Attention armchair travellers. Get ready for adventure this summer with Season 2 of CTV’s The Amazing Race Canada beginning Tuesday, July 8 with 11 competing teams taking part in edge-of-your-seat challenges, all fighting for the ultimate $250,000 cash prize, free flights for a year and of course, bragging rights. What’s refreshing to see on prime time mainstream television are the 11 competing teams as diverse as Canada itself including best friends Shahla Kara and Nabeela Barday from Ontario and BC bred Sukhi and Jinder Atwal.
Shahla and Nabeela “wanted to stay true to religious beliefs while representing moderate Muslims on a reality show,” while brother-sister duo, Sukhi and Jinder Atwal have been inspired by their father’s immigration from India.
Desi Globetrotter catches up with Sukhi and Jinder to find out more about their globetrotting ways and their inspiration to try out for the show:
BIO: SUKHI + JINDER ATWAL
“Sukhi and Jinder are the ultimate brother-sister team with ambitions to conquer the world. They have worked together on entrepreneurial pursuits at home as well as abroad and saw one of their ventures expand into South Asia. They are fierce, competitive, and very determined. Sukhi is the demanding older sister who dreams big and never says no to a new challenge, while Jinder is the brains behind the operation and follows through on his sister’s tremendous visions. Both agree that they need to relax in order to compete well on the race.”
Occupations: Self Employed, Entrepreneurs.
Personal Travel Quote: “Go with the flow and immerse yourself in the culture!”
Places You Have Travelled: “USA, Mexico, Haiti, South Africa, England, Canada, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Japan, Amsterdam, The Maldives, Italy… maybe missing a few!”
IN CONVERSATION
Can you tell us what inspired you to try out for Amazing Race Canada Season 2 and what can viewers expect from your performance when the show premieres?
“We first thought about participating in The Amazing Race years ago when we saw the American show, however up until recently the show was only available to residents of the US. So when we found out that the show was coming to Canadian television we were beyond excited and knew we had to apply.
Our parents are very supportive with anything that we do, they know that we are adventure seekers and not risk adverse, and that we usually go against the grain in everything we do. Our parents and siblings started helping us in any way we needed. They encouraged us to train hard and do whatever it took to get in the best shape possible.
Our mom enrolled us in swimming lessons so we could get faster at swimming. Sukhi was in a terrible accident the previous year, so I knew I had to work extra hard to strengthen my back and get it ready for the upcoming adventure. The preparation was an amazing bonding experience and being back home with our parents, it helped us get even closer then we already were.”
Did you have any reservations about being on the show together, especially in front of the cameras? What are some of the concerns you had before the show and how do you feel about it now?
“We approached the organizers by sending in an audition video like all the other Canadians did. We made our video last minute, hours before the deadline was up on December 26th. Thankfully, there were no uploading errors and both of us were not feeling too fussy because we sent in the first take of the audition video that we took. Thankfully, our “Ultimate Brother Sister” team bio helped us and the producers loved it!”
You need to be adventurous and not scared of the unknown. Both Jinder and I love being spontaneous and going with the flow, we don’t get overly stressed out in normal day to day life and are up to do anything. In The Amazing Race you never know what you have to do, where you will start, where you will end up. You just have to be willing to give it everything you have!! It really is the ultimate adventure seekers heaven! Having an open mind and going for every experience full heartedly are great traits to have.”
In previous interviews you have mentioned your South Asian roots and your parents being a strong influence in your life. Did your parents have any advice or words of wisdom for you before coming on the show?
“Well, at first my parents didn’t really understand what it was. They were like, “you are doing what?” But once we showed them some episodes from season one, they were immediately excited for us. Our parents know we are adventure seekers and aren’t afraid of risk and the unknown, so they weren’t surprised that we would want to do this.
They know that we can’t be fit into any sort of mould, and after years of telling us to get a stable job or live a conventional life, they gave up! They know that doing crazy amazing things is what fuels us, and knew that we would do very well at this. We also told them we would give them the Silverado truck, so they were rooting for us all the way!!
Even though they don’t understand what or why we do certain things, they have always supported us and have always been there for us. It’s nice to know that they will support us in anything we decide to do. Sometimes they believe in us more then we believe in ourselves.”
This travel blog is about independent travel from a South Asian perspective. From your experience, do you think young South Asians take advantage of travelling, working or living abroad compared to other cultures?
