Amazing Racing with Your Mom

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The Amazing Race holds a special place in my heart. At the wee age of 10, I was already making my friends race around my small town of Walla Walla—solving puzzles, eating weird-flavored jelly beans, and U-Turning each other, sparking middle school drama. Over the years, I’ve become a student of the game, as some might say, and I had the opportunity to prove it alongside my mom on Season 36 of The Amazing Race. While I may have been able to solve multiple puzzles, I couldn’t quite figure out how to find my camera crew… but enough about last season because SEASON 37 IS OFFICIALLY HERE!

Starting off with a bang, Season 37 introduces a never-before-seen twist: The Fork in the Road. As a longtime fan of The Amazing Race, hearing there would be a double elimination had me on edge. The last time a season started with a double elimination, a team got eliminated at the starting line because they couldn’t find a license plate. Imagine getting cut before you even leave the country—what a nightmare! But this time, the double elimination was clever, well thought out, and added a unique strategic element to the episode. When teams arrived at The Fork in the Road, they had to choose which path to take, forcing them to make a game-changing decision right off the bat. While some teams picked the perfect route, others took a risk, opting for a task they weren’t as confident in just because fewer teams had chosen it. Ultimately, two teams fell victim to the twist and were eliminated in Episode 1.

I could talk about The Amazing Race for hours, and the Season 37 premiere was one of the best in a while. But I also want to take this opportunity to NERD OUT over Amazing Race statistics—specifically when it comes to parent-child teams. Racing with my mom was such a blessing; I got to watch her accomplish things she never could have imagined, and she got to see me live out my childhood dream. Over the years, there have been multiple parent-child teams, and while many have become Amazing Race fan favorites… only one has ever won the race in 36 seasons! That title belongs to Dave and Connor, a father-son duo who took home the win in Season 24.

Breaking down the stats and dynamics:

• Mother-Daughter Teams: There have been eight mother-daughter teams on The Amazing Race, but so far, none have finished higher than 7th place. However, I believe that could change this season with Melinda and Erika!

• Mother-Son Teams: Historically, they’ve done really well! Out of seven mother-son teams, the worst placement has been 8th on their original season. Two teams have made the final three: Sheri & Cole and Margie & Luke, with both winning on their second attempts. Despite my mom and I trying to flip the script and claim the first-ever mother-son win, that title is still out there for the taking!

• Father-Daughter Teams: They’ve been some of the strongest competitors, and they’re usually my pick to go far in the race. This season, Ernest and Bridget had a strong showing in Episode 1, finishing in third place. Meanwhile, Anna Leigh and her dad won multiple legs before being cut short just before the finale in Season 35. One of the most notable father-daughter duos, Ron and Christina, nearly won Season 12, finishing in 2nd place.

• Father-Son Teams: Interestingly, they haven’t performed as well overall—though there are outliers! The legendary Mike White and his dad, as well as Corey and Rob, are fan favorites and, of course the only parent-child winners, Dave and Connor, who won Season 24, All Stars.

It’s fascinating to see how father-daughter and mother-son teams tend to perform better than other parent-child pairs. Maybe there’s some truth to the “mama’s boys” and “daddy’s girls” stereotype—perhaps their communication and collaboration styles just click when tackling the race’s challenges.

I know plenty of people who’ve told me they could never do The Amazing Race with a parent, but I’ll say this: it was one of the coolest opportunities to grow in friendship. You get to see your parents push themselves in incredible ways, and for parents, they get to see their child all grown up, racing around the world beside them. If you’re considering applying for The Amazing Race, we need more parent-child teams! So grab a parent (or even a fit grandparent—we’ve seen one of those make the final three!) and submit that application.

I love The Amazing Race, but more than that, I love seeing how it transforms relationships. I grew up watching it with my family, and maybe one day, I’ll get to watch it with kids of my own. Huge shout-out to the entire production team for bringing magic and adventure to our screens every season!

If you’re not tuning into Season 37, now’s your chance! Catch it this Wednesday night after Survivor!

-Danny

Danny Butler is a puzzle designer, reality TV fan, and board game fanatic. He ran The Amazing Race 36 with his mom, Angie, where their Team Walla Walla placed 6th.

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