Marcus Pollard and Amani Pollard survive 'The Amazing Race' exit

"Married Couple" Marcus Pollard and Amani Pollard survived to compete in The Amazing Race's seventh nineteenth-season leg despite a last-place finish during Sunday night's broadcast of the Race's sixth leg.


"We've got a daughter who has special needs and we don't want her to quit. If we can keep trying, we can show them that mom and dad never quit -- just to hang in there together and to show them what team work is -- I think this is a great example for not just our kids, but a lot of kids," Amani said after the married couple discovered they had avoided elimination.

The sixth episode of The Amazing Race's nineteenth season began where last week's broadcast left off, with the Race's seven teams meeting with The Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan and leaving the course's fifth Pit Stop at M.R. Kukrit Heritage Home, the home of a former Thai prime minister, in Bangkok.

Since they had been the team to finish in first place at the Race's fifth Pit Stop, Amani and Marcus were the first team to depart from the former prime minister's home at 7:22AM.

They were then followed by "Grandparents" Bill Alden and Cathi Alden at 7:23AM, "Engaged Couple" Ernie Halvorsen and Cindy Chiang at 7:24AM, "Siblings" Justin Young and Jennifer Young at 7:29AM, "Friends and former Olympic Snowboarders" Andy Finch and Tommy Czeschin at 8:06AM, "Father/Son Adventurers" Laurence Sunderland and Zac Sunderland at 8:07AM, and "Dating Couple" Jeremy Cline and Sandy Draghi at 9:22AM.


Upon opening their departure clues, the teams were instructed to travel more than 5,000 miles to Africa. Once they landed in Lilongwe, Malawi, they were required to make their way to a tobacco warehouse and find Gate No. 7 to discover their next clue.

The teams all rushed to the airport and learned there was only one flight they could take. As a result, regardless of the order they had left the previous Pit Stop in, they all ended up on an equal playing field. After the flight landed in Africa, everyone rushed to secure taxis.

While most of the teams seemed to get to the tobacco warehouse quickly, Amani and Marcus hit bad traffic and were barely moving. Bill and Cathi were just behind them, also stuck in the congestion.

Jeremy and Sandy were the first team to arrive at the tobacco warehouse, which instructed them to complete a Roadblock task. The Roadblock task required one member from each team to wear a workman's uniform and steer massive bales of tobacco through a bustling maze-like warehouse using only a short-handled dolly. Once the team members picked up and transported ten 200-pound bales to the dropoff zone, they would receive their next clue.

Following Jeremy and Sandy were Justin and Jennifer, Ernie and Cindy, Laurence and Zac, Andy and Tommy, Bill and Cathi, and Amani and Marcus.


Jeremy opted to do the Roadblock for his team, and he was later joined by Justin, Ernie, Laurence, Tommy, Bill, and Marcus.

The teams really seemed to enjoy the Roadblock task, as all the warehouse workers were chanting and cheering on the Racers. Jeremy and Sandy were the first team to complete the Roadblock task, and they were then followed by Ernie and Cindy, Justin and Jennifer, Andy and Tommy, Laurence and Zac, Bill and Cathi, and Amani and Marcus.

Upon finishing the Roadblock task, the teams received their next clue and learned they had to make their way to Memorial Tower where they would have to search for their next clue. Jeremy and Sandy were the first team to arrive at Memorial Tower. They were then followed by Ernie and Cindy, Justin and Jennifer, Andy and Tommy, Laurence and Zac, Bill and Cathi, and Amani and Marcus.

It then became time for the teams to complete one of two Detour tasks: "Not Grown Up" or "All Sewn Up."

"All Sewn Up" required the teams to make their way to the White Horse De-Signs tailor shop in an old market. They had to choose a customer who would lead them to a pair of manual sewing machines, where they must then stitch the unfinished seams of a suit jacket and pant legs.


"Not Grown Up" required the teams to visit the Lilongwe Lea School and working with scrap materials, they must build two traditional children's toy trucks. Once the school's headmistress approved their work and the children test drove the trucks, they would receive their next clue.

Ernie and Cindy, Bill and Cathi and Amani and Marcus opted to do the "All Sewn Up" task, while Jeremy and Sandy, Justin and Jennifer, Andy and Tommy, and Laurence and Zac attempted to complete the "Not Grown Up" task.

Ernie and Cindy had a little trouble finding the tailor shop, so they wasted time traveling in their taxi.

Bill and Cathi breezed through the task because Cathi had a lot of experience sewing clothes for her family, while most teams seemed to finish the truck task fairly quickly and efficiently. The teams that chose to complete the "Not Grown Up" enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with the school children, who seemed to appreciate their new toys.

Jeremy and Sandy maintained the lead and, once again, finished the task in first place. Justin and Jennifer were the next team to complete the Detour task and they were then followed by Andy and Tommy, Ernie and Cindy, Laurence and Zac, Bill and Cathi, and Amani and Marcus.


Upon completion of the Detour tasks, the teams learned they must make their way to R.K. Furniture Shop, a road-side market, where the people of Milawi sell their hand-crafted furniture.

Amani and Marcus, already in last place, struggled to get to the furniture shop because their cab broke down.

Justin and Jennifer were the first team to arrive at the furniture shop. Following Justin and Jennifer were Jeremy and Sandy, Andy and Tommy, Laurence and Zac, Ernie and Cindy, Bill and Cathi, and finally Amani and Marcus.

Once the teams arrived at the R.K. Furniture Shop, they were instructed to transport and carry two locally handcrafted beds to Kumbali Village, which would serve as the Race's sixth Pit Stop. The teams later learned the beds they carried would serve as their own beds they must use for an overnight stay.

After Jeremy and Sandy grabbed their beds, they noticed their truck was taken, so they were left without one and had to scramble to find another.


Once Cindy and Ernie arrived at Kumbali Village, Cindy struggled to carry her bed to the Pit Stop. Bill and Cathi hustled carrying their beds because they claimed all the manual labor they were used to doing while working on a farm helped them prepare such tasks.

Justin and Jennifer were the first team to carry their beds to the Pit Stop and be greeted by Phil -- who told them they did not pay their truck driver, so they had to go back, pay him and return to the finish.

As a result, Andy and Tommy arrived in second place but were told they claimed first place since Justin and Jennifer were not back yet from paying their cab. The pair was told they won a trip for two to a private island in the British Virgin Islands. 

After Justin and Jennifer quickly took care of business and ran back to the Pit Stop mat, they secured second place.

Bill and Cathi were the next team to arrive at the Pit Stop, but they also had failed to pay their truck driver. When they ran back to the truck, Jeremy and Sandy passed them and finished in third place.

Laurence and Zac then met Phil in fourth place, while Ernie and Cindy arrived with their beds in fifth place.


It came down to Bill and Cathi and Amani and Marcus. Bill and Cathi were running back from the truck after paying their driver to the Pit Stop, while Amani and Marcus were walking the same path carrying the beds on their backs. While Bill and Cathi had nothing to carry, they had the chance to run past Amani and Marcus.

Bill and Cathi then arrived in sixth place, and Amani and Marcus finished in seventh -- and last -- place. However, Amani and Marcus learned it was not their time to go yet.

"Amani and Marcus, you are the last team to arrive. How are you feeling right now?" Phil asked the team.

"I'm ready for it to be over," Amani said.

"You want to stay in the Race?" Phil asked.

"Well, you're going to need those beds, because you guys are still in The Amazing Race. This is a non-elimination leg. You still have a chance to win this Race! So guys, some time in the next leg of the Race, you will encounter a Speed Bump and you'll need to complete that before you can move on and continue on in the Race."


"Thank you," Amani said.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski