Slow and steady
did not win The Amazing Race for Kate Lewis and
Pat Hendrickson.
The reality
show's first lesbian couple was eliminated in Amsterdam
during Sunday's episode after losing precious time during a
challenge scouring through thousands of bicycles for a
color-coded tag.
''I admit I was
out of shape,'' says Hendrickson, who's lost 40 pounds
since filming. ''I could do much better now.''
During the race's
first Detour challenge, Lewis and Hendrickson opted to
search through a parking garage full of bikes. Looking back,
Lewis and Hendrickson wished they would've chosen to
hoist furniture up the side of the building.
''We definitely
could've done that,'' says Lewis. ''I've done macrame
too.''
Lewis, 49, and
Hendrickson, 65, from Thousand Oaks, Calif., tied the knot
three years ago. The ''married ministers'' team are the
oldest duo featured in the 12th edition of the
Emmy-winning competitive reality series, and the
show's first lesbian couple.
''It isn't
something we flaunt, yet it isn't something we cover,''
Hendrickson told the Associated Press during a telephone
interview Monday. ''That was what we were hoping would
come out of this. It's just part of who we are.''
Throughout the
race, says Lewis, an Episcopal priest, the couple
frequently prayed in private, away from the reality TV
cameras. The pair asked permission from their church
to participate in the around-the-world race.
''We've been
supported 100% by our bishop,'' says Lewis. ''We did have to
ask permission to do this because we are under vows to our
bishop. He didn't even think twice. He was 100%
supportive.'' (Derrik Lang, AP)
