Bob Barron and Joyce Nicolo are a team of Internet Dating Couple on The Amazing Race 5.
Despite being the oldest team on their season, they managed to keep up with teams much younger than them throughout the first three legs. Unfortunately, during the fourth leg, they were mistakenly booked business class tickets to Russia, forcing them to take a later flight. This dropped them hours behind the leading teams and they were eliminated in 8th place.
Bob & Joyce are both widowers who lost their partners to cancer. Even though both lived in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, they met on an internet dating site and have been dating for over a year. Both claim that since they ran in different circles of friends, they never would have met one another if not for this website and have been loving life, and each other, ever since.
Bob has two adult children and Joyce has three, all of whom are very happy and supportive of their parents' relationship. Both say that they love new challenges, share a lot of the same moral, political and family values, have a very active lifestyle and are in good physical shape.
Bob & Joyce decided to do THE AMAZING RACE 5 "to show that a smart, physically fit and a very compatible couple of age 50+ widowers can win this contest and beat a bunch of younger Teams."[1]
When and where did you meet?
Bob: Joyce and I "met," if you can call it that, on October 28, 2002, when I responded to her profile (description) on an Internet dating service. We met at a restaurant a few days later, and we are still together.
Joyce: November 1, 2002. We had our first date after meeting each other via an Internet dating service. We met at a café in New Jersey.
If you could describe your relationship in one phrase or sentence, what would it be?
Bob: Two widows in love, committed to each other and having the time of our lives. Getting a second change at love and life.
Joyce: We truly have a wonderful life together. We were both widowed for a while and alone, and now we have a second chance to have a wonderful life.
Have you ever traveled together before? If so, what were the best and worst aspects of traveling together?
Bob: We spent a weekend in New York City, weeklong vacations with friends at the beach on the North Carolina outer banks and at Williamsburg, Virginia, and a long weekend in Lake Tahoe for a wedding. Every one of these trips was a fabulous time for both of us. We are totally compatible travel mates. We like to do many of the same active things, we love being outdoors, are always on the go, enjoy great food and good conversation, and each trip was a fun adventure. The worst aspect, and only bad aspect of these trips, was that we had to return to separate households when we returned.
Joyce: Bob had traveled before; he is low-maintenance never complains. We are compatible in all respects.
Why did you decide to team up for THE AMAZING RACE?
Bob: For the fun and adventure, of course. But the main reason is to try to let other folks who may be in the same situation we were before we met—widowed, lonely, wanting a better, fuller life—to let them know that they can make a new life for themselves, get out and try to meet someone as wonderful as we did and enjoy life again.
Joyce: Because we wanted to tell our amazing story. We love new challenges. We are physically fit and love to travel.
As you begin the Race, how do you think this experience will affect your relationship?
Bob: I expect no big surprises. Joyce is a smart, physically fit, take-charge, focused, no-nonsense but fun-loving woman. I think it will only strengthen our relationship.
Joyce: I know it will be positive. I know we will have a ball.
What strengths and weaknesses do you bring to the Team?
Bob: I am smart in an analytical way, and I am in great shape for someone my age. I don't get upset easily and can stay focused when all hell is breaking loose. My weakness is that I am naïve: I tend to believe everyone, and great shape at 61 years old is not too great. Also I am too analytical: I would spend too much time planning what to do next, rather than getting on with it.
Joyce: Bob is the analyzer; he is the planner. I put Bob's plans into effect. I add some spark to Bob; he is my rock. I will eventually do anything and enjoy it, and Bob loves to plan.
What strengths and weaknesses does your teammate bring to the Team?
Bob: Joyce is in great shape for her age and is very smart. She is a take-charge type who will let me do some planning, but who will then get us moving. She is extremely supportive and trusts my decisions without reservation. She is an extremely nice person whom people will want to help. Her weakness is a slight tendency to be overly concerned with mistakes already made, rather than forgetting them and worrying about the problems at hand.
Joyce: Bob and I make a dynamite combo. We are basically nice people. We have nice families. I am the sugar and spice, and my Bob is the meat and potatoes. What a winning Team![2]