Former Auburn athlete Caitlin King and friend Brittany Fletcher competed in this season of "The Amazing Race," a reality TV show where teams compete in an international marathon for a million-dollar prize.
"I've wanted to be on this show for forever," Fletcher said. "When it involves a $1 million competition and being able to do it with my best friend and travel the world, why wouldn't I want to be part of this show?"
King said it was important for her to have a partner she could rely on, which influenced her decision to work with Fletcher.
"I knew when we were starting the process of getting on the race that Brittany would be a perfect partner because we both come from big sports backgrounds," King said. "I played soccer at Auburn, and Brittany has a dad and brother who played major league baseball. Having that in our family has brought a competitive edge to everything we do, so I knew we would be great partners."
King starting a relationship with Fletcher's brother, Brian, was how they first became acquainted, and King said their friendship has only grown closer since.
"At the beginning, that was the thing that brought us together, but really now it doesn't even have anything to do with the relationship that Brittany and me have made for ourselves," King said. "We've become really close on our own."
Though the competitive nature of the show ensures a fast pace, Fletcher said she enjoyed every minute of the race.
"It was one of those things where you're moving so fast, you don't have time to get too nervous in the situations you're placed in," Fletcher said. "Your adrenaline's going the whole time, and you're just excited to be in all these different places and travel the world. You're seeing things for the first time that you've never seen in your life, and just being with a person you enjoy doing these things with makes the experience that much better."
King said, after a few weeks, she didn't even register the cameras.
"You're constantly on the go, so you kind of forget you're on a TV show," she said. When you're starting, you see the cameras and things around you, but as you go on you don't even realize it. You're so focused and in the zone of being in this competition that you forget you're actually being filmed."
One rule of the competition forbids the use of cell phones, but Fletcher said she enjoyed the challenge of finding information in different ways.
"It's the only opportunity to not have a phone with you and to really have to communicate and use other sources of reference to make your way around," Fletcher said.
Though they were unable to see their friends and families for the 30 days they competed, King said she was glad for an opportunity to forge new relationships with the other teams.
"One of the best parts for us was getting to know the other teams," King said. "You don't realize, at the beginning, the kind of relationships you're going to make with these people. We all came from very different backgrounds, and we made friends we're going to have for a lifetime. It's kind of like being part of a new family."
Fletcher said the only complaint she has about her time on the show is that it went by too quickly.
"A lot of times when you plan a vacation, you know where you're going" she said. "To open up a clue and have to race to that destination is just a part of the competition, but I don't think flying will ever be the same for Caitlin and I. Every time we get off a plane now, we're ready to sprint. It flew by, and it was one of those things where you have to cherish every moment because you know it's going to go by so quickly."
King said the travel was one of the things she liked most about the competition.
"Never complain about traveling for free," she said. "I love traveling, and I know Brittany does too, so it's just really cool to go to different places that you'd never get the opportunity to go to if you weren't on "The Amazing Race," so I'm definitely going to miss that."
After they were finished with the show, Fletcher continued to work as a medical sales representative in Chicago, while King moved from St. Louis to Atlanta.
Steven Feldman, CBS publicist, said filming for the show is now completed, and it will premiere Sunday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. CST.
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