State firefighters/moms and former Packer, his wife on ‘Amazing Race’
“The Amazing Race” returns for its 36th season next week, and two teams with Wisconsin connections will be racing around the world to win the $1 million prize. And if history shows us anything, there’s a good chance one of them will win it.
CBS’ multiple-Emmy-winning reality series is hosted by Phil Keoghan. Teams face challenges across the world with the last team to finish each leg eliminated after every episode. The team that comes in first place in the final leg, which concludes at a city in the United States, is the winner. The season was filmed in October and November 2022.
Here’s more about both teams.
Sunny Pulver and Bizzy Smith
Best friends Sunny Pulver and “Bizzy” Smith are ready for the ultimate test when they look to conquer “The Amazing Race.” Pulver, 41, of Edgerton and Smith, 37, of New Berlin are firefighters and moms.
Last year, they competed in the Fight for Air Climb at American Family Field while wearing their firefighting gear to raise money for the American Lung Association. Smith showcases the day on her Instagram account.
Smith also has a Tough Mudder on her competition résumé, an event that saw her work her way through an electro shock obstacle.
Rod and Leticia Gardner
Like the firefighter team, Rod and Leticia Gardner also have the look of a physical duo ready for any challenge.
Rod, 46, is a former NFL player and current owner of a supplement company in Georgia. Leticia, 38, is a fitness business owner. They reside in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
Rod played six seasons and 91 NFL games. Two of those games came with the Green Bay Packers late in the 2005 season. He caught four passes for 67 yards for a career-high 16.8 yards per catch with the Packers.
The Packers re-signed him on March 21, 2006, but the team cut him before the start of the 2006 season. The Kansas City Chiefs signed him in September of that year for what turned out to be his final season. His best season came with Washington in 2002 during his second NFL season. He had career highs of 71 catches, 1,006 yards and eight touchdowns that year.
State’s ‘Amazing Race’ history
Wisconsin teams have fared very well on “The Amazing Race” over the years. University of Wisconsin-Madison food scientists Maya Warren and Amy DeJong bested 10 other teams on the 25th season, which aired in the fall of 2014. They didn’t win a leg on the race until they shocked everyone and took home the grand prize by finishing in first in the finale. Three years earlier, Wisconsin had its first winner. Unlike Warren and DeJong’s victory, married Madison couple Rachel and Dave Brown were a dominant team throughout Season 20. In 12 legs of competition, they finished first in an “Amazing Race”-record eight of them.
How to watch on TV, streaming
“The Amazing Race” Season 36 premieres March 13 at 8:30 p.m. It airs on CBS — in Milwaukee, on WDJT-TV (Channel 58), Channel 5 on Spectrum cable — and streams on Paramount+.