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TAR18: Margie Adams & Luke Adams (mother/son)

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slayton:
The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business - Exclusive Interview with Margie and Luke Adams by Gina Scarpa

This week on The Amazing Race, the Road Block task was daunting - identify a cup of tea in India that teams had tasted earlier in China. Some were able to identify the mango and papaya infused tea quickly while others, like Luke, were stuck drinking cups of tea for hours. The task put him and his mother too far behind the pack and they arrived at the mat last. They were eliminated from the race and today, we caught up with the mother/son team in an exclusive interview to talk about their second time running The Amazing Race.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What was your reaction when you were called to do Unfinished Business, as an all star team?

A. Luke: I was pretty pumped about it! My mom texted me when she got a phone call about it while I was at my friend's wedding! It was SO hard not to tell anybody about it!

A. Margie: We were so excited, we didn't have to think about it. We just said YES

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Who were you most happy to see when you returned to run the race?
A. Luke: Jaime and Cara for sure! I was really thrilled to see them back again. It was really comforting to have a team that we could trust 100% completely.
A. Margie: All of the teams from season 14.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What was harder about Unfinished Business: the "superlegs" or the tasks itself?
A. Luke: The superlegs for sure! I mean, we were running around in Sydney, then we found out that we had to keep going. It was so hot in Australia and it was way hotter in the Outback. It was really tough not having a break. We really thought we were gonna have a break when we made it to the mat in China. Running around in the mountains all morning definitely took a big toll on our bodies and then we found out we had to keep going again!? Running superlegs in extreme environments was really crazy but we knew we were gonna be in for several surprises!
A. Margie: This whole race was harder for me. The legs were longer, the distances we had to run were farther, and the challenges were physically harder.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Luke, how many cups of tea do you think you drank in that Road Block?
A. Luke: Oh God. I had no idea! I did not keep track of cups but I know I was drinking teas for four hours. I am not drinking tea ever again!

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: How tough is it to watch each other during Road Blocks and not be able to help?
A. Luke: I really want to jump in and help my mom build the dinosaur. It didn't look easy!
A. Margie: That is always hard. Luke and I are both doers so sitting on the sideline and watching is hard.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Margie, you stopped Luke to tell him how important it was to finish the task. How proud are you of him for finding the right tea?
A. Margie: I am so proud he finished the task but I can't imagine he wouldn't have finished. He may not always win but he always finishes what he starts.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What has being on The Amazing Race meant to the two of you and what is the biggest thing you're taking away from it?
A. Luke: It was an INCREDIBLE experience. I never dreamt that I would run The Amazing Race with my mom. And, doing it twice! Amazing. It meant so much to me in the whole world to have an incredible experience with my mom.
A. Margie: Getting to see the world with my son, twice!

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What's next for the two of you?
A. Luke: I am going to do a bit of traveling and I am thinking about going to grad school. I actually dropped out of grad school two years ago to do The Amazing Race. So, now that my Amazing Race chapter is closed, I think I will go back to grad school.
A. Margie: Back to normal life.
 
http://www.realitywanted.com/newsitem/4135-the-amazing-race-unfinished-business-exclusive-interview-with-margie-and-luke-adams

slayton:
The Amazing Race: Tea Time with Margie and Luke Adams
by Reg Seeton

--- Quote ---THE DEADBOLT: Luke, when you first started the leg and opened the clue, why were you disappointed to still be racing in China?

LUKE ADAMS: Are you kidding me? I was ready for a new country! We ran three legs in China on our original Race and I didn't want to run a third leg again in China! I was ready to fly out to somewhere. But really, I love China. It's a beautiful country!

THE DEADBOLT: How long were you at the tea table?

LUKE: Four Hours! That's the longest day ever of my entire life!

THE DEADBOLT: How many bowls of tea did you drink?

LUKE: I have no idea! There were fifteen-hundred. So, maybe three-hundred or four-hundred? I don't know.

THE DEADBOLT: Can you talk about how it became so hard and what you were feeling as it got worse?

