'The Amazing Race: All-Stars' crowns David O'Leary and Connor O'Leary winners, making history

The Amazing Race: All-Stars crowned David O'Leary and Connor O'Leary the winners of the CBS reality competition's 24th overall season and third all-stars edition during Sunday night's finale episode.


Dave and Connor, "Father and Son Cancer Survivors," won The Amazing Race's $1 million grand prize after crossing the twelfth and final leg's finish line at Aria Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, NV in first place.

"Tell us the good news!" Dave said to The Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan once the father and son team arrived on the Pit Stop mat.

"Dave and Connor, after 22 cities, nine countries and more than 23,000 miles, I am pleased to tell you that you have won the $1 million. And Dave, you are the oldest winner ever of The Amazing Race. Not only that, this is the first time we've ever had a parent/child win The Amazing Race," Phil explained.

Dave broke down into tears, hugging his son.


"I cannot believe this moment. I never imagined this would be possible," Dave said.

"I'm proud of my old man," Connor noted.

"I'm proud of my son. I can't think of anything better than to win The Amazing Race with, now, my best friend," Dave explained. "What a memory, to do this with your son. Three years ago, Connor was going through chemotherapy right now, and shortly thereafter, had blood clots and was in intensive care for seven days. We thought we'd lose his life, and to be able to be here with him now, is..."

"Amazing," Connor interjected. "I can't believe it!"

The father and son team then agreed it was "quite a comeback" considering they had been forced to withdraw from a previous Race because David had ruptured his Achilles tendon and tore his calf muscle.



"The Country Singers" Jennifer Wayne and Caroline Cutbirth finished the Race in second place.

"Caroline and Jennifer, I do have to compliment you two, because throughout this Race, it was as if you didn't quite think you belonged with these elite Racers. And here you are, in second!" Phil told the girls.

"If we weren't going to win, we're so happy it was [Dave and Connor]," Caroline noted.


"Newlyweds" Brendon Villegas and Rachel Reilly, who were devastated, arrived at the Pit Stop mat in third place. Brendon had promised Rachel that if they managed to win The Amazing Race, they could start having children.

"We'll just have to wait for Brendon to graduate [for the Brenchel baby], but the adventures that we shared together on this Race will be something that we tell our kids when we eventually have little Brenchel babies," Rachel explained.



The finale broadcast of The Amazing Race: All-Stars began with Dave and Connor departing the eleventh Pit Stop at Peckforton Castle in London, England in first place at 4:31AM. Caroline and Jennifer followed closely behind, departing at 4:38AM. Brendon and Rachel left the Pit Stop at 4:52AM.

The teams' first set of clues instructed them to fly to Las Vegas, NV, and upon landing, go for a ride in a Ford Explorer. Each vehicle had its own driver.

The drivers took the teams to a random place and commanded them to get out of the car and dig in the sand. All three teams were digging at the same time and no one had any idea what they were even looking for. Dave and Connor got pissed because they believed Brendon and Rachel were throwing sand in their hole.

Dave and Connor then discovered a box in their hole, and they took it and ran. The box read, "Property of David Copperfield. Open and return contents to the lot."

Brendon and Rachel managed to open their box in the backseat of their car, and inside was a large ring of keys.


The drivers took the teams to MGM Grand, where an "alter your reality" David Copperfield show was clearly playing. Dave and Connor got there first, and they were soon followed by Caroline and Jennifer and Brendon and Rachel.

Once at the cluebox, it then became time for one member of each team to complete a Roadblock task.

For the Roadblock, the Racers had to learn the secrets of a daring escape act from David Copperfield himself, a magician and illusionist.

Locked inside a wooden crate, the Racers were required to use the keys they had dug up in the desert and find one key that would undo their shackles. Once free, they needed to look for lock-picks outside the crate and then use them to release the chains holding them captive. They could then reunite with their partner and David Copperfield would reveal their next clue.

Connor opted to take on the Roadblock task on behalf of his team. He was later joined by Jennifer and Rachel.


Connor finished the Roadblock task in first place -- not without scaring the crap out of his father. Following Connor's lead was Brendon and Rachel and finally Caroline and Jennifer.

