Many people say Uchenna and Joyce Agu were lucky to win The Amazing Race Season 7.
And perhaps, they were. But then again so were BJ and Tyler, Chip and Kim, Freddy and Kendra, and the other six previous winners.
The race is full of twists and turns. One minute, you get the right flight or the right cab, and you’re ahead. The next minute, you can’t find the next hidden clue under piles of stuff no matter how hard you try and you end up getting eliminated. That’s just the nature of the game.
Before they went on the show, luck wasn’t exactly on their side. Uchenna, who grew up in Los Angeles, worked for Enron. Joyce, a Mississippi native who grew up in San Diego, worked for WorldCom. Both companies are now well known for their accounting shenanegans and the amounts of money they cost investors, in some cases, life savings.
Both landed on their feet but another problem has strained the couple who now resides in Houston. And even their first million couldn’t resolve this one, her infertility. Once again, they hope another trip around the world can help heal their relationship.
Luck wasn’t always their lady at several points during their race. An eighth-place finish in the first leg was followed by a fourth. In the third leg at Mendoza, Argentina, the couple took a wrong turn following the final roadblock which allowed Lynn and Alex to win that leg.
Third-place finishes in the next two legs were to have been followed by a third but when arriving at the pit stop, they learned they didn’t complete the roadblock correctly. Rather than grabbing a post, Uchenna only grabbed the flag on the post. But fortunately no teams passed them in the meantime and they remained third.
Then came the double leg in India, and one of the most emotional sacrifices in show history. Grabbing the chance to win a Fast Forward, Uchenna and Joyce headed to a temple. After spending quite some time trying to find it, they learned they would both have to shave their heads. For Uchenna, well, his was already clean. Joyce however, cried as a beautiful, full head of hair was cut away. She remained crying despite Uchenna’s attempts to compliment her on how beautiful she was without the hair (I certainly agreed). But her sacrifice allowed them to win their first leg in a close finish. It was a dazzling show of courage and competitive spirit.
The next leg also resulted in a win. But this time all Uchenna has to do was climb a 25-foot rope to the top of a fortress and find a key.
The penultimate leg in London saw the couple finish behind both Rob and Amber and Ron and Kelly, but slightly ahead of Gretchen and Meredith, who were eliminated.
Starting the final leg in last, their troubles continued when Joyce had trouble completing a Limbo dance and they were stuck on a later charter flight. However when the teams were required to build a raft, Ron and Kelly couldn’t work together while Rob had some trouble. Uchenna and Joyce were last to arrive but first to complete the raft before racing Rob and Amber to get the next clue.
The twists and turns continued as they suffered a flat tire on the way to the first pit stop. The other teams finished ahead of them but it was a non-elimination leg.
While they lost their possessions, they never lost their spirit, the same spirit they kept during every step of the race. They begged for money at the airport but no one offered to help. Uchenna even offered to dance for them.
Eventually they were on their way and caught a break when Rob and Amber ran into an “hours of operation” and watched their lead evaporate. After a final roadblock, it was off to the airport. With Rob and Amber already on the plane, Uchenna and Joyce begged to get on. The plane, which had left the loading area, backed up and let the couple in, much to the disgust of Rob, his biggest fan (regular Inside Pulse readers know who that is), and Amber.
But it wasn’t over. They were cabbed to the finish line but still had to pay the cab. With a lot of hustling and begging, they managed to get the funds. Working for $25, they earned a million.
So how about this time? They should be a primary target of the other teams. But The Amazing Race is not a place to focus all your attention on getting a team eliminated without risking your own elimination. But will the other teams really want to focus their energy on them?
After all, they’re a very likable couple to the point that they got along very well with Rob and Amber. They embraced the cultures they went to around the world. And most importantly, they believe 100 per cent in each other.
It might be hard to cheer for former winners. There’s a natural tendency to cheer for the underdog. You also don’t want to see one team grab all the riches. But it’s equally hard to blame those who wouldn’t mind seeing this couple win again.
Win or lose, here’s hoping they find a way to start that family they, richly deserve.
