The Amazing Race S30 Cast – Quick & Dirty First Impressions

Season 30 is finally upon us and I’M EXCITED! Looking at the groups it could possibly be one of the most competitive in terms of the backgrounds and careers of the cast; no average Joe’s here! We have 5 all-male teams (4x friends, 1x siblings), 3 all-female teams (all friends) and 3 mixed teams (all couples). We have teams made up of ‘champions’ in their chosen field which I see as a great idea for the show’s 15 year anniversary! By default, all the teams are seen as heroes, so it will be interesting to see who will come out of this Race unscathed or labelled as villains. I’ve read their bios, so what does this Aussie think? What does she know about ‘famous’ Americans? Nothing. I also guess if the teams will place in the Top or Bottom half of placings. Find out below:

Alexander Rossi & Conor Daly

These guys are gonna be zippy, right?! Riding in the fast lane, I can see them smashing out any driving legs, and will be basking in all the adrenaline Roadblocks along the way. I can’t help but think they will be the over-confident and possibly over-bearing to watch. And for Alexander’s sake I hope he doesn’t get food poisoning on the Race (refer Bio). Both young and full of life, let’s hope they don’t get too ahead of themselves and take time out to think things through. We all know what happens to those who drive too fast around a corner. Could Alex and Conor be the cocky bastards of the season? Ooh, I hope so.

Estimated placing: Top

April Gould & Sarah Williams

I’ll be honest, I had to look up what Goat Yoga actually is, and holy crap, do we have this in Australia!? The Ninja Warriors are one of my top three teams and I cannot wait to see these ladies kick ass. I’m a little worried for these ladies as April says she doesn’t have the best sense of direction, but it looks like Sarah will make up for this as she’s travelled quite extensively, and to non-English speaking countries. The girls will be a force in any physical challenges and they seem to be well-rounded and prepared for what will be thrown their way. See, goats aren’t always a bad thing, guys!! (Man, I hope they don’t get booted early).

Estimated placing: Top (#3)

Cedric Ceballos & Shawn Marion

Shortest bios of all teams, thank you! Ahh, the ex-sports stunt casting; I’m not always a fan. They most likely won’t too care about the integrity of the Race, but will be super competitive. I’m so confused – Cedric hates airport food and wants to go to Africa for the weather… I think that’s a first! Shawn on the other hand seems a little bit more with it and I think will be the one holding the team together. I’m guessing this team get fouled out early… Sorry, not sorry. The last time we saw a pro-athlete on a reality show was Alan Ball on Survivor HHH and we know how he turned out!!

Estimated placing: Bottom (first eliminated, ouch! :O)

Cody Nickson & Jessica Graf

Will the real Jessie Graf, please stand up? I actually thought it was Jessie Graff from American Ninja Warrior and got excited, but seeing as though the popular BB couple Cody and Jessica are being raved about, I wanna see what they’ve got. I’m concerned they’ll suffer a similar fate to previous Reality show couples Romber (Rob & Amber) and Ethan & Jenna who have raced before. Not having watched Big Brother, I know nothing about Cody or Jessica, but they seem like a fun couple who want to experience the world together and why not on The Amazing Race?! I do fear they may be cursed, and Cody being ex-military doesn’t mean a lot in this race; look at Seth and Olive last season. So with this, I’m expecting them to be booted in the bottom half. Sorry, guys! Look at me wishing such a happy ending for these two. 😛

Estimated placing: Bottom (but I bet they are both in actuality Tops ;))

Dessie Mitcheson & Kayla Fitzgerald

Dessie, Australia is waiting for you! Let me know when you make it Down Under 😉 Never count out models on the Race! I love how Kayla includes Sudoku in her favourite hobbies; already a winner in my book! These girls seem sweet and willing to be open and excited to see the world. But will they be able to keep up? I like the energy they bring though and I truly hope they make it far and prove people wrong that just because their models doesn’t mean they can’t do well in a competitive race. I mean, the modelling world has to be one of the most competitive industries, right?! I’m unsure how they’ll go against some really physically strong teams, but it all depends on the challenges. Break a nail, ladies!

Estimated placing: Bottom

Eric & Daniel Guiffreda

I was going to say these guys might start a showmance with the Ring Girls, but no, they are both married. I honestly can’t remember if they are twins or not, but they sure do look like it! And if they are, ooh will they be a force to be reckoned with. Twins are completely in sync, right?! 😛 Both physically fierce and competitive, you just don’t see things go terribly wrong for them… I think they’ll be seen as a huge threat to other teams and may be targeted if U-Turns arise. Eric and Daniel will probably be the Alpha team you hate to love.

Estimated placing: Top

Henry Zhang and Evan Lynyak

Umm, does anyone else see a younger Vanck and Ashton in these two? Lol. Now, I am a fan of nerds on any Reality show, but I sadly never have high hopes for them, due to a lot of the physical challenges thrown their way. Seeing as this couple have only been together for a year and a half, let’s hope the relationship doesn’t turn sour and they work well together. Both being on a debate team doesn’t sound like that will help either! Although I am up for any juicy drama scenes! One of Henry’s hobbies is coding; gotta love him. Power to the nerds!!!!

Estimated placing: Bottom (sorry guys :()

Joey Chestnut & Tim Janus

If you didn’t already know, I love watching competitive eaters do their thang on YouTube. Even though Matt Stonie is my king, Joey Chestnut comes in a very close second. I am very excited to see him compete alongside fellow food connoisseur, Tim! These two are competitive, friendly and open to the world of travel. I expect these guys to be highly entertaining, and who can go past their bright green outfits!? I mean, come on! Can you say FABULOUS?! Here’s hoping there’s a great food challenge too. Also, Tim’s top place to visit is Australia, you are welcome anytime, dude!! 😉 I’m putting these guys in the top half of the draw, definitely Final 3.

Estimated placing: Top (#2)

Kristi Leskinen & Jen Hudak

When injuries cut your professional sports career short, there’s still a fire burning deep down inside and Jen is ready to make it BURN! Both ex pro-skiers, Kristi and Jen have something to prove. They come off as confident, strong and intelligent women and totally a team I will be rooting for. It will be a battle between Team Extreme and Team Goat Yoga, I reckon! Let’s go girls, these ladies are my winners pick!

Estimated placing: Top (#1)

Lucas Bocanegra & Brittany Austin

OMG. It is so hard to judge these teams because everyone is so athletic!! How am I supposed to choose who wins this damn race?! Also, why is this team not called #TeamBaywatch?! I’m changing it for my personal amusement. They seem like a really cool couple and will have a great mix of skills. One thing Lucas points out in his bio is the potential to fail at communication and Brittany constantly wanting attention… I hope she sorts this shit out prior to the race because we may see unnecessary screaming matches between the pair.

Estimated placing: Bottom

Trevor Wadleigh & Chris Marchant

So many all-boy teams. But, I like this one! You know what they say about guys who are well-strung 😉 I have no idea what I’m on about… Dear Trevor, I love hanging out with puppies too; I think we need to hang some time! The boys love travelling and seem to get along with each other very well and know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. I’d love to see them make it deep into the race (gosh I hope they don’t come across as the smarmy team!). And if they make it far enough, which they will, I’m pretty sure they’ll live their dream to travel to Asia on the race. Well done, Well Strung.

Estimated placing: Top

Blog by Lynda Olson.

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