The Amazing Race Contestants You May Not Know Died
Few shows in reality television have run as long as "The Amazing Race." Going strong since 2001 and still boasting ratings for CBS, the show has spent dozens of seasons pitting two-person teams against each other to see who can finish all 12 legs of the race first. Of course, there are penalties for skipping sections of the race and other pitfalls and roadblocks that make the show even more interesting. As if traveling across the world doesn't pose its own set of obstacles all its own, producers of the show decided that plugging in Detours and other frustration-inducing hurdles was just the way to win the hearts of viewers, and their bet paid off big-time.
Although "The Amazing Race" has plenty to brag about, its age and its hundreds of contestants guarantees that some of the show's stars, many of whom became fan favorites, have sadly passed away over the years.
Nancy Hoyt (Season 1)
When "The Amazing Race" debuted, it was the first long-haul cross-cultural reality show. It encompassed 24 different cities in nine separate countries on four continents. It also threw in several ways for individual teams to advance or default, depending on their choices. For instance, when Emily and Nancy Hoyt decided to skip a Detour, they were penalized for 24 hours and slipped a spot in rank, causing them to be eliminated when they finished the India leg of the race in fifth place out of five teams.
The mother-daughter duo seemed pretty tight, and despite their ejection from the game, the women remained close throughout the race and beyond. As her obituary explained, Nancy had "a long and courageous battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease)" before she died in 2011 at the age of 56. According to the National Institute of Health, ALS is terminal within five years for 80% of people diagnosed, and while it's a rare disease, sadly there is no cure. Thankfully, Nancy was around to experience her daughter's wedding in 2009 before her passing.
Margaretta Groark (Season 1)
Unfortunately, Emily Hoyt would not be the only one to lose a loved one from Season 1 of "The Amazing Race." Dave and Margaretta Groark, who were married at the time they competed in the race's debut season, would suffer the same grief-inducing event. In 2008, according to her obituary in The Dallas Morning News, Margaretta died of cancer and pulmonary fibrosis three years after her diagnosis. She and Dave were married for 48 years at the time of her passing.
Having tied the knot on December 27, 1960, both Dave and Margaretta would become pilots, flying thousands of hours together, although Dave was the first to earn his wings as part of the United States Air Force. Margaretta would join him on dozens of formation flights with her husband across the southwest over a 10-year span. She was also a volunteer advocate for children in state protective services, as she adored children, even those who weren't her own.
Kenneth McAlpine (Season 5)
When "The Amazing Race" took off in America, Canada created a spinoff to the popular reality TV show appropriately titled, "The Amazing Race: Canada." During its fifth season, a team of goofy, risk-taking best friends competed against other duos to see if they could win the grand prize, and while they came in second, Kenneth McAlpine and Ryan LaChapelle did something they'd consider more important — they gave a face to their GIVE'R Foundation that encourages young people to chase their dreams.
Unfortunately, life can turn on a dime, and in 2019, that's exactly what happened to Kenneth and Ryan. During a climb on Mount Gimli in British Columbia, Kenneth suffered a hiking accident and passed away. And while it certainly brought changes to the GIVE'R Foundation, Ryan honors his best friend at every turn and still lives life to the fullest, continuing to encourage young people to be fearless in the pursuit of their passions. On September 11, 2019, Ryan posted a touching eulogy for his best friend to his Facebook page and continues with the GIVE'R spirit today.
Donald Anthony St. Claire (Season 6)
Donald Anthony St. Claire, a renowned doctor, and his wife, Mary Jean, competed as team "Grandparents" on the sixth season of "The Amazing Race," which aired in 2004. At the time, St. Claire was 69 and one of the oldest competitors in the series. The couple was up for the adventure, with the pair keen on winning it all despite their older age. "We are in the best physical condition that we've been in the last 30 years. The other teams are going to have to worry about keeping up with us," Don said before the race began.
Unfortunately, team "Grandparents" could not keep up with the younger teams and had many hiccups along the way. These included mistakenly taking another team's car, which they had to return, getting a flat tire, suffering from seasickness, and moving at a much slower pace overall. They finished in eighth place in Germany.
On August 31, 2022, Don collapsed in his California home and died from a heart-related issue. He was 87. His obituary read, "Legendary for his bedside manner and diagnostic acumen, Don had a passion for medicine and helping others. Lovingly known as 'The Kahuna,' he was equally committed to living his life to the fullest, cherishing time with his family while traveling the world and pursuing an assortment of hobbies with an impressive level of commitment."
Renee Rogers (Season 8)
The eighth season of "The Amazing Race" was a family edition that pitted four-person family units against each other to see which team would come out on top. Eventually, The Linz siblings would finish the last leg of the race first and take home a $1 million prize. The Rogers family, while showing a modest ninth-place finish, were eliminated when they got lost and arrived last at a Detour that cost them the game.
