For those of you who watch “The Amazing Race 2” on CBS, yes, those were the Richards twins, Class of '97, competing this winter.
And for those of you who don't follow the show, no, they did not win the $1 million first prize.
On the show, eleven teams-each made up of two people with an existing relationship (romantic, family, etc.)-travel the globe, facing a series of mental or physical challenges. Those at the back of the pack are winnowed out until there is a winner. The twins, Shola and Doyin Richards '97, finished last in the fourth leg of the show when their vehicle got stuck in an African sand dune.
The twenty-seven-year-old identical twins were psychology majors at the College, and both played basketball. They are now independent Internet sales contractors in New York's Capital Region. The two were known on the show as “the nice guys.”
“You're caught up in the game,” said Shola.
“But you also have in the back of your mind that you're also representing your family and, because we're doing a lot of international
travel, our country as well. You want to come off looking good and showing that we're not ugly Americans.”
Adds Doyin, “It's also important that we want
to make Albany residents proud. We hoped that we were able to accomplish that.”
Before the show, the twins had not been out
of the country except for a trip to Montreal. While filming in January, they traveled to Brazil, London, Madrid, South Africa, and Namibia.