#TheDancers Reflect On Their Adventures During The Amazing Race

After traveling the globe together, #TheDancers (Ernest and Jin) boogied their way out of The Amazing Race at the end of Ep. 3.

While the pair might not be proceeding to the next leg of the journey, Ernest and Jin's positive spirits, infectious personalities, and happy-go-lucky attitudes are bound to bring them much luck in their futures.

Read what the two-stepping team has to say about their Race experience.

Ernest: "My favorite experience would have to be just being able to be in a different country every other day. [It's] not every day does [people] like us to get to experience that, so that was something definitely interesting and very exciting to me."

Jin: "My favorite experience had to be the helicopter ride through Brazil in Episode 1. I never thought in a million years I would be able to do something like that. It was absolutely beautiful."

 

fulfilled your goal before being eliminated?
Ernest: "My reason for going on the Race was not just to win 1 million dollars, but to be able to challenge myself and put myself through things I would not put myself through every day. I don't just like being handed money; I like to work for the money. And, not be rude, but to answer your question, I feel like I was not challenged and I feel like I was not pushed. The things we had done before we got eliminated were things that I normally have done already in my life.

For example, looking for cardboard in the trash. Yes, it was nasty, but back in the day, I used to collect cans and bottles for money, and I had to dig in crazier places to get stuff just to have a little change in my pocket. So, I would have liked to stay in longer, so I could get Roadblocks and Detours that challenged me mentally and physically."

Jin: "My primary reason was to make a better life for me and my brother. My dream job is to become a filmmaker, so the million dollars would have helped me tremendously to get an apartment, movie equipment, a car... I can go on for days. So, unfortunately, no, my goal wasn’t fulfilled, as of yet, but who knows. Maybe the exposure from the show will help [me] get a foot in the door for better things."
 

use it going forward in your lives? 
Ernest: "One thing I've learned on Race is you cannot judge a book by its cover. I honestly always knew that, but even playing volleyball with the #TheCousins, thinking they were not going to beat us, and thinking that the show was going to be a lot easier. That was a lie. It was definitely hard and #TheCousins definitely beat us. So, just going forward, I [will] make sure that I'm prepared mentally for everything, no matter how strong I think I am for something."

Jin: "The biggest lesson I wanted to learn was how to make taxis appear out of thin air. Kidding. I can’t say I’ve learned something from the Race, but I can say I went into the Race with a positive attitude to never give up and always push forward. Hopefully, people will see that and apply that to their lives, if they haven’t already. 'Impossible' only exists when you create borders." 

Ernest: "I don't think the Race changed anything, but it has made me realize how much more my brother really wants a better life. Just seeing how hard he pushed, I could see how much it meant to him each leg. It makes me even more sad that we did not make it further in the Race."

Jin: "I can’t say it changed much. My brother is still the annoying little black guy he always was, but I can say the Race gave us some good old quality time we would of never had because we're always working."

 

Ernest: "As much as a lot of people think the teams have a lot of time to bond, you actually don't because your mind is racing the whole time and you're usually thinking about the competition. But, when we have time to chill at the airport or maybe sit at a Roadblock or Detour, you do talk a little and get to know the teams. The teams that we bonded with and had great friendships with would be #TheCousins, #TheReporters, and #TheCheerleaders. Those are definitely my top three."

Jin: "It’s not like we [had] much time, because everyone is dead tired. So, most of the bonding happens in front of the cameras. After the Race, though, is where the real bonding happens. No pressure, no hidden agendas, just people kicking it, relaxing, and getting to know each other."

 

Ernest: "I have been through so much and learned so much. On the second leg, yes, we cried because we thought we were eliminated and we were also upset. In that last leg, we raced the whole time by ourselves. We were very far behind, so all we did was make sure we kept each other motivated and we knew there was nothing that we could do. We just gave it our all and pushed to the end, hoping it was a non-elimination leg.

[For me], I go through life doing auditions, trying to make money trying to survive. Sometimes, I don't come in first place. Sometimes, I don't place at all. So, I guess you can say I'm kind of used to it, but that's not going to stop me from trying. I just took this situation and said, 'You know what? Yes, we didn't come in first place. Yes, we got out early, but let's keep pushing.'"

Jin: "There are two kinds of people. Ones that complain about the end of the world until they die, and ones that try to enjoy the time they do have before it happens. Growing up less fortunate taught us to appreciate time. You never know when it’s going to be taken away from you and if it does, I want to spend it smiling, being happy, and fighting for success."

 

Ernest: "Yes, I would come back a hundred percent and I would race again. I'm pretty sure that [true] for my brother, too. If we did come back, I probably would start building alliances earlier, just in case."

Jin: "Another chance at bettering my life? Of course, without any hesitation! Not everyone gets a second chance, so, hell yeah, I would race again."
 
 

Ernest: "I'm not really sure what's next for us. My brother is in school at the moment and I'm just jumping around from place to place. I guess I will look for a job to try to put some money in my pocket. I hope Race decides to call us back and have us on for All Stars!"

Jin: "Hopefully, another chance at the Race or a chance at my dream job, which is filmmaking." 

Watch all-new episodes of The Amazing Race on Fridays at 8/7c.