Swimming champion Ian Thorpe and best mate Christian Miranda have been eliminated the The Amazing Race – Australia: Celebrity Edition.
The duo’s time on the program came to an end in the deserts of Namibia as they failed to keep up with the other couples navigating the challenges.
Having battled shin splints for multiple legs of the race, Thorpie had been struggling with injury and pushing through some very difficult physical challenges.
Reflecting on their elimination Christian Miranda said he was proud of his mate for batting through.
“As the race went on, unfortunately Ian’s injuries were becoming more limiting. Having to navigate The Dome just wasn’t something he was going to be able to accomplish, and it was at this point that we knew our time was up, as much as we would have loved to have found a way to get through it.”
Racing around Namibia, teams ventured to Omandumba to take part in the local sport of Bokdrol Spoeg – otherwise known as dung spitting. Collecting hard pellets of kudu dung from the surrounding area, each team member had to spit a piece of poop into a stone circle before they could move on.
Having checked in last in the previous leg, Thorpie and Christian also had to complete a Speed Bump challenge where they needed to fill a container with enough dung before they could begin spitting.
Teams then faced a Detour, a choice between two challenges each with its own pros and cons. In Weapons, teams had to follow a local hunter and hit a target with a bow and arrow. In Water, teams had to craft a water carrier out of an ostrich egg, using traditional tools.
From there, it was back to school for our teams as they made their way to an animal research station to work with conservationists in identifying 10 animals from video footage of the early morning. Whi9le spotting an elephant was easy, identifying the differences between deer, impala and other creatures was more challenging.
Teams then had to race to find a clue atop the massive Dome boulder, before making their way to the Bridge where Beau was waiting at the Pit Stop.
For a moment it looked like there was a chance for the pair as rival team Billy Brownless and son Oscar had to serve a 40-minute time penalty for skipping one of the challenges, but Christian and Ian were just too far behind.
Ian and Christian’s time on the race was in support of ReachOut Australia, a mental health organisation designed with and specifically for young people offering a wide range of support.
Christian said it was a cause they were both passionate about.
“ReachOut Australia is a cause that is close to both of our hearts, having both navigated and supported one another through mental health issues over the years. To bring awareness to such an impactful charity that is making support much more accessible to today’s youth is something I was very proud to be a part of.”
With just four teams left in the race’s final section to action continues on Monday night on 10 and 10 Play.
