“We Lost Everything But We are Still a Family” - An Interview with the Amazing Race 8’s Schroeder Family

RealityNewsOnline: Hi, Schroeder family! Congrats on getting as far in the race as you did. First of all, you all are okay in the wake of Katrina, right?

The Schroeders: We are physically fine but somewhat demoralized after losing everything in our house. Our home is presently gutted down to the studs and we plan to rebuild our home. We will be whole again soon.

RNO: What did you learn about each other on the race?

The Schroeders: We knew going in to the race that we each had a unique talent and those talents played out on the race.

RNO: Who did you see as your biggest competition?

The Schroeders: We originally thought it was the Rogerses and the Aiellos, and perhaps that is why we become so close to them.

RNO: Other than the Rogerses, did you connect with any other team?

The Schroeders: We connected with all of the teams with the exception of the Weavers. We speak to all of them on a regular basis and they’ve been incredibly generous in our time of need.

RNO: Mark, why didn’t you want to stop and ask for directions or check a phone book on the way to the Southern Colonel?

Mark: What you didn’t see on the race is that we had previously stopped and checked two phone books before checking the third phone book, in which we actually found it.

RNO: Char, why didn’t you want Hunter to talk to Rolly?

Char: Rolly was specifically asking Hunter about our strategy and somewhat bullying other team members, specifically the kids. I didn’t want to give away strategy.

RNO: Why did you all not like the Weavers?

The Schroeders: They played without integrity, breaking rules at every turn. They also complained about how they didn’t want to be on the race and wanted to go. We enjoyed every minute of the race, which is why we were so broken down on the mat when we were eliminated.

RNO: Do you all think you chose the right detour task in the last leg?

The Schroeders: We got lost for 40 minutes, so either choosing one detour over another wouldn’t have really mattered. In addition, we were stopped on the Causeway Bridge by a police officer for having not paid the correct toll, adding to our lapse in time.

RNO: Why did you take the 8:00 departure time? When did you realize that it was a mistake?

The Schroeders: We arrived third in Hattiesburg and then proceeded to search for the Southern Colonel for four and a half hours. By the time we made it to the mobile home park, we were emotionally and physically spent. We had actually been searching dozens of trailers before finding ANY departure.

RNO: If you could have done one thing differently, what would it be?

The Schroeders: We would have kept searching for the trailers with the early departure time as Stassi insisted.

RNO: How has your family changed since the race?

The Schroeders: We lost everything but we are still a family.

RNO: Thanks for doing this interview! I hope that you all are doing well and stay close as a family.

Jenn Brasler is the Assistant Editor of Reality News Online and an aspiring writer from Falls Church, VA. You can e-mail her at luckyjenn@hotmail.com. She’s kind of sad the Schroeders had to be eliminated in their hometown.

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