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TAR 26: Rochelle Nevedal & Mike Dombrowski

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NMC:
Interview from TvGuide.com with Mike & Rochelle.

http://www.tvguide.com/news/amazing-race-mike-rochelle/

Mike and Rochelle's cab struggle was real on The Amazing Race finale -- and you didn't see any of it. After the couple let their cab leave when they were dropped off at AT&T Stadium, they found another one that, as we saw, ran out of gas en route to P2 Ranch. What you didn't see, though, were the multiple stops at people's houses to get directions that lasted almost an hour. Get the details on their ordeal and why they think they would've rocked the selfie task

What happened with your cab? It wouldn't wait for you outside of the stadium?
Rochelle: Yeah. First off, we held the cab and as he was dropping us off, I asked him to wait for us and he said, "No, I can't do that." I let him know the situation and then I asked him if he could at least call his cab company and have them send another cab. He said, "No, I can't do that." He just absolutely would not help us at all. So after he dropped us off, we were left to ourselves.
Mike: It took us probably five or 10 minutes [to find another cab]. We had to run up the street from AT&T Stadium. We were in an area where there weren't a lot of cabs. It wasn't a big populated city area. It was mainly a highway. We spotted a cab a little ways down the road and we grabbed him and it wasn't a good choice, but it was all we had at the time.

And then he ran out of gas.
Rochelle: Yeah! [Laughs] Even before he ran out of gas, he didn't know where [the ranch] was located. We stopped three or four times, and he said he got the directions and he knew where to go now. But every single time he tried to drive there, he got lost again, so we'd stop somewhere else, get directions from them, but he'd just drive around in circles.
Mike: He didn't follow the directions at all. There was one point where some lady physically drew a map with the train tracks and gas station, and Rochelle's like, "This is where we're going," and he's like, "Yup." And he went the complete opposite way. It was terrible. ... We were in an area where there was no way to get another cab at all. We were on dirt roads. He was our only option.
Rochelle: We seriously stopped and knocked on people's houses. It took a long time.

It did seem like the other teams were long gone before you got to the ranch.
Mike: Yeah. They didn't show much of our struggle getting to the ranch. That was a huge part. We were stopping at people's houses, running on their front yards. It was crazy. We spent close to an hour, if not more, in his cab just trying to find the ranch. Nothing was going our way.

At that point, did you think you would be eliminated knowing that there would be a mid-leg elimination?
Rochelle: Yeah. When we finally arrived there, we knew it was over.
Mike: I wasn't sure at the time though because I didn't know when the elimination was gonna take place. I truly didn't expect it to be a Roadblock and then you get to the next challenge and it was an elimination. I was trying to keep my hopes high. Even if we had busted that out, it probably wouldn't have ended well.

You missed out on monster trucks!
Mike: I know! [Laughs] I wanted to drive the monster trucks!

How do you think you would've done at the selfie challenge?
Rochelle: I think we would've done really well because we didn't really take a lot of selfies throughout the race. [Laughs] I'm sure they tried to keep the amount even for the [final three] teams, but we wouldn't have had a lot of selfies to sort out.
Mike: I don't even think we would've had enough selfies to fill up [the map]!

So then maybe you could've won.
Mike: Right? It would've been easy for us! If it weren't for that cab!

You definitely were the underdogs. After you got first place on the third leg, you were always trailing, barely making the cut. What was your mindset like while playing catch-up?
Mike: I thought as long as we kept working together and not arguing, we felt like had a chance. We had some hiccups with navigation, catching earlier flights. In Germany, we struggled with navigation and getting directions, but we overall had a pretty good sense of that. So if there was a challenge that was a little harder on us that the Olympians would've busted out, our navigation skills could help us out. We always relied on that and staying positive and having a good time.
Rochelle: I think keeping cool helped us. I think a lot of the other teams were hectic and spent a lot of time running back and forth, trying to figure it out, and we kind of ran a more relaxed race. I think we saved a lot of time by not running down the street in the wrong direction.

There were some times where you had some good luck being behind and being patient. You were able to do the dog-feeding Detour because you were far back enough and you found the shoe-shining place when everyone else missed it in the last pack.
Mike: Oh, yeah. The shoe-shining place - when I watch that back, it was mind-blowing to me that people missed it. The Speed Bump was right there. It was really out in the open and there were llamas and typewriters and stuff. They knew it was something to do with the race, but they just didn't look around enough.

How did it feel being the last pre-existing couple on the race?
Mike: I thought that was really cool. I did not expect that. Going into the race, we just didn't wanna get eliminated first. We got through that and the next milestone was first place on the third leg, which was huge. Beyond that, we just didn't wanna get eliminated and suddenly the Olympians were eliminated. That was a huge surprise. Then it was narrowing down ... and suddenly we were in the final four.

What did you think of the blind date twist?
Rochelle: I think it was definitely a cool twist. When that was announced, I actually felt a sense of relief, thinking that we had an upper hand. Then we soon found out that they had certain advantages that we didn't have. There was definitely no baggage between them.
Mike: Even if they weren't looking for love, when you're meeting a new friend, I think it was Jelani who said in one of the episodes, "If you're meeting someone for the first time, you always show the best version of yourself." Spending three weeks with them every single day, it will be stressful, but you're still trying to show them the best side of you. You don't wanna go into the race with someone you hate or don't get along with. I mean, we did see a little bit of that!
Rochelle: Every single one of the blind date teams was super in shape, super intelligent, relatively young with great skills. I think the teams they chose for the blind dates were definitely tough. There weren't any easy blind date teams that you think might go out early. I think it would be cool if they did it again but not blind dates for love, but just two strangers. I think that's a cool relationship to watch develop.

They all did end up friends.
Mike: Yeah. That's a great way to meet a friend. We're friends with the entire cast, probably will be forever. But if you had taken me on that race to date someone, that's asking a lot -- racing around the world trying to win $1 million and trying to find love. That's not a place you can find love easily. They really tried to make it happen. I felt bad for Phil. He constantly had to ask about it and everybody just kind of turned around and laughed, like, "We're really good friends!"

What are you up to now?
Mike: We're just getting ready to enjoy the summer! That's really it. Trying to have a normal relationship. We haven't really had that. It was preparing for the race, doing the race, preparing to watch ourselves on the race, so now we get to have a normal relationship.

Alenaveda:
FROM CBS.COM:
http://www.cbs.com/shows/amazing_race/elimination_interviews/1004248/mike-and-rochelle-end-race-even-closer-than-before-truckstoplove-leave-in-good-spirits/



Mike And Rochelle End Race Even Closer Than Before
#TruckStopLove leave in good spirits
Posted on May 20, 2015 07:25am

After traveling the world together as blind daters on The Amazing Race Season 26, Mike and Rochelle came in fourth. Then we asked them questions fans submitted on Facebook. Here's what they had to say:

1. Jordan L: This question is for Mike and Rochelle. Were there any countries you two really wanted to explore, which you didn't visit in The Amazing Race?
Mike: I personally wanted to race around the Australian outback, and since I'm Polish, Poland obviously would have been pretty cool. However, since I was a child I've always wanted to visit Tokyo, Japan...and low and behold that was our first stop...I was pumped!
Rochelle: I agree with Mike, the Australian Outback would have been awesome. New Zealand would have been pretty great too. However, I think we had one of the best routes on TAR. We went to a lot of places I have been dying to see and even a few I never thought of going to that surprised me on how incredible they were.

2. Ellen H: Mike and Rochelle, great teamwork! What was your favorite part of the race? Would you two ever consider running the race again?
Mike: I really cannot pinpoint one exact favorite part on the race, it was all so great. It seemed like it just topped itself leg after leg. Though, I must say I've never felt the excitement or adrenaline rush like I did at the end of Leg 11 in Peru when we were the last team to check into the mat, and Phil said "However..." and handed us our next clue to fly to Dallas and continue on to race in the final leg. You bet I'd run the race again!
Rochelle: It's so hard to pick a favorite! I absolutely loved everything about it. There is nothing like the rush of waking up every morning and ripping open a clue that tells you where in the world you are flying that day. Even the nights that we had to sleep on the cold floor of the airport, or at the internet cafe in Tokyo inside a cubicle, were some of my favorites just for experience of it all. I also think that the experience of getting out of our comfort zone and being pushed to our limits was one of my favorite parts of it all, because it's something I learned so much about myself, and us as a couple as well. And yes! I would run the race again in a heartbeat!