LUKE: I am not a big avid tea drinker. Well, now I am not going to drink it again ever! Actually, drinking tea for four hours was just so draining.

THE DEADBOLT: Margie, how hard was it to watch Luke go through that? What were you feeling?

MARGIE ADAMS: It was so painful to watch. He is always so concerned that he is letting me or the deaf community down but that couldn't be further from the truth. He was drinking tea for four hours and I am sure he felt like quitting but he wouldn't because he didn't want to let me down.

THE DEADBOLT: How are you able to stay so calm for your son?

MARGIE: What choice did I have? Getting upset would not have helped the situation.

THE DEADBOLT: What did Herb's hug mean to both of you after such a difficult experience?

LUKE: It was really sweet of him! That means a lot to me. I wasn't having an easy day so a hug from him helped a lot.

MARGIE: I think Flight Time and Big Easy are the only other people on this earth that understand what Luke went through because Flight Time experienced it too. He hugged me and said he was very proud of Luke and he was surprised by his strength and he really admired him. That was one of the best moments of the race for me, he is such a great guy.

THE DEADBOLT: How was this race different for both of you as compared to Season 14?

LUKE: A lot of flights delays and a heart attack this season! Where did they come from? Season 14 was definitely a fast paced race. We just kept go, go going. It was much easier the first time to keep our energy going. It was tough a second time around. The fact that we had to deal with so many flight delays and long travel made it harder.

MARGIE: This race was harder for me. The legs were longer, the distances we had to run were farther, and challenges physically harder.

--- End quote ---

http://www.thedeadbolt.com/news/110521/margie_luke_the_amazing_race_unfinished_business.php

slayton:
Exclusive: Margie Adams and Luke Adams talk 'The Amazing Race'
By Reality TV World staff

Margie Adams and Luke Adams seemed likely to survive the Race's next leg when they left the fifth leg's Pit Stop of The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business all-stars edition in third place.

However, their Race took a fatal turn when the dropped into last place after Luke struggled to complete a tea-tasting Roadblock task -- resulting in the "Mother and Son" becoming the fourth team eliminated from the competition during Sunday night's broadcast of the show's sixth episode.

On Monday, Margie and Luke discussed their The Amazing Race experience with Reality TV World via email -- including how far behind they finished the sixth leg, whether Luke really considered quitting the tea tasting Roadblock task and how long it actually took him to complete it, what the status of their relationship is now with the team they clashed with during their prior The Amazing Race season, and which teams they had expected or felt deserved to be on the current season that weren't.

Reality TV World: About how long were you actually at the Roadblock?

Luke Adams: Four Hours! It wasn't fun at all.

Reality TV World: About how long after Herbert "Flight Time" Lang and Nathaniel "The Big Easy" Lofton had already left the Roadblock were you still there?

Luke Adams: It took me around an hour to find the right tea after they left.

Reality TV World: Luke, it didn't look like it from the episode, but do you feel your deafness played any role in your struggle to complete the Roadblock?

Luke Adams: No, it doesn't have anything to do with my deafness. It's more as for tasting and smelling but there's no way I could tell difference with teas. There were so many fruits in the room, so it made the smelling much harder. My taste buds actually turned sour after drinking so many teas.

Reality TV World: Luke, you said the Roadblock task was "so hard." Why did you feel it was so hard and why do you believe you got so emotional?

Luke Adams: I was drinking tea for four hours! I wasn't feeling well. My taste buds actually turned so bad from drinking so much. I couldn't take it anymore. I want to drink something else at that point! I felt so bad that my team fell to the last place. I didn't want to let my mom down again like I did with the surfboard task in our finale leg on our original season.

Reality TV World: Luke, do you think you still would have completed the Roadblock task if Margie hadn't urged you to finish, and looking back, are you glad you did so?

Luke Adams: It meant so much to have my mom's encouragement. It wasn't easy. I'm not the quitter, but for that tea challenge, I really, really wanted to quit. It was not fun drinking tea for four hours. I'm really glad that I didn't give up and finished the challenge.

Reality TV World: Margie, can you elaborate on why you wanted Luke to finish the Roadblock task?

Margie Adams: I know Luke, and he would not have been able to live with himself if he did not complete a task. He may not win every task, but he never quit.

Reality TV World: Do you have any idea about how far behind Flight Time and Big Easy you got to the Pit Stop?

Luke Adams: I had no idea. Maybe 20 minutes behind? We finished the Ganesha task 15 minutes after they left.

Reality TV World: You looked pretty defeated as you walked up to the Pit Stop -- were you already aware you were in last place?

Luke Adams: I was pretty sure the Globetrotters already checked in unless they got lost!

Margie Adams: We knew we were in last place and we figured it was NOT a non-elimination leg since they had already had two, so we figured we were finished. It was a hard way to go out.

Reality TV World: When I talked to Cara Rosenthal and Jaime Edmondson last week, they said that all the other teams had been very upset that Kent Kaliber and Vyxsin Fiala only received a 30-minute time penalty for not waiting until the following day to take the designated Japan-to-China flight. Was that accurate? What were your opinions about the penalty and do you think it was appropriate?

Luke Adams: I adore Kent and Vyxsin. It was the rule that we had to take a required flight and they did not follow the rule so yeah, I think they should have faced a stiffer penalty. They were only 20 minutes ahead of us when we left the Pit Stop in Japan so they could have made it on the required flight. I just feel bad for Jaime and Cara for getting screwed over with Kent and Vyxsin's U-Turn. That is not fair for the girls.

Margie Adams: That is not a decision we get to make, rules are rules and they were very LUCKY!

Reality TV World: Margie, how difficult was the dinosaur Roadblock in the previous leg and about how long did that take you?

Margie Adams: [LaKisha Hoffman] was already at the roadblock when [Christina Hsu] and I got there. I couldn't tell you how long I was there, but I left about 20 minutes after [Jet McCoy] finished. He raced through that thing. It was really a hard challenge because each piece was so heavy and once you put a piece together, it was really difficult to get them apart.

Reality TV World: You two had clashed with Jennifer Hoffman and Kisha during your first time on the Race. Had you reconciled with Jen and Kisha prior to your Race return, and what's the status of your relationship now?

Luke Adams: We haven't spoke to each other after our first race end and we spoke to each other on the first day of this race so now we are friends! That's really nice. Sometimes we would tweet to each other on Twitter!

Reality TV World:  What was your reaction when you learned you would be racing against them again this season?

Luke Adams: I wasn't surprised to see them back. They were a good team and tough to beat on our original season.

Margie Adams: Jen, Kisha, Luke and I have all accepted our share of the responsibility for the "incident in China." We have all apologized and moved on. When you have been on the road for 20-plus days, sleep deprived, hungry all the time -- fuses are short -- that is all it was. We are all great friends now.

Reality TV World: Before you learned you would be flying to India, you had expressed disappointment that the Race might be staying in China for another leg. Why?

Luke Adams: Are you kidding me? We had three legs in China on our original season! Two legs in China are pretty good for me, but now I actually wish we stayed in China instead of flying out to India.

Reality TV World: Some of this season's clues actually seem to be "clues" that need to be solved and not just directions about what to do next like a lot of the show's recent seasons seem to have been. In addition, some of the Roadblocks and Detours seem to be harder than usual. Did you feel that way while you were out there and did that surprise you?

Luke Adams: I actually like the "clues!" It's way more challenging and a lot of placement shuffles around!! It didn't surprise me that the challenges were much harder. I kind of expected it.

Margie Adams: When asked to be on the show we were told that second chances are not free, so we figured it was going to be harder the second time around. So, we were not that surprised. What surprised us was the length of the challenges. The super legs were killer.

Reality TV World: Almost half of this season's cast were fourteenth-season teams -- did that surprise you?

Luke Adams: Yes! Actually I was excited about it. It was like the little mini family reunion.

Margie Adams: No, we had a fantastic group of racers!

Reality TV World: Out of the 10 other teams that were there, were there any that you were surprised to see?

Luke Adams: The only team that I was surprised to see was [Justin Kanew] and [Zev Glassenberg]. They didn't go that far in their season. There were few teams that lost passports!

