The eigth team to get eliminated from The Amazing Race 12 this past week was a dating couple, Jennifer Parker and Nathan Hagstrom. They were probably the most athletic team left in the race. But as you can see, it not always athleticism that decide who wins The Amazing Race. I
had the chance to talk to them both about that and what exactly their status is now, since we really only saw them fighting on the show. Here is what they had to say…
Josh Clinton: Hey guys.
Jennifer Parker: Hey Josh.
Nathan Hagstrom: Hey Josh.
JC: How’s it going?
NH: We’re doing good. How about you?
JC: I’m doing good as well. First off, why did you decide to do this race with each other besides the chance to win a million dollars?
NH: Well first of all, Jen and I are very competitive people. For Jen and I, it was the best experience that we could have ever had. There’s not many good reasons to not do it. We just wanted to test ourselves and prove to ourselves that we could do it.
JP: I don’t know if we ever considered that. Like “Nate, would be such a good teammate, I think I want to team with him!” I think we were too mixed up in the emotion.
JC: Yeah. Were you fans of The Amazing Race before you got on it?
NH: Yeah, we didn’t really catch a lot of the previous seasons, but we did end up watching The Amazing Race: All-Stars and we were really intrigued by the concept of the show itself. So when the opportunity presented itself to try out for it, we were all for it.
JP: Because it’s by far the most unique reality television show there is. It’s not like any other show.
JC: True. You have been compared to the winners of The Amazing Race 3, Zach and Flo. Have you heard of those comparisons before?
NH: Yeah.
JP: Yeah, we’ve heard some. I think we eclipsed them.
NH: I don’t think we are very much like Zach and Flo. Who knows, maybe in real life we are, but I would say that even though they won I believe we were a stronger team than them. I think that they argued and Flo was more bitter over time it seemed like. Jen and I really did have a good time a lot, and even though they might not have shown it, we really did appreciate the experience we were given.
JP: They only showed the bad parts.
JC: Yeah. Going into the race, did you worry that your fighting might cost you the race in the end?
NH: That’s definitely something you think about, because I’m only there with Jen. If Jen and I aren’t on the same page, I’m all by myself in a foreign country. You can’t work in a pair of two by yourself. You have to be a cohesive team, and sometimes we were arguing and it was hard to focus on the end part of each leg, because we were focused on each other. It was definitely tough for Jen and I to do the race and deal with each other at times.
JC: Does it irritate you that you never managed to finish a leg of the race in first place?
JP: Does it irritate us?!
NH: (Laughs).
JP: It’s more than irritating. It’s really just frustrating. Frustrating is the only word we can use, because we are so competitive and we’ve grown up doing competitive sports and we have this extra drive in us. So the fact that we couldn’t just land in first place on any leg was extremely difficult. But it’s not like we were hours or even 15 minutes behind the other teams. We were coming in seconds or minutes right after them.
NH: Yeah, also we had the opportunity to finish first, but we let it slip through our figures.
JP: Oh yeah.
NH: We made the mistakes to come in second, so we…
JP: …had to suffer the consequences.
JC: Right. A few legs back, you finished in second place behind Azaria and Hendekea. And it almost seemed like Jen wanted them to let you win that leg of the race. Was that what you really doing?
NH: We wanted to finish first, we’re not going to lie.
JP: But I need to clarify. I wasn’t asking them “Please step aside and let Nate and I take the mat and give us first place!” That’s not what I was trying to get across. I was just so angry that they came in first place for the last two or three legs prior to that. So it’s like “come on!”. I’m a firm believer that everyone should have their time. But I definitely need to clarify that I was asking them to step aside and give up the mat at all. My emotions on top of frustrations…
NH: And you not thinking that well.
JP: Yeah, me not thinking. That’s one thing I have learned. To think before I talk.
JC: Yeah. On the last leg, you kept saying that you worked so hard and it frustrated you that TK and Rachel kept catching up. But isn’t that the point of the show? There are obviously going to be parts of the show where teams can catch up to keep the show more interesting.