3. Amy W: Mike looked much thinner by the final leg! I'm curious how much weight he lost during the race?
Mike: When we got back home I weighed myself and I actually lost about 20lbs on the Race. I don't think there is a better weight loss program than running 12 legs on The Amazing Race.

4. Laura G: Did any of you conquer any fears while on the race?
Mike: I didn't have many fears heading into the race (other than snakes, or swimming in the open ocean...which we luckily didn't have to do), but it actually helped me in day to day life. I'm not afraid to approach a random stranger and ask them for anything, and I'm usually a quiet guy, but if I need to be vocal...I sure can now!
Rochelle: I had a lot of fears coming into the race. I am not an adrenaline seeker by any means, and I came into the race with a huge fear of heights, roller coasters, meat, and bugs. I was faced with my fear of heights during the beer crate stacking challenge in Germany, and I wouldn't say I have completely conquered it, but I definitely have learned that I can work though my fears, and accomplish anything I set my mind to.

5. Amber H: Mike and Rochelle, What was your most memorable and enriching part of the race?
Mike: I know Rochelle is going to hate this answer, but the dancing challenges, especially the one in Peru. Not because they were fun by any means, but because we REALLY had to work together to pull them off successfully. They were challenges that one person couldn't be stronger in and get through, you had to learn, practice, and perform the dance as a perfect functioning unit. As corny as it might sound, in my eyes it really made our relationship stronger that we could complete such daunting tasks as a team. That's something I'm really proud of, and proves that I have not only the beast teammate in the World, but the best girlfriend in the World.
Rochelle: I think in 30 years, what I will remember the most is our experience we had as a couple, and as a team. I absolutely know for certain it wouldn't have been the same, or as enjoyable with anybody else. The support he gave me when I was struggling, stressed out, or just needed a moment to breathe and compose myself was something that I will never forget, and is truly made me realize I am so lucky to have him.

6. Emily R: I want to ask Mike and Rochelle if they are still together and if he has met her son yet? I really liked them and wish they had won.
Mike: Thanks Emily! Yep, we are still together and grow happier and happier together every single day! I met her son, Nehemiah, when we returned from the race, and since then we've become best buddies. I introduced him to the world of professional wrestling, which he is in awe with, and we're even going to see WWE together in a few weeks. I'll pick him up from school sometimes and we'll have boys days where we hangout, go watch a movie, and eat pizza. He's such a great kid with a huge personality and imagination, I'm so lucky to have met him! Also, sometimes he and I can be quite the jokers, I'm sure Rochelle agrees that we can be quite the handful together from time to time!
Rochelle: Handful is an understatement! haha No, things have been great since we came home and Mike got to meet Nehemiah. They have become BFFs and my son really looks to Mike as a friend and role model. My house has never been filled with so many wrestling moves, movie nights, or laughs. Things are really good.

7. Heather P: To Mike and Rochelle, any plans of tying the knot after going around the world?
Mike: I'm 100% positive that it will happen sooner than later, just not right now. Our relationship has been pretty much Amazing Race related for nearly the past year, so we're going to take some time to enjoy doing normal couple things like dinner, movies, concerts, camping, and just relaxing and enjoying our time together. Although I will say, there is no other girl in this entire World for me. She's got my heart on lock!
Rochelle: When it happens, it will be time, but like Mike said so much of our relationship has been race related and we are both looking forward to normal couple things and enjoying our summer together. I honestly can say, with all my heart, that Mike is the one for me and definitely someday I hope I am lucky enough to call him my husband!

georgiapeach:
Awww, they are the sweetest!

gamerfan09:
https://twitter.com/rtvwarriors/status/737432185637076992

Engaged! Congrats Mike & Rochelle!  :conf:

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