The teams' next set of clues instructed them to make their way to Neon Boneyard Museum, home to many of the city's most iconic signs, where they'd search for their next clue.

Dave and Connor got to the museum first and didn't even know if they were looking for a sign or an actual cluebox. Once they did find a cluebox, they learned they must unscrew a light bulb from the silver and red "?" sign and take it with them to The Mirage hotel, where they'd search for their next clue at the back entrance.

Brendon and Rachel arrived at the museum in second place. At this point, "The Country Singers" were still in third place.

Once Brendon and Rachel retrieved their light bulb, they tried to steal Caroline and Jennifer's cab at the scene. Brendon and Rachel were convinced their cab driver wasn't good, so they begged the driver of Caroline and Jennifer's taxi to take them instead, saying Rachel had a baby and their family needed help.

However, the cab driver wasn't phased by Brendon and Rachel's pleading and refused to take them, noting with loyalty that he understood the girls he had been waiting for were also a part of this race.


Meanwhile, Dave and Connor were struggling to find The Mirage hotel although they were apparently in the right area.

As a result, Caroline and Jennifer got to the cluebox in first place and learned they must use a window-washing basket to replace the light bulbs in the letter "I" of the Mirage sign 30 stories about the Las Vegas strip. Once the lights were fully lit and they had counted the correct number of bulbs utilized in the sign, they would earn their next clue.

Dave and Connor got to The Mirage in second place, and they were only about five minutes behind "The Country Singers." Brendon and Rachel therefore arrived at the hotel in third place. Brendon and Rachel claimed they hit every red light along the way and their cab driver had refused to drive aggressively through the busy streets.

Once they got to the hotel, Brendon and Rachel weren't sure whether to search through the hotel or more simply look for a cluebox. The couple disagreed about their next course of action and lost some time in the process -- falling more behind the other two teams. Brendon and Rachel seemed well aware of their third-place standings once they actually discovered the cluebox outside of the building.

Meanwhile, Dave and Connor finished the light bulb task before Caroline and Jennifer, however, it appeared to be a matter of seconds that separated them. Dave and Connor guessed 240 light bulbs at the end of the task, getting the number wrong. But they quickly corrected their mistake and noted 241 bulbs lit the "I" in The Mirage sign. Caroline and Jennifer guessed 241 on their first try.

Dave and Connor then got back on the ground and retrieved their next set of clues in first place, which required them to make their way to Maverick Helicopters in Henderson. Caroline and Jennifer were right on their heels, while Brendon and Rachel were in a distant third at this point.


Once at their next location, Dave and Connor ripped open their clue less than five seconds before Caroline and Jennifer got to the cluebox. Brendon and Rachel were still trailing behind.

The teams then learned they must complete another Roadblock task.

For the Roadblock, one member of each team was instructed to skydive from a helicopter at 10,000 feet in a futuristic jumpsuit. First, the participating Racers were required to fly down the strip and spot the sign displaying the name of their landing zone -- the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Once they had relayed the correct destination, they could free fall to their partner at the finish line of The Amazing Race's 24th season.

Dave, Caroline and Brendon all opted to skydive as their anxious partners waited from below.

Phil and all the previously-eliminated Racers from this season were all at the finish line inside the Motor Speedway. Everyone was waiting for the first team to arrive, and Connor and Jennifer stood together a short sprint away from the mat, helplessly looking up into the sky for their partners. They knew either Dave or Caroline would be dropping to the ground in first place, and both of them began envisioning winning that million dollars.

Dave was then the first teammate to land on the ground. Connor greeted his father with enthusiasm and the pair ran to the mat together.


"I can't believe it!" Connor said smiling.

"We just won The Amazing Race," Dave said on the verge of tears as he ran to the finish line with his son.

Once Caroline dropped from the sky, she and Jennifer arrived at the Pit Stop mat in second place. Jennifer told Caroline that she was very proud of her.

And last, but not least, Brendon and Rachel finished their race in third place. Rachel cried hysterically before putting on a good face in front of all their competitors. Although clearly disappointed and frustrated, the couple smiled and accepted their fate.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski