Wisconsin Couple Wins Amazing Race
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - After competing against 10 other couples and winning eight different legs, Dave and Rachel Brown are this season's Amazing Race champions.
Rachel grew up in Maple Grove and later moved to Madison, Wisconsin. She says her Midwest upbringing played a huge part in her winning the race.
"I need to win the million dollars so I can get a week at a spa," said Rachel. "It was truly an amazing experience."
She's going to need that spa. They traveled to five continents, nine countries, and 22 cities.
Leg 3 of the race was the most challenging.
"By far, the watermelons in Paraguay. That was terrible," said Rachel.
Tossing the huge fruit proved to be futile for the couple. They became the first team not to complete a single task.
But that didn't set them back too much. She was a rock star in the Bolly Dance.
"That was a great challenge for me, I loved that one," said Rachel.
She's been dancing since she was 3, and was the dance line captain at Maple Grove High School.
Rachel's mom, Deb Van Dyke, was not shocked by her success in the race.
"She's always been outdoorsy and she's skydived before, and we've gone swimming with the dolphins when she was little, so she's a dare devil," said Van Dyke.
Her adventurous spirit was a useful tool.
"I think my Midwest work ethic was definitely the reason we won. Dave and I are both from the Midwest," added Rachel.
The team also broke an Amazing Race record. They won eight total legs of the race.
"I feel like this race has really brought us together and I couldn't be more grateful," said Rachel.
Rachel works for a medical records company, and Dave is in the Army. They say they're going to pay off their mortgage and invest the rest of their million dollars.
