Instagram Colin Guinn and Christie Woods
Colin Guinn and Christie Woods are the winners of The Amazing Race season 31. The couple triumphed over the other finalists, and were awarded the grand prize of $1 million.
Due to Colin and Christie’s success, some fans may be curious about their background, and how they managed to secure a win after getting eliminated during a previous season of The Amazing Race. Read on to learn more about the couple and their personal lives.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Colin & Christie Met While They Were Attending the University of Texas
Colin and Christie met when they were both attending the University of Texas. Colin noticed his future partner when she gave a presentation in their communications class, and they quickly became friends. After eight months, Colin worked up the courage to ask her out, and they’ve been together ever since. They got engaged during the season finale of The Amazing Race 5, and married the following year.
Christie was a gifted student who got straight A’s in high school and managed to graduate a semester early. She told CBS that one of her proudest feats was that she managed to pay her entire way through college without taking loans. She eventually graduated from the University of Texas with honors. She credits her success to her competitive streak, which she says can be “extremely aggressive” at times.
2. Christie Was the First Texan to Be Crowed Miss Teen USA In 1996
Christie won the Miss Houston Teen USA title, and was crowned Miss Texas Teen USA 1996. At 19, she was the first woman in state history to hold the title. During her reign, Christie traveled throughout the country, made appearances at charity events, and even helped crown her successor, Shelly Moore, as Miss Teen USA 1997.
Christie returned to pageantry in 2002 and competed in the Miss Texas USA pageant as Miss Central Texas. She was one of six former Miss Texas Teen USA winners to participate, and while she won the swimsuit, interview, and Miss Photogenic awards, she placed third overall. This was the first time that a former Miss Teen USA titleholder did not win a state pageant on their first try.
Christie won the Miss Houston USA title in 2003, but she once again failed to win the crown at the Miss Texas USA pageant. She competed again the following year, but again, she only placed in the semifinals. This was her last official run at the title, given the age restrictions that imposed on finalists.
3. Colin & Christie Finished Second Place During ‘The Amazing Race’ Season 5
Colin and Christie made their Amazing Race debut during the show’s fifth season in 2004. They became one of the show’s most polarizing teams, as Colin’s intensity and manic outbursts led to some close calls. He was nearly arrested in Tarzania after he complained that the ox he had been given was not following orders. “My ox is broken!” has since become one of the show’s most iconic lines. Check out the original clip above.
Christie was similarly criticized for her performance, as she only did one Roadblock and often got into arguments with Colin over what their plan of action should be. They were eventually Yielded by another team, Chip & Kim, and made a series of careless mistakes that led to their flight being delayed during a crucial time crunch. They finished second overall. They were invited to participate in The Amazing Race: All-Stars but had to decline due to Christie’s pregnancy with their first child.
When the couple decided to take another crack at The Amazing Race, Colin said things would be much different the second time around. “Watching myself run The Amazing Race 15 years ago gave me the opportunity to look in on myself from the outside and see just how unconscious and full of ego my behavior was,” she said. “Since then, I have done many years of work to broaden my perspective and come from a more loving and collaborative mindset. I hope to enter this engineered reality that is designed to bring on extreme stress and reduce resilience.”
4. They Consider Their 2 Sons to Be Their ‘Proudest Achievements’
Colin and Christie live in Austin with their two sons. Despite their professional triumphs, they consider Achilles, 12; and Cruz, 6, to be their proudest achievements. “[I’m most proud of] creating a beautiful life with Christie, our two beautiful boys, a successful career doing what I love with people that I love, and a daily practice that allows me to maintain high vibrations,” Colin told CBS.
Christie often posts photos of their children on Instagram. She posted a lengthy tribute (see above) to them after she and Colin won a leg of The Amazing Race. “This is is why we did it!! These two humans right here,” she wrote. “We chose to go back on the Race because we wanted to show them what’s possible when you heal from the inside out. When you choose to shine your light instead of playing small. Growth, evolution…transformation – it’s all part of the human experience.”
Colin supports his family by working as a tech entrepreneur. His company helps businesses companies develop new technologies to the market, including “drones, autonomous robotics, and emerging technologies.” Christie works as an Integrated Sex, Love, and Relationship Coach who helps couples work through and heal from emotional traumas.
5. They Consistently Dominated Each Leg of the Season
Colin and Christie’s victory may come as a surprise to those who remember their famous meltdown in The Amazing Race 5, but they more than proved their worth this season. After an admittedly rusty display during the premiere, they found their groove, and were able to be one of the top four teams during every leg.
Furthermore, Colin and Christie were able to win two of those legs, including the tenth leg, which put them in a fantastic spot heading into the finale. Colin said that their past involvement with the show was instrumental to their success. “The Amazing Race is very different than the other shows in that the competitors are out in the real world,” he explained.
“[We’re] having to navigate countries with different cultures and language, deal with uncontrollable flight delays, lack of sleep, jet lag, etc,” he added. “I think the people who have experienced that before are [who prove] to be successful in that environment.” Clearly, that experience paid off.