In 2013, matriarch Renee Rogers died of pancreatic cancer. Her only daughter, Brittney, would walk down the aisle and become Mrs. Brittney Collins before her mother passed away, however. In 2003, Brittney competed in a special edition of "Fear Factor." She would go on to win the $50,000 grand prize, half of which she donated to the American Cancer Society.
According to The Advertiser, Renee was a big advocate of local school sports programs and recognizing excellent athletes who also excel in school. Both a trophy and a scholarship in her name were created after Renee passed away to honor her memory and her contribution to local school programs.
Lisa Hinds (Season 9)
When "The Amazing Race" Season 9 aired, Lisa Hinds and her sister, Joni Glaze, struggled to keep up with teams that were both younger and more physically fit. The women hoped to give their competitors a run for their money — quite literally. Unfortunately, the sisters had trouble working with the manual transmission on their vehicle, and after ending up on the last charter bus, were eliminated in 10th place.
Lisa and Joni had also hoped that their time on "The Amazing Race" would help them reconnect. Around this time, Joni opened up to TARflies Times about the sisters' reality TV stint, revealing that it was Lisa who proposed they send in an audition tape for the show. "Even when you're apart for so many years, you get back together, there's still the big sister. There's still the little sister. And we got along great," Joni recalled. "I mean, we found out that we're just so much alike in a lot of ways. We're different in a lot of ways, but we're more alike than different."
Thankfully, they had 11 more years to enjoy each other's company before tragedy struck. On August 22, 2017, Lisa passed away following a cancer diagnosis. According to their race bios on CBS, Lisa was a children's minister, while her sister, Joni, is a realtor and fulfilled her lifelong dream of opening her own art gallery.
Jody Kelly (Season 16)
At 71, Jody Kelly, a triathlete and personal trainer, was the oldest woman to compete in "The Amazing Race." Kelly was partnered with her 22-year-old granddaughter, Shannon, in the 16th season of the reality competition series in 2010. When asked by Reality Wanted whose idea it was to compete, Shannon shared, "Gram was definitely the one who went all out for it. It took a little bit to convince me because I just graduated from college. It didn't take long before I was like, 'Life is an adventure!'" However, the team didn't go far in the race, with Kelly even getting a kick in the head by a cow during a roadblock! The grandmother-granddaughter duo was the second to be eliminated.
Despite their minimal presence in the series, Kelly was determined to conquer challenges and was always ready to prove she could do anything at her age. Asked what she would take away from being on "The Amazing Race," Kelly shared, "If there's one thing that I could say to other people my age is to get out there and do it. So what if you fail? That's a part of life."
Kelly died on September 5, 2023 at 85. According to her obituary, Kelly "passed away suddenly but peacefully" while attending a Spanish language immersion camp in Minnesota. Kelly taught English at the University of Louisiana for 16 years before pursuing a passion for exercise, including competing in triathlons and aquathlons for Team USA.
Bill Alden (Season 19)
Bill and Cathi Alden knew a thing or two about hard work when they decided to compete in "The Amazing Race" Season 19. Married 40 years at the time, the grandparents were excited to show other players that they had what it takes to win. A disastrous first leg of the race left Bill and Cathi in last place, but on a non-elimination round, they were good to move on. Move on they did, pushing themselves and surprising the other teams by finishing strong in fifth place when they were eliminated after getting lost in Belgium.
Six short years after their time on "The Amazing Race," Bill passed away after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the Albany Democrat-Herald reported. Together, Bill and Cathi worked a farm ranch during their successful marriage, and both worked in the public school system, he as a teacher and she as a principal and teacher.
Sheila Castle (Season 21)
Sheila Castle and Rob Scheer started their journey on Season 21 of "The Amazing Race" as an engaged couple, hoping to strengthen their relationship and start their married life off on the right foot. Unfortunately, after catching the last flight to China, Rob and Sheila were a mere 15 seconds away from safety when they were passed by Jaymes Vaughan and James Davis, a pair of Chippendales performers from Las Vegas, Nevada. That 15 seconds put them in last place on an elimination leg, resulting in them being the first team to return home empty-handed.
Despite their experience on "The Amazing Race" ending quickly, Rob and Sheila still got married after the race and spent four years enjoying adventure and lots of fishing at every turn. In 2016, however, fate would have a say in their love story when Sheila unexpectedly passed away after having an aneurysm.
Jim Raman (Season 25)
Doctors Jim and Misti Raman were a pair of dentists specializing in orthodontics and cosmetic dentistry, respectively. After winning the first leg of their season of "The Amazing Race," Misti and Jim were the first team to ever win the Save, which kept them from elimination until the ninth leg. The long-married couple capitalized on that to come in second place, enjoying their adventure through the United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden, the Philippines, Morocco, Italy, Singapore, and Malta — before heading back home to finish the last leg.
In March of 2019, Jim unexpectedly passed away, and while fans were shocked to learn of his passing, the sheriff's department where he and Misti resided assured everyone that there was no foul play involved and that out of respect for the family, they would not comment on his death or the circumstances surrounding his passing.
Jim is survived by his wife, Misti, a daughter, Lexi, and a son, Jimmy.