Exclusive: Olive Beauregard talks about her time on 'The Amazing Race'

Olive Beauregard and Seth Tyler were eliminated from The Amazing Race during the latest broadcast of the CBS reality competition's 29th season.


Olive, a 24-year-old firefighter from Providence, RI, and Seth, a 37-year-old police officer from Seattle, WA, paired up on the first day of the Race when they were total strangers.

Olive and Seth became the third team eliminated from the around-the-world competition after they arrived at the season's third Pit Stop on the rooftop of a hotel in Tanzania in last place out of the nine remaining couples all thanks to a blind Double U-Turn.

During an exclusive interview with Reality TV World via email, Olive talked about her short-lived The Amazing Race experience. Below is what she had to say.

Reality TV World: When you arrived at the Pit Stop, how far behind Shamir Arzeno and Sara Fowler -- who got there right before you -- do you think you were? And do you have any idea how long after Becca Droz and Floyd Pierce found the passport and officially checked in to the Pit Stop that you guys arrived?


Olive Beauregard: We weren't sure exactly how far behind we were. For one thing, we did not know whether or not Shamir and Sarah had decided to run to the Pit Stop or if they had taken a cab. There was a dispute that took place in the marketplace over the Brazilian currency that escalated into a rather big ordeal that was not shown.

Reality TV World: What went through your mind when you realized you had been U-Turned? And did you know for sure, or at least have an idea, Tara Carr and Joey Covino were the ones behind it?

Olive Beauregard: I was expecting to be U-Turned as soon as I realized we weren't going to make it to the U-turn board first. Due to the fact that we were such a strong team and worked so well with one another we had a target on our backs. I was not certain it was Joey and Tara but I suspected it was.

Reality TV World: You seemed to struggle with the weaving Detour task. What did you find so challenging? And do you think the Roadblock task went smoothly and quickly?

Olive Beauregard: The Roadblock could not have gone anymore smoothly. We communicated effectively and were able to build the desk very quickly and efficiently. The weaving was tricky at first but after some practice we were both able to get the task done.


Reality TV World: What was your reaction when you found out Matt Ladley and Redmond Ramos completed both Detour tasks and finished the leg in fourth place?

Olive Beauregard: I was a bit surprised that Matt and Redmond finished fourth, although the leg was a very tight one overall. One simple mistake could have made the difference between elimination and non-elimination for a handful of teams.

Reality TV World: Thinking about how Matt and Redmond were also U-Turned but finished the leg strong, to what would you attribute your last-place finish? Would you still say the U-Turn, or was it something else? How do you think the leg would've ended had you not been U-Turned?

Olive Beauregard: The U-Turn was certainly a major set back and ultimately was what caused us to be eliminated.

Reality TV World: Did you encounter any other bumps in the leg that viewers didn't see, like maybe you got lost? And is there anything you'd like to share that didn't get edited into the episode?


Olive Beauregard: The episode was fairly accurate, the only thing left out was the dispute at the market place over the currency.

Reality TV World: If you were able to pick your partner based on first impressions during that initial suitcase challenge, do you think you would've picked Seth as well? If so, if Seth was taken, which other Racer would you have picked to team up with?

Olive Beauregard: I would have certainly picked Seth based off of first impressions. In the initial challenge he proved he was going to be both a mental and physical asset and continued to prove so throughout the Race. Seth and I had a great dynamic.

Both of us had a tremendous amount of respect for one another immediately given our careers, and that really carried over into the Race and the way we worked and communicated with one another.

Reality TV World: Watching these last few episodes, what is your reaction to all the Shamir drama and his dynamic with Sara? If you were Shamir's partner, do you think you'd handle situations the same way Sara has?


Olive Beauregard: I really do sympathize with Sara. The Race is difficult and emotions can run really high under pressure, but at times I think Shamir should have taken a step back and listened to Sara. I admire that she was able to stay as calm and collected as she did.

Reality TV World: Did Seth and yourself come up with a strategy for the Roadblocks this season? Did you two talk about your strengths, weaknesses and tasks you might excel at or be afraid of? 

Olive Beauregard: One of the first things Seth and I did was sit down and talk about our individual strengths and weaknesses. We used this to determine who would be best at certain types of challenges and Roadblocks.

Reality TV World: Which team/s did you view as the biggest threats this early on, and did you start thinking about possible alliances while you were still in the Race?

Olive Beauregard: We didn't form any official strong alliances. We certainly discussed tactics and our hopes of making it to the end with Matt and Redmond while racing. Sara and I were also fast friends right from the start.


Reality TV World: What are your thoughts on the rivalry between Matt and Redmond and Ashton Theiss & Vanck Zhu? After watching the last few episodes (Matt and Redmond skipping the line, choosing not to honor their helicopter sign-up deal), which team do you side with or agree with? Do you think Matt and Redmond are racing a little too dirty or do you commend them for it?

Olive Beauregard: At the end of the day, a race is a race. Personally I wanted to run a clean race and I feel as though Seth and I did exactly that. Sometimes the nice guys really do finish last, and at the end of the day, we were all competing for a million dollars.

Reality TV World: How were you cast on The Amazing Race, and was this your first time applying?

Olive Beauregard: Being on The Amazing Race was really not anything I had ever imagined happening to me. I was told they were seeking individuals by my best friend who is a huge fan of the show and he really pushed me to apply. It was the first time I had ever applied and I am forever grateful that I did.

Reality TV World: Seth and yourself worked great together as a team, and you seemed to thrive under pressure. (Probably because of your similar careers). Could you talk about why you think your team dynamic was so successful? And what's the status of your relationship now?

Olive Beauregard: Our careers in public safety played a big role in our ability to work so well with one another. Seth is such a strong individual all around and our skills complemented one another.


To read Reality TV World's exclusive email interview with Olive's The Amazing Race partner, Seth Tyler, click here.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski