Sask.'s 1st Amazing Race Canada team says being sisters is an advantage: 'You can't divorce your family'
Two Regina sisters will be the first team to represent Saskatchewan on the latest season of The Amazing Race Canada, airing this summer.
Lauren and Joanne Lavoie can't disclose how they did on the reality TV show, which sees two-person teams compete against each other in a race involving a variety of challenges.
Joanne, though, said she and her sister balanced each other out — she took the lead on the game's physical challenges, while her sister strategized.
"I'll eat the weird things, I'll jump off things, where Lauren comes in with the logic and the skill, and she will get us where we need to go," said Joanne.
"She will drop the hammer when it needs to be."
Lauren said being sisters gave them a leg up, because "you can't divorce your family."
"A brilliant co-worker of mine said the first person you learned how to fight with is your sibling," said Lauren.
"We are so good at knowing what will upset the other one that you really don't walk into a landmine with your sibling. You know what they need, what they need to hear.
"And you just understand each other better than, I think, most relationships coming into this race would."
The Lavoies, who said they've watched all the past seasons of the reality show with their parents, said their family has been supportive throughout the process.
Lauren said their father lives with a chronic illness and encouraged his daughters to take the opportunity.
"He was the kind of person that lived [for] his retirement, and he's, like, 'When I retire, I'm going to do all of these amazing things,'" said Lauren.
"And he got sick just before he retired. So for our family, they were really, like, 'You just need to go and experience this.… Go do it.'"
The sisters said they will be watching the new season along with their family, and they're hoping to have public viewing parties in Regina.
"It's extremely wild … that we get to be the first people from Saskatchewan to dip our feet into the Amazing Race Canada, and we're so excited to show off this beautiful province," said Joanne.
"I think [there's] a lot of pressure, too, "said Lauren, "because we love this province, we love the people, we love everything about it. So we want to make sure we do it proud."
The first episode of Season 7 of The Amazing Race Canada will air on July 2 on CTV.
