The Amazing Race > The Racers
TAR 26: Bergen Olson & Kurt Jordan Belcher "Blind Daters"
stekay:
--- Quote from: paradoxinee on January 23, 2015, 10:52:23 PM ---I don't know but I have a feeling that Kurt will be annoying but just my feeling.
--- End quote ---
I actually think it will be the exact opposite! :lol:
georgiapeach:
From NDSU student to reality TV: Bergen Olson reflects on blind dating, traveling the world in ‘Amazing Race’
By Ryan Johnson Today at 9:47 a.m.
The 2013 NDSU alumnus, now 24, grew up in Danvers, Minn., attending school in nearby Benson, Minn., and said he was a “huge fan” of reality television since childhood.
But he didn’t make the cut for “Big Brother,” and assumed the casting producer was just being nice when she told him to stay positive – he just might get a call back someday.
Last August, that call finally came, and after a quick casting process, Olson was selected to compete on the 26th season of CBS’ “The Amazing Race” that premieres Wednesday at 8:30 p.m.
Olson, who now works for a tech startup in Sunnyvale, Calif., headed overseas last November to film the race.
The premise of the show – teams of two race across the world for the chance to win $1 million – is extreme enough. But the new season has a twist: Five of the teams partnered two complete strangers in what the show bills as “the most extreme blind date ever,” while the other six teams were couples.
Olson met his race partner, Kurt Jordan Belcher, at the starting line. While he can’t discuss how he did in the race – or if there were any sparks with his teammate – he spoke with The Forum about his decision to compete and what he took away from it all.
What makes you a good fit for reality TV?
I’m really critical about myself, and so I actually asked other people to answer the question for me. Their consensus was just my overall personality.
I’m always trying to find the best in every situation, I try to stay positive and upbeat about everything and I’m always smiling, always trying to crack a joke. So I think it was just my carefree attitude and personality, and obviously my love for reality TV.
Part of this season was the blind date, and I’ve been single for about three years now so it was time for me to get back out there and try that. So what better way to do that than going on a reality TV show that I absolutely love and getting a chance at getting paired up in a good relationship?
Was it as intimidating of a blind date as it sounds?
You just never know who you’re going to get partnered with, and especially in a blind date situation, that’s a lot of pressure to be traveling around the world with someone you just literally met. So I knew it would be a challenge.
Even putting myself out there and sharing my sexuality with everyone, because I haven’t come out to some of my family members and friends.
But I was ready to take a step outside of my comfort zone, and that’s what I really took from this experience is just to take a step out and do something that I normally wouldn’t do.
But you had come out to some people?
In 2010 when I was a sophomore in college, I actually came out to my parents, my sister and my brother and most of my close friends who hadn’t already known. So I did come out to a good majority of people.
But this kind of solidified everything. Once you’re out there on a blind date with a guy on national television, that pretty much solidifies it.
One important person in my life is my only grandparent left, my grandpa, and he hadn’t known. I knew that would be a risk going forward, and I wanted to make sure that he was aware and believed in me and supported me.
We actually had a conversation with him, and he’s totally supportive of it. That wasn’t something I was expecting going into this; I was actually expecting the opposite where he wasn’t going to like it and he wasn’t going to accept who I am. It turned out vice versa, so I’m super happy I went forward with it.
What did you take from the race?
I had never traveled outside of the U.S. I’m only used to the U.S. culture and U.S. lifestyle, so I was really, really excited to be given the opportunity to go to these other countries and see the way that they live their lives.
It kind of brings you back home and think how grateful we are here in the U.S. for what we have. I think you take it for granted sometimes that we have running water or we can just hop in our car and drive to the store and get whatever.
And again, just to take that weight off my shoulders of who I am. I put myself out there, and now I don’t really have to worry.
I’m putting myself on national TV being gay, and I don’t have to worry now, “OK, who knows and who doesn’t know?” Now everyone knows, and I can just live my life, because life’s way too short to worry about that kind of stuff.
We’re in 2015 now. You shouldn’t have to worry about how you label yourself as straight, gay, bi, whatever.
http://www.inforum.com/variety/entertainment/3686039-ndsu-student-reality-tv-bergen-olson-reflects-blind-dating-traveling
gamerfan09:
Bergen crying about not finding love on the Race :lol: <3
Plaidmoon:
An interesting tweet/response about Bergen and Kurt:
Kelly @kelbottweets
Did the producers of amazing race think Bergen and Kurt would want to date clones of themselves?
5:52 PM - 6 Mar 2015
I can't copy it directly, but Bergen favorited it.
stekay:
Everybody thought that tbh. I think they tried to throw a spanner in the works with most of the blind daters
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