Even a Big Tent Doesn’t Provide Enough Protection, as Another Team is Eliminated on THE AMAZING RACE CANADA

By BILL HARRIS Special to The Lede With a team of soldiers ready to respond to every imaginable task, it might be assumed that a lot could be accomplished in a short amount of time, right? But as became very clear in the latest episode of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, which debuted tonight on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app, everything gets much more complicated when the soldiers have been instructed to engage with direct orders only, and will not respond to anything convoluted or vague. The first Face Off of Season 9 saw the eight remaining teams trying to quickly put up a big tent with the help of willing military personnel. But taking on the role of a drill sergeant in that situation proved to be way harder than it sounds! Combine those struggles with a later challenge in which some tippy paddleboards did not want to cooperate, and yet another team was forced to pack its tent for good, and head home. SPOILER ALERT: Details of what happened follow. Coming off a non-elimination leg, the teams were desperate not to reach the finish line last, because they knew what that would likely mean. Shayla and Joel managed to defeat Deven and Amanda at the tent Face Off – which left Deven and Amanda temporarily in last place – but Shayla and Joel got lost on their way to the paddleboard challenge, and had to stop and ask a stranger for directions. Those “wasted 20 minutes,” as Shayla put it, proved crucial. So Shayla and Joel, siblings from Medicine Hat, were the last team to arrive at the paddleboard challenge, couldn’t make up the time in the water, and wound up being eliminated. Here’s what Shayla had to say about the experience of competing on THE AMAZING RACE CANADA:   Q: Looking back on it now, what’s your overall feeling? SHAYLA: “I would say a deeper appreciation for the beauty found within our own backyard. Also an appreciation for cultivating a deeper relationship with my brother, Joel. We found out a lot about ourselves and became closer to each other. There were so many funny moments and we were able to find at least some humour and joy throughout each challenge – sometimes in hindsight! I feel honoured to dedicate the race to Indigenous youth and let them know that even if you don’t feel ready for something, you were given that opportunity for a reason, you’re deserving of it, so do it for yourself, your community and/or Creator.”   Q: When you left the tent challenge, you and Joel were ahead of Deven and Amanda, and things were looking up. But by the time you got to the paddleboard challenge, they were ahead of you, and then they got out of there before you did. If you could change anything about that period when you went from second-last to last, what would it be? SHAYLA: “Deven and Amanda were the other Indigenous team and we made an alliance as soon as we met each other. We said we would have each other’s backs to the very end. When it came down to us and them, there was one moment in the last challenge where Joel and I locked eyes, and it’s almost like we knew what each other was thinking. At that point, it was a mutual agreement that we were ready to sacrifice our spot so that Deven and Amanda could continue further in the race. I think the guilt of them getting eliminated would have eaten us up. So we don’t have any regrets. Our team name was the Cree word, ‘Wahkohtowin’ which means kinship. So if anything, that kinship was more important to us than winning.”   Q: Is there any way you could have prepared any differently? And were there any special skills that you and Joel had worked on, that you didn’t get to showcase? SHAYLA: “Joel and I live pretty busy lives outside the race, so to be honest, we had both decided to be on the show pretty last-minute. In hindsight, I would say I should have trained while running with a backpack a lot more! Joel and I practiced a series of random things leading up to it, like dancing, learning choreography, learning Spanish and French, tying ropes, mathematics, singing, our sense of smell, memorizing, swimming, archery, etc.”   Q: You mentioned that you and Joel were never in this for yourselves, but rather to represent your communities. So what has the reaction been from friends, family, neighbours, and even strangers? SHAYLA: “So far it has been well-received! I’ve been told by parents that their children are rooting for us. We’ve been told we are hilarious, haha! I’ve had aunties and uncles from all over saying they are rooting for us to win. I’ve received a handwritten letter in the mail about how proud people are of us, that we continue to represent our nations in different ways. I’m also happy you all had a peek into our dynamic as siblings, because that extends to my family. Despite what we’ve been through, humour has really carried us through the dark chapters, and it’s what we fall back on when we may be going through a rough time. My mom was a single parent raising three kids and, despite not having much growing up, we always had laughter and each other. Family and laughter is good medicine.”   Q: What was the thing that most surprised you about being on THE AMAZING RACE CANADA? Was there anything that turned out to be much harder than it seems on TV? SHAYLA: “What surprised me the most is how long a leg of the race could be. Even though the first episode was only 60 minutes, that first leg took hours. So if you are ever on THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, make sure you not only train physically and mentally, but train emotionally for when you’re running on little sleep. And pack for any kind of weather (noted in Winnipeg).”   Season 9 of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA continues next Tuesday, Aug. 1, at 9 p.m. ET on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app. billharristv@gmail.com @billharris_tv