Meet The 'The Amazing Race' 2017 Cast: Contestant Refresher Before Season 29 Premiere
After a long wait, fans of "The Amazing Race" are finally getting to learn more about the highly-anticipated new installment and the contestants who will be racing for the $1 million prize at the finish line in Season 29.
In a press release, the CBS show revealed that for the first time ever, the series would feature a cast of 22 individual racers who will be paired up into teams using a schoolyard pick method at the starting line. The twist on the traditional format was designed to allow those who always wanted to be on the show but couldn't, because they didn't have a teammate, to participate.
"I've had 'Race' fans say, 'I don't have a partner, I don't have anybody that I could race with. But I really want to be on 'The Amazing Race,'" host Phil Keoghan said in a statement. "'Can you pair me up with somebody? Can you find me somebody to race with?'"
In addition, the twist will hopefully allow the show to add new dramatic elements as complete strangers are forced to find ways to interact with one another and work together in order to stay in the race.
"I think there's going to be two kinds of sparks," co-creator and producer Elise Doganieri said. "There's going to be love sparks, and there's going to be fiery drama sparks."
So who are the 22 people who have willingly signed up for this new twist to the race? Here's everything you need to know:
- Shamir Arenzo: Arenzo is a 28-year-old Wall Street banker from Jersey City, New Jersey.
- Logan Bauer: Bauer is a 27-year-old surgical consultant from Columbus, Georgia.
- Olive Beauregard: Beauregard is a 24-year-old firefighter from Providence, Rhode Island.
- Brooke Camhi: Camhi is a 36-year-old criminal attorney from New York.
- Tara Carr: Carr is a 38-year-old army officer from Alexandria, Virginia.
- Joey Cavino: Cavino is a 46-year-old police sergeant from Saugus, Massachusetts.
- Becca Droz: Droz is a 26-year-old rock climbing instructor and barista from Boulder, Colorado.
- Liz Espey: Espey is a 24-year-old auctioneer from Maryville, Missouri.
- Scott Flanary: Flanary is a 34-year-old recruiting manager from West Hollywood, California.
- Sara Fowler: Fowler is a 27-year-old luxury realtor from St. John, Virgin Islands.
- London Kaye: Kaye is a 27-year-old artist from Brooklyn, New York.
- Matt Ladley: Ladley is a 25-year-old pro snowboarder from Denver.
- Jennifer Lee: Lee is a 25-year-old model from Los Angeles.
- Kevin Ng: Ng is a 31-year-old athletic trainer from San Diego.
- Francesca Piccoli: Piccoli is a 33-year-old army drill sergeant from Plano, Texas.
- Floyd Pierce: Pierce is a 21-year-old college student from Boulder, Colorado.
- Michael Rado: Rado is a 37-year-old butcher from Pittsburgh.
- Redmond Ramos: Ramos is a 28-year-old motivational speaker and former Navy corpsman from Murrieta, California.
- Jessica Shields: Shields is a 28-year-old K-9 police officer from Youngstown, Ohio.
- Ashton Theiss: Theiss is a 25-year-old real estate agent from Fort Worth, Texas.
- Seth Tyler: Tyler is a 37-year-old police officer from Seattle.
- Vanck Zhu: Zhu is a 28-year-old Wall Street analyst from New York.
Catch the new racers in action when "The Amazing Race" Season 29 premieres on a new date and time, Thursday, March 30, at 10 p.m. EDT on CBS.
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