Reality TV World: All four of this season's first four eliminated teams have been fourteenth-season teams. Do you have any thoughts on that?

Luke Adams: Bad luck for sure! It wasn't planned that way! Actually I would love to have five season 14 teams to be in the Final Five! Apparently, it didn't work out so well!

Reality TV World: Were there any teams that you have been expecting to see on this season or felt deserved to be there that weren't?

Luke Adams: To be honest, I was really, really surprised to NOT see [Brook Roberts] and [Claire Champlin] back! I thought it would be fun to race with them! I thought [Sam and Dan McMillen], [Carol Rosenfeld] and [Brandy Snow], and [Ken and Tina Greene] deserved the second chance for sure. They were great teams.

Margie Adams: I was hoping that [Steve and Linda Cole] would be asked back. They would have been fun to race with again.


http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/exclusive-margie-adams-and-luke-adams-talk-the-amazing-race-12121.php

slayton:
Margie & Luke ('The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business')
By Lara Martin, News Editor

This week's Amazing Race saw the teams leaving China for India, where a tea-themed leg signaled the end of the road for Margie & Luke. The mother-and-son duo fell behind after a difficult tea tasting roadblock which saw an increasingly-frustrated Luke having to search among more than 1,000 cups of tea for a specific flavor. Words of support from Margie helped him finally complete the task, but the pair were unable to make up the time and arrived in last place at the pitstop. Here's what they told us about the experience...

What was going through your head when you reached the pitstop after such a long and emotional leg?
Luke: "I just want to lie down! The day in India was just so exhausting for me. Most brutal day."
Margie: "We were drained emotionally and physically and we were just both so sad that we wouldn't be running the next leg."

Luke, when you sank onto the mat was that because of exhaustion or disappointment or something else completely?
Luke: "I was hoping to see Phil pull a clue out of his pocket and tell us to keep racing on!"

After that difficult roadblock did you think this would probably be the final leg for you, or were you hopeful you could survive for another week?
Luke: "I was really hopeful for one more superleg! But I knew it probably was going to be the final leg for my mom and I. Although, I did hope that someone would mess up or get lost on the way to the pit stop!"
Margie: "We thought we were done but there is always a slim chance that it might be a non-elimination leg - but no such luck."

How long were you at the roadblock in total, and how long where you there after the Globetrotters had left?
Luke: "I was at the tea challenge for four hours. It took me an hour to find the right tea cup after the Globetrotters left."
Margie: "Yes, we were there four hours and Luke drank tea for four hours. We were there for about 45 minutes to an hour after Flight Time and Big Easy left."

Luke, can you describe how you were feeling during the task when you kept hearing 'no'?
"I was going crazy! There were like over 1,500 teacups so it's like a needle in hay and it's really hard to find the right one."

I know Margie referenced this in the episode, but how important was it for both of you - Luke in particular - to finish this challenge and not give up? Were there ever any thoughts of giving up?
Luke: "I'm not a quitter but that challenge, I actually wanted to quit! I could not handle drinking tea much longer! It was really tough that I had to keep going. But in the end, I'm glad I did not give up."

Do you think the race was more difficult this time around in general, and what was the biggest challenge you faced in your Amazing Race experience?
Luke: Surfboard task! It still haunts me! I mean, we were so close from winning. That was a pretty tough loss to face."
Margie: "This race was more difficult for me - the legs were longer, the distances we had to run were farther and challenges physically harder. The most difficult challenge for me was to sit on the sidelines and watch Luke try to find that cup of tea."

What did you think when you heard which other teams would be racing, and who do you think has what it takes to make it to the finish line?
Luke: "I was surprised with how many teams there were from my season! It was nice to see them again. I knew every team would be tough to beat. I mean, everybody ran a race before so everyone knows how it works!"
Margie: "I was so excited that there were five teams from season 14. I love everyone from 14. I think every team selected for 'Unfinished Business' has what it takes to win. 11 really strong teams."

