Crossing the Finish Line

It has been a whirlwind of adventure for the Singapore team in the recently concluded The Amazing Race Asia Season 4. The youngest team to have joined The Amazing Race Asia to date, runners up Michelle and Claire have broken stereotypes and proved that size is not everything when it comes to performance. We tracked the girls down, as they journey into the post-Race chapter of their lives, to find out what they have learned from racing around the world and what is in store for them next.

Claire: I guess we would have been a lot quicker in securing the flight back to Singapore. We did end up wasting a lot of time at the counter.
Michelle: Yeah, the crab challenge started at 10am and we only got there at around 11:20am, so we were more than an hour behind everyone else. If we had gotten onto an earlier flight, we might have won.
Claire: Then again, these things also have to do with luck.

Claire: Hmm…being ’kiasu’ for one.
Michelle: Yup! Being a ‘kiasu’ Singaporean, we got discounts on many things. That added up and helped us heaps. Despite our age, Claire and I were pretty good at handling our leg money and keeping our spending in check.
Claire: That paid off well for us in the end, not having to stress over money to take taxis.
Michelle: We did plan beforehand that if we were ever desperately broke during the Race, we would beg, but we never had to that. I was very proud of us for being able to stick to our plan.

Michelle: None! It was tough – as expected. We fought – as expected, and it was mentally stressful – as expected!
Claire: Being an avid fan of The Amazing Race Asia for the last 10 years or so, I have watched every season, I know almost every rule and exactly what to expect so nothing really took me by surprise.

Claire: For those who want to join The Amazing Race Asia, choosing the right partner is very important. You definitely need to choose someone you have chemistry with, either as friends or as family.
Michelle: People often have the misconception that if two strong individuals join together, they will definitely have what it takes to win. But actually, teamwork plays a much more important part in the Race than pure physical or mental strength.

Michelle: I’m moving to the Philippines to continue my acting career there. It is a very risky decision, but I’m young and it’s now or never. I always believe that it’s not whether you can or cannot do it, it’s whether you want or don’t want to do it.
Claire: I guess life goes back to normal for me and I go back to the thing I love most – my music!

Michelle: Yes, about all the other teams. Though it might seem like we hated some of them, that was just competitive Race talk. We love them all equally and are very close to every one of them. We would also like to thank all the fans that have been supporting us throughout the season, it means a lot to the both of us.

Claire: The Amazing Race Asia has shown me that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Life after the Race is slightly different, as with every experience in life. Especially after an experience as massive as The Amazing Race Asia, you never look at things quite the same way again.
Michelle: The experience of The Amazing Race Asia has reinforced my belief in the guiding mantra in my life – “believe in what I do, try my darndest and never give up.”

Claire: Hands down!
Michelle: Set the time and place, Claire and I are THERE!
Claire: Maybe this time for the

Credits: Brought to you by Caltex; pictures courtesy of AXN Asia