Amy & Maya

Amy & Maya
Team Profile
Born:	(1985-02-10) February 10, 1985 (Maya)
Hometown:	Madison, Wisconsin
Relation:	Lab Mates and Friends
Occupation:	Ph.D. Students
Hashtag:	#SweetScientists
Legs Competed:	12
Legs Won:	1
Placement:	1st
Average Position:	4.50
RoadblockCount:	Amy: 5 Maya: 5
CountriesRaced:

Amy DeJong and Maya Warren are a team of Food Scientists and the Official Winners of The Amazing Race 25.

Amy & Maya were dismissed by their competitors early on as non-threats due to their profession and lack of physicality, particularly with Amy being hobbled throughout the Race due to an injury she suffered before the Race began. The food scientists also tended to get lost while searching for locations, often leaving them near the back of the pack. However, Amy & Maya made up for it with Amy's grit, Maya's unbridled enthusiasm, and using their intelligence to make up for their lack of physicality, allowing them to make it to the final four. Although Amy & Maya came in last and expected to be eliminated in a physical penultimate leg, an unprecedented twist allowed four teams to make it to the final leg, giving the scientists new life. They made the most of this opportunity in the final leg, leading for the first half before a small mistake saw them surrender their lead. Despite this, Amy was able to ace the mental final Roadblock, shocking the teams who immediately dismissed the scientists and earning them the win.

Profile

Retrieved from CBS.com

Amy

Age: 24
Hometown: Madison, Wisc.
Connection to your teammate: Lab Mate and friend
Current occupation: Ph.D. Student (Food Science) at The University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Describe what you do: I am a Ph.D. student in food science studying polyol (sugar-free sweetener) crystallization in confectionery products.
3 words to describe you: Logical, sarcastic and curious.
Favorite hobbies: Exploring new restaurants, food science, running and volleyball.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? I had an "experiment gone wrong" incident during one of my internships that surprisingly turned into something really interesting that the company wanted to pursue further. It was one of those moments that made me realize why I love science.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Leonard from "The Big Bang Theory" (obviously a female version and into food science, not physics).
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? Kerry Washington.
What scares you most about traveling? Getting lost. I don't always have the best sense of direction (don't tell Maya!).
What excites you most about traveling? Seeing the rest of the world. I really have not done much international travel and cannot wait to see what else is out there and try all of the delicious foods!
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together: We will have to rely on each other in ways that we haven't before. Our most important responsibilities (research) are independent from each other; this will not be the case on the Race!
Pet peeve about your teammate: She can be SO picky. She yells at me when I drink coffee or open the refrigerator in our office. She says that the smells bother her which is ridiculous. It's like living with a crazy person.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? The Galapagos Islands. There are so many unique landforms, animals and plants. Plus, it is a tropical place with gorgeous beaches and a rich scientific history.
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? I want to prove to myself and the world that scientists are more than beakers and lab coats. I also hope to grow our relationship outside of lab, most of what we do centers around food science and our research.

Maya

Age: 29
Hometown: Madison, Wisc.
Connection to your teammate: Lab Mate and friend
Current occupation: Ph.D. Student (Food Science) at The University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Describe what you do: I research the microstructure, behavioral and sensorial properties of ice cream and other frozen-aerated treats.
3 words to describe you: Highly motivated, spiritual and energetic.
Favorite hobbies: Traveling, exploring new cultures, meeting new people, anything involving ice cream and working out/running!
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Discovering my passion in life (anything involving ice cream) and being able to do what I love and love what I do every day. It's a beautiful thing.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Kerry Washington (Olivia Pope) gets down to business and commands a room with ease. Great sense of style, knows how to have fun, intuitive, graceful and self-confident.
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? Mayim Bialik, both on and off of "The Big Bang Theory." Number one, Mayim (yes, we are on a first name basis) and Amy resemble each other and have many similar mannerisms and personality traits. Both are smart, goofy, curious, intelligent, driven and knowledgeable of random things.
What scares you most about traveling? Having to get one too many shots. I believe pain is weakness leaving the body but shots just don't do it for me!
What excites you most about traveling? Being introduced to new cultures, people, experiences and opportunities beyond what I can imagine. I also enjoy learning, growing, building memories and trying new ice creams/frozen desserts!
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together: The biggest challenge we will face on the Race will most likely be over-thinking situations and challenges. As scientists we have learned to be very analytical.
Pet peeve about your teammate: Amy talks a lot. So do I, but sometimes she talks at times when we need to focus on the task at hand and/or about something totally unrelated, getting us off task.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? Pretty much any place I have not been! I love to travel and will visit anyplace if given the opportunity to do so!
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? I hope to grow our bond outside of the lab. I also hope to show the world that scientists are more than just lab coats, beakers and goggles. Lastly, I hope to inspire others to pursue something they have always wanted to do… that is what the Race is for me!

