Elimination Interview: Jessica and John

Jessica and John answer YOUR questions about being eliminated from the Race, the hardest leg they had to run, and how the Race has shaped their lives.



EJ P: If given the opportunity, would you guys run the race again? And would you have a different strategy/mindset?

Jessica: Yes, we would definitely run the race again!! We had so much fun and there is really nothing like it. I don't think we would change our strategy/mindset next time around. I like how we ran it this time around.

John: Yes, for sure. The race really is a once in a lifetime opportunity so the fact that we got to run it twice is so cool. We'd be humbled if we got the chance to do it again and we definitely would. If we did get to do round 3 we'd probably be U-turning people like crazy. Haha, just kidding, we've actually never even seen a U-turn board. Anyways, if we got to do it a third time we'd be married by then! So maybe that's been the missing link this whole time. I bet we'd take it if we ran it as newlyweds.



Lisa M: How do you feel about the taxi drivers who got you lost?

Jessica: At the time, I kind of wanted to scream at him (in my gladiator voice, which we all now know is pretty frightening) :-), but looking back it wasn't completely his fault. We knew that the clue was a riddle and not an exact address. He was doing everything he could to help us get to our destination. I do think he was a bit stubborn and over confident about where he was going, but we should have stopped at a place where we could have used the internet earlier.

John: I don't know. I haven't put much thought into that! I think he's probably a decent guy but I don't think he really knew what was going on and how important it was to us. It was hard to communicate with him. With that said though, he should definitely eat a piece of humble pie and just admit when he doesn't know where he's going! That's all we needed him to say is that he wasn't 100% sure! But he was so certain. I'm not sure why he was acting like that but it made it really tough to know when to call it quits with that cab. It's on us though to make decisions and we should have gotten out of that cab earlier, and we knew it.



Dan C: Do you think that if you or the Globetrotters had to find out the answer by yourselves would the outcome have been different?

Jessica: It is hard to say! Watching back on TV it looked like FT was really struggling with it, but we didn't know that at the time. We really don't know how it would have ended up because John didn't have the answer either.

John: I can't say. I just don't know. I do feel like I was very close though. I'm pretty sure I had the correct year for the obelisk and knew that I had to add the stair count to that and represent the total in roman numerals. I do know I had the step count wrong on my first try though because I had written 136... which now I see means I counted the gutter! Anyways, the sequence of events that played out that day were remarkable. So, I think it was all meant to be. The Globetrotters and Afghanimals beat us fair and square and that's what happened! So, we're happy for those guys and I can't say how it would have turned out otherwise.



Robin G: How are the accommodations at each pit stop & do you have time to enjoy your stay at all?

Jessica: It depends, but typically we are able to rest, eat and shower. You aren't able to tour around the city on your own. All you really want to do is sleep and rest anyways.

John: It could be anything from a nice hotel to a lonely hammock on the beach. You never know! That's part of the fun too. Like Jess said though, when you get to a pit stop the best thing to do is eat and sleep. Then you're ready for the next leg of the race.



Kerri A: What was the hardest challenge and which destination was your fave?

Jessica: As you saw, I had a hard time with that trampoline challenge! I just couldn't find the right rhythm and I was getting pretty frustrated. Also, that last route marker that said "Go to Piazza John Keatz unhappy roman holiday" was obviously a hard one for us! My favorite place this time was Sri Lanka! Loved seeing all of the beautiful beaches and the people were extremely friendly.

John: My favorite place was also Sri Lanka. The tuk-tuks were a ton of fun and the train ride we took was beautiful. China was probably my least favorite place. Guangzhou is a very impressive city but the amount of concrete, traffic, and pollution was a bit much. We did meet a really nice person there though so we have proof the people are awesome!



Matthew M: Do you think that being on the Amazing Race prepared you guys for life after marriage, and what will you take from The Amazing Race to help you when you live on your own?

Jessica: I don't think the race necessarily prepared us for life after marriage, but just gave us an unforgettable experience together that we will never forget.

John: I think it's more a feather in our cap than anything. To know that we can handle and help each other through the thick and thin of it. But like Jess said, to us, running the race is just a really special experience that we share with each other and something that we'll always have together.



Kevin N: John, how scared were you of that Gladiator? He didn't look like he was playing around.

John: Kevin, yes, you are correct he was not playing around. In fact, I'm pretty sure he took the challenge more serious than anybody. He started by throwing that legit heavy metal sword at me and then pushing me back after I shield blocked him! If Jess and I ever get to race again I want the opportunity for a rematch where he's a gladiator and I get to be a viking. Then we'll battle.