The 16th Season of the perennial Emmy-Award-winning reality competition show The Amazing Race premieres tonight on CBS and it will feature 11 pairs of competitors from all over the country as they race around the world following clues and participating in various competitions along the way for a chance to win one million dollars by finishing first.
The show always does a great job of selecting intriguing pairs, usually related or connected in some fashion, but starcasm has decided to get behind the inspirational grandmother/granddaughter duo of Jody Kelly and Shannon Foster. Jody Kelly is 71 years old and hails from Round Rock, Texas. The mother led a sedentary lifestyle until late in life, and has spent the most recent years making up for lost time, including completing the Lake Pflugerville Triathlon in 2008 along with Shannon and her daughter (Shannon’s mother) Kelly Foster. Here are some photos of Jody and Shannon showing they are more than ready for the grueling challenges posed by The Amazing Race:
Austin360.com did an article on the three generations of triathletes, who jokingly refer to themselves as the 3Gs. In the article it is revealed that the idea of running a triathlon was Jody’s idea. She tells the site, “I started thinking, ‘What can I do at age 70 that will shock me and change my life?'” And what she decided on was competing in a triathlon, an event which she had volunteered for numerous times in the past but had never really considered entering herself.
Jody’s daughter Kelly, 46, reveals “She takes all the credit — and the blame,” pointing at Jody.
The three trained with Tri Zones Training co-founder Tracy Nelson who says that she has worked with numerous mother/daughter and sibling pairings, but never three generations. Here is a photo of Jody Nelson, Kelly Foster and Shannon Foster from the Tri-Zones web site:
Our admiration doesn’t end with Jody though! Let’s not forget the attractive 21-year-old Southwestern University student at her side! Shannon Foster has already done a lot of traveling and seen a lot of the planet, including large chunks of the US as well as Eastern countries like China, Cambodia and Saudi Arabia, where she lived for most of her childhood.
Shannon looks to be someone wise beyond her years and although Jody appears to have quite a bit of get-up-and-go left in her, Shannon’s youthful energy will come in handy and make for a nice pairing. Speaking of “nice pairing,” here are Shanny and Granny posing for their Amazing Race victory Christmas card:
Just in case that Christmas Card didn’t get you in the Amazing Race Spirit, here’s another that is sure to light your fire!
Did I mention Shannon Foster is attractive? A sexy grandma and granddaughter?!? Why did The Amazing Race even bother having other teams?
(Quick question. Jody Kelly’s daughter is named Kelly. Is there some sort of maiden name tom-foolery going on? Or was her name really Kelly Kelly?)
Here is the Q&A from the CBS Amazing Race site:
JODY KELLY
Age: 71
Hometown: Round Rock, Texas
Connection to your Teammate: Grandmother
Current Occupation: Personal Trainer
Pet peeve about your teammate: Sometimes her clothing choices seem a bit too revealing
Favorite Hobbies: Triathlons, writing, reading and challenging myself
Achievements: Other than giving birth to my four children, I am most proud of leaving behind my sedentary lifestyle five years ago and starting to live a healthy, athletic lifestyle
Lifelong to do List: Finish a half ironman triathlon. Finish a full marathon. Publish another book. Motivate people to become active. Climb more Colorado mountains. Walk the Appalachian Trail. Go trekking in Norway. Bicycle through the Netherlands. Develop a TV show featuring elderly athletes
If I could switch places with someone: It might be fun to be Carol Burnett for half a day, but then I’d want to come home
Role Model/Hero: Sister Madonna Buder who finished the Kona ironman at age 78.
What are you passionate about? I’m passionate about giving hope to people who think they can’t change and helping them improve their lives
What would you do if you won the million dollars? Donate half to the Strengthmobile Foundation and spend the other half on a 500-square foot condominium within a mile of Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas
People would be surprised to learn: For two years in the mid 1990s, I performed amateur stand-up comedy to compensate for a really grim period I was going through
Favorite place you have ever visited: Rural Ireland and Hua Hin, Thailand
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on the Race together: Communicating and working together as a team
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race (other than winning one million bucks)? As the oldest person who has ever participated in the Race, I hope to show that age is more than a number
SHANNON FOSTER
Age: 22
Hometown: Georgetown, Texas
Connection to your Teammate: Granddaughter
Current Occupation: Healthcare Outreach Contract Analyst
Pet peeve about your teammate: Grandma can get a bit uptight at times and has a tendency to get carried away
Favorite Hobbies: Running, dancing and swimming
Achievements: Getting my degree in Economics from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas
Lifelong to do List: Run a marathon, earn a medical degree or physician assistant degree and join Doctors Without Borders
If I could switch places with someone: I would never switch places with someone
Role Model/Hero: All the strong-willed and capable women that I am related to — my mom, grandma and great-grandma
What are you passionate about? Staying fit and healthy and helping others do the same
What would you do if you won the million dollars? I would backpack across Southeast Asia
People would be surprised to learn: I lived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from eight months old until I was almost 10-years-old
Favorite place you have ever visited: Either Angkor Wat in Cambodia or the Great Wall of China
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on the Race together: Making quick decisions without my Mom acting as a middleman
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race (other than winning one million bucks)? To get a chance to travel with my grandma and to have an opportunity to practice making decisions in a fast-paced and competitive environment
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