Eagle-Eyed TV Cameras Play a Major Role, and a Team Pays the Ultimate Price on THE AMAZING RACE CANADA

By BILL HARRIS Special to The Lede Penalties were at the forefront of tonight’s new episode of CTV’s THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, as host Jon Montgomery was forced to deliver some devastating news that doomed one team, but saved another. SPOILER ALERT: Full details of what happened follow. A mathematical challenge involving fruit trees was at the heart of the matter. Father-and-son team Cedric Newman and Tychon Carter-Newman from Montréal made a conscious decision to look at another team’s chalkboard, which secured quick passage, but they knew there would be a cost. Later, standing on the mat, Montgomery told them they had been assessed a two-hour penalty. Only one team trailed Cedric and Tychon: close friends Jully Black, a JUNO Award-winning singer-songwriter from Toronto, and Kathy Hunter, a business development director from Regina. When they got to the mat less than two hours behind Cedric and Tychon, it appeared as if Cedric and Tychon would be ousted. But then … a twist. It turns out that Jully had also picked up another team’s chalkboard. That meant Jully and Kathy were assessed their own two-hour penalty. Thus, Jully and Kathy officially arrived last and were sent home, while Cedric and Tychon survived, humbly vowing that they would never again take a shortcut. Here’s what Jully and Kathy had to say following their elimination on THE AMAZING RACE CANADA: Q: How are you feeling about the overall experience, having had time to process it? JULLY: “I’m feeling very grateful that we both decided to do the show. And I’m also in a state of reflection. This type of experience is one that requires full surrender. There are times, if I’m being totally transparent, that I don’t even remember I was on the show. But then there are other times where you see people, online, or in person at a grocery store, or even at the concert last week with Drake, where they’ll say, ‘we’re watching you, we’re rooting for you.’ We’ve also been keeping this big secret. So it’s push-pull, but gratitude all the way, in spite of it all.” KATHY: “It’s really special to hear the reactions from my friends and family and co-workers and colleagues, and even from strangers. It’s really humbling, because it is a very unique and special opportunity that not many people ever get to do. We’re grateful to have appeared with such an incredible cast, because they really are friends who have turned into a family.” Q: Being on the show must give you an invincible feeling, right? JULLY: “I use it as a barometer now. Like, if I’m doing an extra squat, I’ll think, ‘if this were a challenge on THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, I would be squatting for 24 hours straight.’ It’s a new level of discipline, and a new sense of capabilities. Even when I’m reading a book, and I want to read a chapter in the morning, and a chapter at night, I’ll think to myself, ‘If this were a challenge, I would do it.’ So it’s eradicating procrastination, in a way.” Q: That’s a great saying. It should be on THE AMAZING RACE CANADA T-shirts. JULLY: “Hello! Just give me my commission for my merch!” Q: Was THE AMAZING RACE CANADA harder mentally or physically? KATHY: “When you first apply, you’re like, ‘oh, wow, this is a physically challenging show.’ And it is. But actually having lived it, the hardest part is the mental fortitude, even just to be away from your family, friends, technology, and to be in that space. You have to be in race mode, running your race, not getting distracted, not getting down on yourself, and really staying present. You forget the physical. But with the mental side of it, you have to keep saying ‘yes.’ ” Q: That’s another T-shirt candidate! Now, you endured a painful twist at the end, so how are you coping with that? JULLY: “Ultimately, we moved on from that moment. I recognize that everything happens for the right reasons at the right time. I remember saying to Jon, I’m not here for the money, but to encourage my community in Canada to see the country. I’m here to put myself out there and surrender and be vulnerable, to take chances and take risks. And a really beautiful part of it is the relationship with Cedric and Tychon and Kathy and myself. We are literally a family. That’s true with everybody on the show, yes, but the four of us are super tight. We’ve been to each other’s homes, you know what I mean? And I think that the situation with how it ended is probably what bonded us even tighter.” Q: Is there a rival team or an individual that really impressed you, for whatever reason? KATHY: “It’s interesting what you just said about rival teams, because I never felt, even during the race, that we had rivals. It was more about, ‘who is going to bring their best in this moment?’ But definitely with Cedric and Tychon, just seeing their bond as a father and son, was very special, especially with the adversity of this episode. And then of course, Catherine (Wreford Ledlow) and Craig (Ramsay), given Catherine’s health issues, to see her persevere through the tasks was really incredible.” Q: If friends of yours were going to apply to be on THE AMAZING RACE CANADA in the future, what piece of advice would you give them? JULLY: “The best piece of advice? Hmmm … pack very little! You’re going to need way less than you think, let’s put it that way. And make sure that you’re going into it for the right reasons, whatever those reasons are.” Season 8 of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA continues next Tuesday. Aug. 16, at 9 p.m. ET on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app. billharristv@gmail.com @billharris_tv