Off to the races
Which team will you be cheering for on the second season of The Amazing Race Canada? This week, Postmedia’s Ruth Myles assesses the duos with dazzling potential (on paper, at least) while pointing out the couples who might go kaput. CTV is announcing the
TEAM: Jen, 40, and Shawn King, 41; Halifax, N.S.
BIO: The high-school sweethearts are parents to a 17-year-old and maintain that they are “fun and hip” and “the cool parents” in their son’s circle of friends. (Note: Cool parents never say that. They are just cool. That is what makes them cool.) While Jen is a holistic nutrition practitioner, Shawn is a partner in an advertising agency.
POSSIBLE NICKNAMES: The Parental Units, The Marrieds, Cannon Fodder. (PAPER) TIGERS OR DOLLS?: Mid-life crisis? What mid-life crisis? Did you know that Shawn was in a band in high school? While the write-up on the “edgy pair” includes that tidbit, there is zero on their athletic ability. It does mention, however, that they resolve issues quickly, “albeit sometimes loudly.”
TEAM: Cormac, 19, and Nicole, 39, Foster; Winnipeg, Man.
BIO: The mother-and-son team are looking to replicate the winning ways of that other family unit from Winnipeg that took the first season of The Amazing Race Canada, Tim Hague Sr. and Tim Hague Jr. (And don’t forget: The Tims managed to win the grand prize after finishing last on TWO legs of the Race.)
POSSIBLE NICKNAMES: The Mom and Son, Aww Mom!, Mommy Dearest. (PAPER) TIGERS OR DOLLS?: Nicole became a single mother at 20 and managed to raise Cormac AND finish her studies at university, so she’s got grit. Cormac is studying biosystems engineering, so he is mechanically minded (if likely to be a tad Type-A). But don’t discount the family dynamic, which can swing both ways.
TEAM: Sukhi, 31, and Jinder, 25, Atwal; Terrace, B.C.
BIO: The brother/sister team say they are inspired by their father’s experience of coming to Canada as an immigrant from India, without money and speaking no English. Jinder, who has a degree in molecular biology, is an entrepreneur, as is Sukhi. (And yes, that was her on Bollywood Star. While Sukhi made the initial cut in the televised auditions, she didn’t make it to the finals.)
POSSIBLE NICKNAMES: The Sibs, The Ones Who Want to Kill Each Other, The Daring Duo. (PAPER) TIGERS OR DOLLS?: Their youth is tempered by experience, as they’ve lived overseas as adults. Jinder’s athletic background (marathons, provincial-level soccer) can’t hurt. What could? Sarcasm is one of their fave modes of communication and that never goes sideways, does it?