“I definitely don’t think enough South Asians take advantage of traveling, working or living abroad compared to other cultures, but can completely understand why. Growing up in a strict immigrant family, a lot of emphasis was put on studying really hard, going to school so that you could get a great education, so that you could end up with a great secure job. It’s a huge risk to step out of that comfort zone, which is strongly enforced by parents.”
Many young South Asians find it difficult to convince their parents to let them travel abroad on their own since it’s often considered unimportant or they are concerned about what other people will say (especially if you are unmarried). Any advice you can share with our readers? Have your parents been generally supportive of your travels now and in the past?
“You have to be bold and courageous and can’t care about what people think. We’ve learned that life is way too short to live a small life, and only you can decide how your days are going to unfold. If you have a dream, whether it’s to travel abroad or anything, you have to protect it and take the stance to live your life and make your dream a reality. Otherwise you won’t be happy and life will just pass you by.”
Can you share with us what the most difficult thing has been in travelling? Have you travelled together before and how did it go?
“We both dreamed about leaving Canada and flying to India to start a distribution business. All we knew was which products we wanted to bring into the market but other than that, we had no money, we had no business experience, no connections, never had been to the country, had no idea of how we would do it and we did it! We became one of the top distributors for the company in all of India. We dedicated over one full year of making no money and working so hard to make our dream a reality. We single-handedly launched the entire market!!
Another thing we are proud of is our humanitarian trips. It’s meant so much to us to see that we could impact lives and entire communities during our service project to both Mexico and Haiti. Instead of going “home for Christmas” we have spent many holidays abroad, and they have been some of our best Christamas’ to date.”
Of all the places you have both visited either during the show or previously, which place was your favourite and why?
“In the last few years we have travelled to over 18 countries, and lived in four. We love all of the places we have been to because they are all full of such different vast experiences. We have left pieces of our heart everywhere because of the relationships we were able to build. No matter where you are in the world, it’s the people that make the place amazing. We are fortunate enough to have some of the best friends and memories in India, Thailand, Malyasia, Italy, Maldives, and Hawaii to name a few.”
Was there a place that was your least favourite, most disappointing, or most challenging and why?
If you look for it, there could always something that could bother you about a new place, but at the end of the day, we both feel SOO blessed and fortunate to be able to experience the good and even the bad because that’s what travelling is all about. It’s those situations that make you grow and expand your mind, and if not, they make for some epic stories in the future!”
What travel gear has been the most useful for you during the show or on previous travels? The least useful?
“Fanny PACKS! Who would have thought we would ever be saying that. We’re the most CHILL travelers you will ever meet in your life, and fanny packs are the last thing you would have ever seen us rocking. Everything just stays completely organized and you can fit soo much into them! It’s incredible.
Our least favorite gear would have to be any sort of electronics. Whether it’s your laptop, iphone, ipad etc., they all just take away from experiencing the most out of your travels. Before the race, we needed to pack everything for our adventures around the world, but have realized all you really need is one bag.”
What lessons have you learned from being on the show and any advice you can apply to future travels?
“We’ve learned that you can accomplish SO MUCH in such little time! It’s honestly crazy how much you can do when you have a goal in mind and push your limits!”
How did your personal definition of travel develop over the course of your many adventures?
“You really have to just go with the flow, and deeply enjoy the moments because they too will pass. As busy as you think things may be, remember to slow things down and really treasure all the people you are meeting, the food you are eating, and the incredible sights you are seeing as much as you can.”
What’s next on your travel bucket list?
“Travelling is a very important part of both of our lives, and we feel so privileged to be able to do so much of it! Everyone should have a travel bucket list, and if you don’t, make one right now so we can travel together!
For starters, anywhere HOT is always on Sukhi’s bucketlist. We both would love to explore South America, including the Rio Carnival in Brasil, and Machu Pichu in Peru. Something about the culture and people is calling us there!
Combining travel and adventure is the ultimate rush for both of us. In the near future, we are looking to conquer the summit of Mount Everest, and to experience the breathtaking landscape first hand! Jinder would next love go somewhere, where he can turn off his cell phone, ignore all emails and truly live like the locals, perhaps Kenya. Would love to join the locals on their early morning treks, eat like the locals and just enjoy the feeling of being alive and free!”
Catch more of Sukhi and Jinder this summer on The Amazing Race Canada on CTV.
