'Amazing Race Canada' Season 11: Eliminated cousins held up by navigation challenges in Alberta

Yahoo

10-07-2025

We're only on the first episode of The Amazing Race Canada Season 11 (Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET on CTV, CTV.ca and the CTV app), but there have already been plenty of thrills. As Jon Montgomery greeted the 11 competing teams for the first time, beginning the race in Alberta, one team fell too far behind to stick around.
The challenges in the first episode included rappelling over the side of the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton. Then the racers had to choose a Detour, either blindfolded pottery or fencing. That was followed by the teams going to the Canyon Ski Resort in Red Deer to ride the Canyon Coaster, tasked with having to guess the time it took to run the track. And finally, learn a line dance routine with members of the Country Pride Dance Group.
Unfortunately, cousins Michele Peter and Aditi Deonarine faced navigation difficulties between each of the challenges, and had to leave the race.
"I think the most difficult part of the race is not necessarily the challenge, but it was the navigation and the driving," Aditi told Yahoo Canada. "For the both of us, I know that's not the biggest strength of ours, even though we prepped as much as we could."
"We had a map, we were trying to study beforehand, we had no access to GPS, any kind of electronics. We stopped and asked for help along the way, we were given incorrect directions."
"We had a dad and a child, the first person who we asked, and the child was just restless and was like, 'Dad, let's keep going.' And we're just like, 'No, we've got to keep going before you go, ... so please give us the proper directions," Michele added. "And then I think at one point, at the final stretch of the leg, after the line dancing, I don't think some people were even sober. ... These are not reliable sources of information."
This isn't the first time the cousins have competed on TV, after previously participating in Family Feud Canada, but they have a close connection to Amazing Race.
"My dad, who sadly is no longer with us, he was like Amazing Race Canada's biggest fan," Michele shared. "And both our families love the show."
"We've had such hectic lives and such personal tragedies that we didn't have time, but finally we were able to come together united."
While they weren't on the show for a long time, they could still tell that best friends Jesse Harink and Jonathon Braun are a strong team.
"They seemed [to be] not just hilarious characters, which we enjoy, because Michele and I are always cracking jokes and we don't take ourselves too seriously, but they seemed to be extremely intelligent, extremely athletic and fit, very competent racers," Aditi said. "So I think Michele and I gravitated towards Jonathon and Jesse just because they were just full of so many strengths and skills."
Getting the opportunity now to share their Amazing Race Canada journey with friends and family, the cousins see it as an "unforgettable experience."
"From the feedback and the comments that we're getting, it's great to inspire young women as well and diverse groups, and it's great to be ambassadors and an [allies] for those who need it," Michele said.
"It's just really good to inspire others, the next generation, all my nieces and nephews and little cousins, and show that there can be representation in the media with South Asian women from all different populations," Aditi added. "Amazing Race Canada does such a good job of being very equitable and inclusive, ... so we were just so excited to be part of the franchise."