After many years of anticipation, The Amazing Race has finally arrived in Canada.
Eleven teams will be chosen from across the country to battle it out for the big finish, and among the applicants stands a hopeful local, Melissa Townsend.
A resident of Fergus who teaches at Centre Peel Public School in Mapleton Township, Townsend describes herself as competitive, outgoing and adventurous. She says her teammate Amy Armstrong is no different.
Townsend and Armstrong met six years ago at an airport on their way to teacher’s college in Australia. They became fast friends and formed a strong bond as they travelled together in Australia.
They have become a large part of each other’s lives; Townsend even introduced Armstrong to the man who would become her husband.
While travelling, the two came upon the idea of one day applying to the Amazing Race. Unfortunately for the pair this wasn’t an option at the time, as the show didn’t accept Canadian applicants. When News broke that the show was coming north, they immediately made plans to apply.
“When we found out it was coming to Canada we had to jump on the opportunity because we’ve been talking about it for six years,” said Townsend. “We had to apply. There wasn’t even a question in our mind about that.”
The two have been fans of the original show since the beginning and have watched every season.
“If we get on the show we will be having an Amazing Race marathon,” said Townsend.
The two reviewed previously preformed scenarios and talked over how each of them would handle that challenge.
“It sort of helps you prepare in terms of what to expect and to mentally prepare yourself for situations that may arise,” Townsend said.
The application process required making a video to display what they would be like personality-wise, but also how they would compete against other teams.
Armstrong describes Townsend as being very physically fit and competitive.
“She wants to win and she will work really hard at that and not give up,” said Armstrong.
“We just click, we always have. We have a lot of fun together. We’re in tune with each other.
“We can finish each others sentences. Everything that we do is just very similar and we have fun doing it.”
Townsend says she thinks the pair will provide some fun for the viewers at home.
“We would be able to make friends really easily but then knowing that some of it would have to be done in a bit of a sneaky way,” said Townsend on forming alliances.
“We feel like we would have a really good chance of getting on the show because of who we are as people and because of what we bring to the table and because of the fact that we are teachers.”
The two have used their jobs to brand themselves as “the teachers.” Fans of the hit show will recognize it is customary for each team to have a name that describes them.
For Townsend, appearing on the show, if they are successful, would not just be a one-off adventure – she plans on incorporating the experience back into her classroom.
“I talk about Canada in the classroom all the time. I know about Canada,” said Townsend. “I’ve studied it but I’ve never personally been to these places.”
Her hope is to have her second graders track and follow her progress as she travels across the country.
One teaching method she plans to use is to have her students figure out why each challenge would be used in a specific part of the country, like rock climbing in the western provinces.
The duo has set up a Facebook page and YouTube account. To find them, search “the Amazing Race Canada – Melissa and Amy the teachers.”
