Anne-Marie & Tracy

'Best friends Tracy and Anne-Marie are possibly the show’s biggest fans. Will all those hours glued to the TV help them now it’s their turn to run the race?'

Tracy and Anne-Marie met at work at Big W in Perth 12 years ago and have been firm friends ever since. Anne-Marie, 53, says “We just have the best time together. We’re always laughing and can laugh at anything. We’ve never had a bad experience together.” Anne-Marie and Tracy say they will draw on their experience as mums to help them through the race. Tracy, 46, explains: “I think we communicate well and being parents, you’ve had everything your kids can throw at you so you can just work through anything.” In fact their kids were foremost in their minds when they submitted their application. “Normally it’s all about our families. You leave yourself until the very last. You always get things for them instead. This is our time,” says Tracy. Tracy and husband Bruce are proud parents to two children, while Anne-Marie has three kids with husband Joe. “I think with our families and the people at work, I’m sure there’s a part of them that thinks we can’t do this. We want to prove them wrong,” says Anne-Marie. They may be the oldest team on the race, but Tracy and Anne-Marie are definitely young at heart. Tracy, 46, says: “We were really jealous when the American show came to Perth and we couldn’t be in it. We’ve watched every episode of the US show. At work we run a sweepstake and we’re just insane about the program.” These friends are adamant they will stay positive and won’t let nerves, stress or fear of a challenge get to them on the race either. They say their only fear will be wearing bathers on national television. Other than having fun, Tracy and Anne-Marie’s only other objective on the race is to survive the first elimination. “We don’t want to bow out first and then have to face whoever draws us out of the sweepstake at work,” says Anne-Marie. Adds Tracy: “I think when you compare us to some of the other teams it’s definitely a case of ‘The Tortoise and the Hare’. We’re tortoises. But guess what? The tortoise won the race!”