Contestants inspire local Amazing Race
Councillor Robert McArthur has long been a fan of the Amazing Race Canada, and when he met Julia Viola and Olivia Curto at a council meeting, the idea of Amazing Race Clearview was born.
Viola and Curto, a Stayner couple, gained notoriety as competitors on Season 10 of the CTV program. They advanced through several stages before finally being eliminated, and were honoured for having represented the township so well.
McArthur’s wife Sonja says he came home from that meeting saying we should do this in Clearview. “I’m a fan too,” she said, “and I’ve done several Tough Mudder events. We started talking and thought it would be great to do it as part of the Small Halls Festival. We have these amazing halls all over Clearview and they could use the publicity.”
The event will take place on Oct. 25 with teams travelling throughout the township to complete a total of 10 challenges. The hall in Singhampton will not be included on the route as they already had an event booked for that date.
Sonja describes Viola and Curto as “our John,” a reference to John Montgomery, host of Amazing Race Canada. “They’ll be present at the start in Creemore, and they’ll pop up at different venues throughout the day to cheer people on, then join us for dinner that evening.”
Sonja says the actual challenges will remain a secret until competitors arrive at each venue, but she does hint there will be an accessibility challenge, a grain bin challenge and a gross food challenge
among others. “If you are not from Clearview, some of the clues will be tough.” Because this is a race, the challenges will be timed but organizers have planned the route
to allow plenty of travel time between venues. “All rules of the road will apply, and anyone speeding will be disqualified,” she says. Costumes are not mandatory, but there will be bonus points awarded for creative attire.
Entry to the Amazing Race Clearview is $50 per person including lunch and dinner, and participation is capped at 20 teams of two. Registration is through the township website at www.clearview.ca.
All participants will get a Clearview swag bag, with prizes for the top-three teams. The day will wrap up with a costume party at Station on the Green featuring Elvis impersonator Lance Dobinson.
Tickets to the after party are available to the general public at www. smallhallsfestival.ca.
File photo: Amazing Race Canada contestants Julia Viola and Olivia Curto were recognized for representing Clearview on a national platform at a council meeting on Sept. 23.
