Our first interview is with Shahla Kara and Nabeela Barday. They were very friendly and very funny in our conversation, especially when we asked some tough questions about flirting with the Forget Brothers, Pierre and Michel. Gord and Wayne liked the girls, partly because Shala is an Occupational Therapist just like Wayne's wife. But they were also quite animated and fun.
G & W - Wayne’s first question comes from his nine-year-old daughter who wanted to know if you were sad when you were eliminated?
Nabeela - I think we were definitely sad. You go onto this show, you give your all, you know that there are strong competitors out there and you put so much into it. And when we were in that last challenge, it was really, really tough. And to know that we were eliminated after doing so much, we felt sad. But at the same time, we were very happy to be a part of this experience and certainly we did do our best and we left with the feeling that we did give it our all.
G & W - How did feel just as the race was about to start?
Shahla - It was almost a surreal experience. You watch the show on TV but to actually be there, to see Jon, to see the other teams, that experience it’s really indescribable till your there. It anxiousness, nervousness and excitement all into one.
G & W - Was the race everything you expected or was there more stuff you did not expect or could not prepare for?
Nabeela - I think the race was so much more than I ever anticipated. It’s not just running through airports and doing challenges, it’s about building relationships with the teams, it’s about strategic thinking. It’s also about the mental preparation involved, I think that was one thing was about it, I didn’t think about the pressure of having a camera on you all the time, a microphone recording everything you say. And how what I am doing is going to be portrayed, am I doing the right thing? I mean you’re in competition mode and you’re trying not to think about it and to get through to the next challenge. There’s kind of two part thing that you go through.
G & W - Talking about relationships with other teams, one of the best scenes of the episode was hilarious halal meat flirting with Forget brothers. So was there more relationship building that was edited out? Are you ordering halal meats from Pierre and Michel?
(Shahla and Nabella both laugh) Nabeela - To be honest, I was actually making small talk and asked ‘What do you do for a living?’ And when they mentioned it, I was genuinely curious if they did sell halal meat, I didn’t intend it in a flirtatious way. And certainly there are no more romances that will play out.
G & W - Because you guys dropped a piece a couple of times during the flood challenge, are you going to offer some Occupational Therapy for fine motor skills? (Wayne asked that because Shahla and his wife are Occupational Therapists)
Shahla (laughs) - Good question, that must be from your wife’s that’s an OT. Good question. We each dropped it once and when your fingers are frozen there’s always so much fine motor that you can do in that situation. But we will work on some pinch strengthening for that. (laughs)
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G & W - Nabeela was very supportive when Shahla felt she couldn’t go on. But how did Nabeela feel when her teammate suffering and you still want to get it done? Was there any thought to saying ‘suck it up’ or did her health come first?
Nabeela - To be honest, it was Shahla that brought the passion to the race. She was the one who approached me and suggested we do this together. So when she turned to me and I could see in her eyes that she was suffering and she couldn’t feel her legs, I knew at the moment we had to take that penalty because I didn’t want her health to suffer.
G & W - How did feel walking up to the mat knowing what was going to happen?
Nabeela - At that point, we knew we were at he bottom of the pack because we took the penalty for medical reasons so by the time we got to Jon we knew what was going to happen but we didn’t want to hear it. We knew it was going to happen so it was very tough to hear we were eliminated.
Shahla - And I think going with that, it’s still a very surreal experience, yes, you know you’re getting out, but then you always check yourself, ‘I’m on the Amazing Race Canada and this is incredible.’ And this didn’t show up but Nabeela and I took a second to take in the scenery and look around us. That moment in itself was pretty awesome. I’d rather be the first team out on Amazing Race Canada than not be on Amazing Race Canada.
G & W - Now that you’ve seen the episode, how are you dealing with it and how are you family and friends dealing with it?
Nabeela - We watched the show with our friends and family and we’ve been very tightlipped about what would happen in the episode. So it was very exciting to watch their actions and expressions. And most importantly to see their pride and say ‘Oh my God, look, there you are.’ It was a very exciting moment to finally reveal, to open up and have no more secrets and share this experience with those that are close to us.
G & W - So what happens next for Shahla and Nabeela? Do you go back to your normal lives or does the race inspire you to live differently in someway?
Shahla - Honestly, we came as us and we hope we’ve inspired people in our community to be yourselves and be open about who they are and do things you are passionate about. For us and for me, I’m just going back to work and taking everything from this experience and hopefully travel some more.
Nabella - I participated in a charity bike ride this past weekend. I’m just getting back into doing different things, going back to work and it’s also the month of Ramadan so we’re completing our fasts, speeding time with friends and family.
G & W - Thanks for your time. We're sorry to see you guys go so early.
Shahla and Nabeela - Thank you. And look for us on the All-Star show. (laughs)