What was the highlight of the race for you?
Luke:: "Australia! It was amazing to visit Sydney and the Outback."
Margie: "Yes, going to Australia, that was so cool."

Would you do the race for a third time if offered?
Luke: "Now, that's a good question! Actually, I probably would say no. The experience itself was just incredible and I'm so lucky. But now I really want to explore the world at slow pace!"
Margie: "Absolutely, in a second!"

You've seen so many amazing countries through your experiences on the show. Where do you still want to visit and why? I know you mentioned Ireland on your CBS bios...
Luke: "Ireland! I still want to go there and visit Ireland to see where my family came from. I'd love to visit London - we got a little glimpse of the city when we connected through Heathrow Airport so I'd love to go back to London one day - it's a beautiful city. I would love to go back to Sydney and explore more and actually see real kangaroos in the wildlife!"
Margie: "Still Ireland. My grandparents are from there and I have cousins I have never met that live there so I would love to go some day."

http://www.digitalspy.com/ustv/s66/the-amazing-race/interviews/a311776/margie--luke-the-amazing-race-unfinished-business.html

slayton:
'The Amazing Race' Exit Interview: Margie and Luke Adams
by MSN TV

It was hard to get a good sense of how long you guys were actually stuck at the tea-tasting challenge. How long were you there?

Luke: Four hours! It was sooooooo long.

 

Luke, do you have any idea how many cups of tea you actually drank?

Luke: I had no idea how many cups I drank! There were 1,500 teacups. Maybe between 300 and 400? I do not want to drink a [cup of tea] ever again.

 

Did you have any strategy going into it?

Luke: No, it's just a complete pure-luck challenge. I tried to smell the teas -- there's no way to tell the difference. I just literally grabbed random teacups and hoped it was the right one!

 

The pace this season seems incredible. Did the pace (and the resulting exhaustion) contribute to struggling with the tea challenge?

Luke: Exhaustion had nothing to do with the tea challenge. We actually got a bit of rest the night before we got up in the morning for the tea challenge. It was just pure luck.

 

It seemed like the books-delivery challenge might have been faster than painting the statue of Ganesha. Was that true? Was there a sense that if you'd taken the other challenge, you might have beaten the Globetrotters?

Luke: If only I knew the book delivery task was so much faster, I would have gone for it! I guess it's slightly possible that we could have beaten Globetrotters -- we'll never know. I had no idea how far behind we were. We finished the Ganesha task 15 minutes after the Globetrotters left. So, maybe 10 to 15 minutes behind?

 

Margie: It's hard to tell -- we don't know if the books versus the painting would have helped. We got to the painting just as the Globetrotters were finishing up, and I think we got to the Pitstop about 30 minutes after them.

 

I found the reaction from the Indian attendants as Luke finished the challenge really touching.

Luke: That was really unexpected and super sweet of them. I actually gave them a handshake and thanked them for their encouragement before we left. They actually started to cheer and clap for me after Globetrotters left. It wasn't easy to be the last one at the task!

 

Margie: The "tea men" were so sweet. When Luke was struggling, they encouraged him by clapping, and when Luke found the tea they were so happy, lifting him as best they could. I had to take the time before we left to thank each of them.

 

Margie, how has Luke changed and evolved as a racer since the first time you competed?

Margie: During season 14, I was kind of the decision maker, and Luke would say, "What can I say -- she is my mother." This season, he was more in control, and when he disagreed with me, he let me know.

 

Luke, you obviously seemed quite concerned that you had taken your mom out of the race. Has it happened long ago now that maybe it's become sort of funny, or is it still a sore subject? How does this compare to your Season 14 exit, when that surfboard challenge literally cost you a million dollars?

Luke: It's just funny to look at both races and how both [exits] were on my downfall. It has nothing to do with my mom. I felt like I let her down twice. The tea challenge isn't a sore subject now -- surfboards [from their original season] still haunt me, though! I mean, we were only one picture away from winning!

http://social.entertainment.msn.com/tv/blogs/reality-tv-blogpost.aspx?post=21f55318-caea-4890-bba0-011e2ba9ca9a

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