The Amazing Race 25

Race History

Amy & Maya's Race History
Episode	Leg	Destination(s)	Detour Choice (underlined)	Roadblock Performer	Placement	Notes
1	1	United States → U.S. Virgin Islands	No Detour	Amy	6 of 11
2	2	U.S. Virgin Islands → United Kingdom	About Face / Pancake Race	No Roadblock	8 of 10
3	3	United Kingdom	Pony Up / Light My Fire	No Roadblock	5 of 9
4	4	United Kingdom → Denmark → Sweden → Denmark	Parking Space / Wedding Cake	Maya	4 of 8
5	5	Denmark → Morocco	Twirl Time / Tea Time	Amy	7 of 8
6	6	Morocco	Camp / Cream	Maya	6 of 7
7	7	Morocco → Italy	Painters / Posers	Maya	3 of 6
8	8	Italy → Malta	Flag / Shine	Amy	4 of 6
9	9	Malta → Singapore	China Cups / Chilli Crabs	Maya	4 of 5⊂	[1]
10	10	Singapore → Philippines	Catch / Coach	No Roadblock	2 of 4
11	11	Philippines	This / That	Amy	4 of 4
12	12	Philippines → United States	No Detour	Maya	1 of 4	[2][3]
				Amy
				Average	4.50
Legend:      The team finished in first place      The team finished in last place and was eliminated from the race      The team finished in last place in a non-elimination leg or continue racing in a no-rest leg      The team finished in last and was initially to be eliminated, but were saved by the Salvage Pass, Resurrection Card, or The Save      The team that won The Amazing Race      The team that crossed the Finish Line second      The team that crossed the Finish Line third ► The team used the Fast Forward pass ϵ The team used the Express Pass somewhere during the leg ⊂ The team used the U-Turn ⊃ Recipient of the U-Turn ⋐ The team that used the second slot of the "Double U-Turn" ⋑ Recipient of a second U-Turn due to the "Double U-Turn" twist
Notes: 1: Amy & Maya used their U-Turn power on Adam & Bethany. However, Adam & Bethany had already checked-in after winning the Fast Forward, thus having no effect. 2: Leg 11 had no mandatory rest period between legs, and all teams were ordered to continue racing. Amy & Maya did not have to face a Speed Bump during Leg 12, despite coming in last during Leg 11. 3: The final leg featured two Roadblocks and no Detour. The team member who sat out the first Roadblock was required to perform the second one.

Trivia

Franchise Records

• Amy & Maya are the first team to finish fourth on the penultimate leg and be allowed to compete on the final leg.
• Only team the go from fourth to first in the final leg.
• Lowest racing average of an all-female team who won the race, 4.50.

U.S. Records

• First team to finish last on a non-elimination No-Rest Leg and go on to win the Race.
• Youngest all-female team to win the Race, with an average age of 26.5 while racing.
• They are the most recent all-female team to win the Race.

External links

Interviews

• Christy Gutowski at Chicago Tribune (12/18/2014): "Amazing Race finale features Barrington woman"
• Gordon Holmes at More What Not (12/22/2014): "(Jim) Didn't Think We Were Worth Much"
• Joyce Eng at TV Guide Online (12/22/2010): "We're a Great Underdog Story"
• Jodi Walker at EW (12/22/2014): "How the Scientists became TAR top dogs"
• Rob Cesternino at RHAP (12/22/2014): "Amazing Race 25 | Finale Exit Interviews"
• Elizabeth Kwiatkowski at Reality TV World (12/22/2014): "Exclusive: The Amazing Race winners Amy DeJong and Maya Warren talk Season 25" [Parts 1 and 2]
• Rob Thomas at The Capital Times (12/23/2014): "UW grad students Amy DeJong and Maya Warren talk about their Amazing million-dollar win"
• James Wellington & Justin Nichols on AfterBuzz TV (04/27/2015): "The Amazing Race After Show w/ Amy DeJong & Maya Warren, Season 25 Episode 12"
• Daniel Fienberg at HitFix.com (12/25/2014): "They seemed like underdogs to us, but why were they so confident?"
• Sheri Block at CTV.ca (01/06/2015): "Underdogs Maya and Amy say they always believed they could win"
• Amelia Chen at ScienceMeetsFood.org (02/11/2015): "The Amazing…Interview"
• Rob Cesternino & Jessica Liese at RHAP (04/20/2015): "Amazing Race 2015: Amy & Maya on Season 26"
• Sylvia Woods at Delux Magainze (06/06/2016): "Maya Warren – Amazing Race Winner"

Social Media Profiles

• Amy's Facebook: amy.dejong.9

• Maya's Facebook: maya.m.warren

• Amy & Maya's Facebook: sweetscientists

• Amy's X profile: AmyEDeJong

• Maya's X profile: MayaWarren

• Amy's Instagram: amydee13

• Maya's Instagram: maya.warren