‘The Amazing Race’ Season 36 Cast Revealed: Former NFL Player, Firefighter Moms & More (PHOTOS)
The race is on! CBS has announced the 13 pairings set to embark on the adventure of a lifetime in The Amazing Race Season 36, premiering Wednesday, March 13 at 9:30/8:30c.
Just like with Season 35, Season 36’s episodes will be 90 minutes long. Starting March 13, episodes will air directly after 90-minute episodes of Survivor, premiering Wednesday, February 28 at 8/7c.
The Amazing Race Season 36 cast features a former NFL player competing with his wife, Rod and Leticia; firefighter moms Sunny and Bizzy; military pilots Juan and Shane; twin brothers Anthony and Bailey, and more.
Host Phil Keoghan kicks off the race from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where the teams must participate in a traditional Mexican rodeo and lasso their way to the finish line without coming in last. The stakes are high because there are no non-elimination legs, and the team to finish last in each leg will be eliminated. Along the route, Racers will go paragliding in Colombia, rally car racing in Argentina, and visit two new countries — swimming through waterfalls in the Dominican Republic and visiting music superstar Rihanna’s childhood home in Barbados.
“This season of The Amazing Race features a cast of adventurous thrill-seekers. We always want to challenge our cast and surprise our viewers, so we are excited to travel to two new countries along the route,” executive producers Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri said in a statement. “The 90-minute episodes are returning, which really allows us to delve into the countries on the route and get to know our amazing cast. We are ready for a global adventure like never before.”
Meet the 26 competitors of The Amazing Race Season 36 in the cast gallery below.
The Amazing Race, Season 36 Premieres Wednesday, March 13, 9:30/8:30c, CBS
Kishori Turner and Karishma Cordero
Kishori Turner (26, senior marketing strategist) and Karishma Cordero (22, student)
Cousins from Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Austin, Texas
Yvonne Chavez and Melissa Main
Yvonne Chavez (40, global strategy and operations lead) and Melissa Main (38, investigator for U.S. Navy special operations)
A couple from San Diego, California
Chris Foster and Mary Cardona-Foster
Chris Foster (60, receptionist) and Mary Cardona-Foster (27, marketing manager)
Father and daughter from Waltham, Massachusetts
Rod and Leticia Gardner
Rod (46, former NFL player/owner of Gshred Supplements) and Leticia Gardner (38, fitness business owner)
Married couple from Lawrenceville, Georgia. Rod has played for Washington, Carolina, Green Bay, and Kansas City
Danny and Angie Butler
Danny (27, university resident director) and Angie Butler (55, seventh grade teacher)
Mother and son from San Diego, California and Walla Walla, Washington
Ricky Rotandi and Cesar Aldrete
Ricky Rotandi (34, preschool teacher) and Cesar Aldrete (34, food stylist)
A couple from New York, New York
Michelle and Sean Clark
Michelle (39) and Sean Clark (46), owners of Double Dutch Aerobics
Married couple from East Point, Georgia
Amber Craven and Vinny Cagungun
Amber Craven (30) and Vinny Cagungun (37), nurse anesthetists
A couple from Englewood, Colorado
Juan Villa and Shane Bilek
Juan Villa (29) and Shane Bilek (29), Air Force pilots
Best friends from Spokane, Washington, and Marine City, Michigan
Maya and Rohan Mody
Maya (20, student) and Rohan Mody (23, master’s student)
Siblings from Monmouth Junction, New Jersey
Sunny Pulver and Elizabeth "Bizzy" Smith
Sunny Pulver (41) and Bizzy Smith (37), firefighters
Best friends from Edgerton, Wisconsin, and New Berlin, Wisconsin
Anthony and Bailey Smith
Anthony (26) and Bailey Smith (26), recruiters
Twin brothers from Clearwater, Florida
Derek and Shelisa Williams
Derek (57, retired chief of police) and Shelisa Williams (55, retired sheriff’s lieutenant)
Married couple from Alta Loma, California
