan of the show, and I've always wanted to do it ever since I was little," said Corley. "He told me when he was in ninth grade and said 'mom, we're going to do this one day' and he made that day come true," added Williams.
While Williams, an administrative assistant, wasn't surpised that Corely, a recent graduate of UAB medical school, wanted to try out for the show, she was shocked to find out they had actually been selected after sending in a quick application and a short three-minute video the duo filmed on their back porch.
"James Earl called me and said 'Mom, they called," said Williams. "I told him to stop because I didn't believe him. I mean, you'd never believe that two small town people from Prattville would ever be on "The Amazing Race."
Though the pair was excited to travel the world and challenge themselves during the show's physical and mental competitions, their true goal was to reconnect following several months of not speaking after Corely told Williams he was gay.
When I was 22, I decided to come out of the closet to pretty much everyone," said Corely. "And mom did not have a great reaction at all. We didn't talk very much for half a year after that. And even after that, we didn't talk much."
Corely and Williams, a single mother, both said their time on the show helped mend their relationship since contestants on "The Amazing Race" are forced to depend on, and spend all their time with, their teammate from beginning to end.
"I think it's hard to go through something like that with someone and not get closer to them," said Corely. "It's impossible really because you're living every moment together, and you learn a lot about each other. That's the only person you can depend on."
While Williams, 51, and Corely, 26, couldn't discuss the details of their experience on the show, both said it was nerve-wracking, and thrilling, to take part in such a fast-paced, high stakes competition.
"I was scared, and I was nervous," said Williams. "I found myself standing on that starting line, and I'm just thinking 'what did I get myself into?' I was surrounded by all these people in their 20s, and I'm just like 'oh my god."
Despite her nerves, Williams said the opportunity to push herself and watch her son take on new challenges was an experience of a lifetime that the duo will now share.
"When you do something great, and your son is there to see it while doing great things himself, it just makes your day," said Williams.
http://www.al.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2015/09/alabama_mother-son_duo_to_comp.html