NH: Yeah, obviously there are going to be parts of the show where people can catch up. We were used to it for the eight legs prior. But for some reason on leg 10, we felt that no matter what we did it was not good enough. Jen and I thought we were doing all of these things really quick, but then we get to a place and we would have to wait.
JP: We would just get right there and then have to wait half a hour while all the other teams get the chance to catch up, that can be frustrating. I don’t think it’s perceived very well. So much goes on. It’s a 24 hour round the clock race, but you guys are only seeing a hour of the footage. So no one can see the true emotions that lie behind when you are working your ass off! You run and see how fast you can get somewhere, but then because of a plane or a taxi driver it can make all the difference and it’s out of your hands.
NH: Yeah, and also in Taiwan we were very tired and hungry. Emotions were at an all-time high, so we were very vulnerable.
JC: I can see that. Do you think TK and Rachel are a sure-bet to win this race since they are the most physical team left?
JP: I don’t think that at all, because this race was very strategic and it had a lot to do with luck and the decisions you made. Not as much about your physical fitness.
NH: I would say out of anybody, Jen and I were the most physical. We lost to Nick and Don and Ronald and Christina. So you can’t say that because TK and Rachel are more physical that they are going to win, unless the last leg is more physical. But I don’t think this was a very physical race and that’s why Nick and Don and Ronald and Christina made it as far as they did. Like Jen said it was very strategic and very lucky and a lot of times getting the right flight meant everything.
JP: But I have to say I give some major hands-down props to Nick and Don and Ronald and Christina for making it as far as they did in the race. I’m so proud. We were a tough get-out, and the fact that those two teams were still in it we were just very happy for them.
JC: Nate, do you blame Jen for insisting on taking the subway on the last leg?
NH: At the time, I was really bitter. I was very upset that we ended up taking the subway, but Jen and I are teammates. She didn’t force me to go down there. She mentioned it, and I didn’t have any better ideas. I didn’t have any idea what was actually quicker. We listed to the locals and I listened to Jen, and it ended up being the wrong decision but we just have to deal with it. Who really knows. Was it a bad decision? Probably, but in those circumstances you have to make a decision with the information you are given. If the locals say take the subway, we just have to trust them.
JC: Yeah. So what was the ultimate reason you finished last in this leg then?
NH: The subway.
JP: The subway was the ultimate reason.
NH: Yeah, we were down there for at least forty-five minutes. It was a maze. There were different levels.
JP: We had to switch subways like five different times.
NH: I’m sure the cab ride would have only taken like twenty minutes.
JC: What’s the status of your relationship now?
NH: We’re still together. We actually took some time apart when we first got back to cool our heads and get calm and collected and reflect back on what we actually did accomplish. We got back together, and our relationship has never been better. Our communication is better, our patience with each other is better. We just accomplished so much and we learned so much about ourselves and everyday life. We just feel that now there is nothing that we can’t get through.
JP: Yeah. I really truly feel like we wouldn’t be together, if we hadn’t gone on the race. It was really like therapy for us.
NH: Intense therapy.
JP: We got it all out and push it behind us, but we learned so much about each other and relationships in general. We just really learned. It was a big eye-opener for us.
JC: What exactly did you learn about each other that you might not have known before the race?
JP: For instance, I know now when not to open my mouth and just leave Nate alone. I know now types of decisions Nate is better off making than myself. We just learned things like that.
NH: Yeah.
JP: When not to step on each other’s toes and what strengths the other one has that the other doesn’t. How we can complement each other and better the situation rather than deteriorate and make things worse.
JC: So Jen, was this your worst birthday ever?
JP: You know what, it wasn’t my worst birthday ever. In twenty years, when I look back at this race and my 23rd birthday, I was in Taiwan with Nate, who I love, and we got to run this race around the world. Although we did get eliminated, but come on, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. So we are so thankful and it was an unforgettable birthday. But the obvious is that it was disappointing, because my birthday wish was to make it to the final three.
JC: Yeah. Well that’s all I have for you, so thanks for your time and good luck with everything.
JP: Thank you so much.
NH: Thanks.
– The Amazing Race airs on CBS in the U.S. on Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
– The Amazing Race airs on the CTV network in Canada on Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
