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Colin Guinn and Christie Lee Woods are a Dating team on The Amazing Race 5 and a team of Life Partners and the Official Winners of The Amazing Race 31.

In The Amazing Race 5, Colin lived up to his self-description of being "possibly the most intense person that's ever run this race", becoming infamous both for dominating most of the race with his shrewd understanding of the game and his merciless gameplay, as well as his short temper, leading to a heated feud with Charla & Mirna, his near arrest in Tanzania, and his infamous outburst during a Detour in the Philippines. Despite being a dysfunctional team that bickered on many legs, they set a new record for most legs won in a season, with six. After their initial flight to Dallas in the final leg was delayed, they attempted to get on the same flight as Chip & Kim, but were not allowed by the airline as they had already checked their bags on their initial flight, thus relegating them to the later flight with Brandon & Nicole. Despite this delay, they hired a fast driver in Dallas that drove on the shoulder road to drive around traffic, which gave them a chance of catching up, though an offscreen flat tire on the way to the final task caused them to be held up on the side of the road for over 20 minutes, which ultimately cost them the win, as they finished in 2nd place by just 15 minutes.

They returned 15 years later in The Amazing Race 31 with a notably calmer, more "zen" demeanor, which they credited to practicing meditation since their last appearance. However, they proved that their more "zen" approach did not mean that they had lost their competitive edge, regularly placing near the top of the pack. Their success led their competitors to target them for being the most threatening team in the race, though they managed to overcome setbacks and a U-Turn Vote to make it to the final three. Though the stresses of the race nearly brought out their old, more intense selves in the last two legs, they were able to rein it in, while trading the lead with Tyler & Korey at several points in the final leg. Despite the YouTubers being hot on their tails, Colin & Christie were able to pull out a lead and hold on to it, finally winning The Amazing Race.

Profile[]

Retrieved from cbs.com

Bio[]

Colin & Christie met in a class at the University of Texas in Austin and have been dating for over a year. Both now live in Corpus Christi, Texas. When Colin saw Christie give a presentation in their communications class, he knew that she was the one for him. It took eight months of being friends before he finally got her to go out on a date with him. Colin claims that he will ask Christie to marry him if they can get through the Race together.

Christie is the 1996 Miss Teen USA winner, the first and only one from Texas. However, she considers her biggest accomplishment in life to be working to pay her entire way through college and graduating with honors. She describes herself and her teammate as "very competitive, extremely aggressive with strong personalities." Although Christie says that she is always late, she is also a perfectionist who hates losing.

Colin is the owner of a cell phone store. Among the accomplishments he is most proud of is getting Christie to fall in love with him, which he claims is better than being the top first-year dealer for a book publishing company in the United States. He also agrees that he and Christie are both very aggressive and "very outspoken and in-your-face." However, he is a very open person who will talk to anyone, while Christie is extremely private.

Colin & Christie are excited about competing in THE AMAZING RACE 5 because they will be able to travel the world and participate in this kind of competition. Christie adds, "Another reason for doing this Race is that it is a test to see if we are marriage potential. I know we can win, and if we do, we're getting married right after the show."[1]

Before the Race[]

When and where did you meet?
Christie: We met at the University of Texas at Austin in Communications Theory class. It was the spring of 2002. Colin had long hair down to his shoulders in those days, and came to class everyday with his carve board, laptop and something to say every single day! He started overtly flirting with me, but more in an "it's never going to happen" kind of way. Eventually my best friend and I decided to ask him for notes, since he used his computer. Of course, he said yes, but not without setting up a study group and getting my phone number. After that we became friends, until one day about nine months later I woke up and realized I was completely in love with him!
If you could describe your relationship in one phrase or sentence, what would it be?
Christie: We were made for each other!
Have you ever traveled together before? If so, what were the best and worst aspects of traveling together?
Christie: The best part of traveling together is just that: We get to be together all the time. I think we start to go through withdrawal if we spent too much time apart. The worst is our need to be in control. We each want to do it our own way, and usually feel it's the best way to go. When traveling, this way of thinking can lead to a lot of conflict.
Why did you decide to team up for THE AMAZING RACE?
Christie: We are both super competitive, love to travel, and look forward to new and interesting challenges. There is no doubt that for this type of challenge, together our Team has everything it takes to win.
As you begin the Race, how do you think this experience will affect your relationship?
Christie: We are hoping it will bring us closer together and help us learn new things not only about ourselves, but about each other as well.
What strengths and weaknesses do you and your partner bring to the Team?

Christie: Our strengths: We are competitive, athletic, clever, good at getting the best flights and great at getting what we want out of ourselves and, more importantly, out of other people. Our weaknesses: We both think we are always right, both of us like to lead, and in a way, this creates a certain amount of competition with each other. Obviously, this could seriously slow us down if it becomes a problem on the Race.[2]

Previous season: The Amazing Race 5

Colin Guinn[]

Age: 38
Instagram: @colinguinn
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Current occupation: Tech Entrepreneur
Describe what you do: We help companies develop/bring new technologies and innovations to market… primarily in drones, autonomous robotics, and emerging technologies.
Three words to describe you: Loving, energetic, and capable.
Favorite hobbies: Surfing, standup paddling, mountain biking, hiking, auto racing, dancing, sailing, camping, yoga, snowboarding, building, and flying drones.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Co-creating a beautiful life with Christie, our two beautiful boys, Achilles and Cruz, a successful career doing what I love with people that I love, and a daily practice that allows me to maintain high vibrations.
What scares you most about traveling? Sitting in the middle seat in coach.
What excites you most about traveling? Getting to experience other cultures and people around the world and witnessing their way of life first hand… seeing how different their culture can be, while at the same time recognizing how similar we all are at the core.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? Antarctica, because of the wildlife.
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race with your partner (other than winning one million bucks)? Watching myself run The Amazing Race 15 years ago gave me the opportunity to look in on myself from the outside and see just how unconscious and full of ego my behavior was. Since then, I have done many years of work to broaden my perspective and come from a more loving and collaborative mindset. I hope to enter this engineered reality that is designed to bring on extreme stress and reduce resilience and apply the principles and practices that have transformed my daily life to see if they can help me have a much more harmonious experience while still being every bit as competitive as we were the first time around.
Who do you think will be your biggest competition: Racers, Houseguests, or Castaways? Racers, without a doubt. The Amazing Race is very different than the other shows in that the competitors are out in the real world having to navigate countries with different cultures and language, dealing with uncontrollable flight delays, lack of sleep, jet lag, etc. I think the people who have experienced that before, and proved to be successful in that environment, will be our biggest competition.

Christie Woods[]

Age: 40
Instagram: @christiewoods1
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Current occupation: Integrated Sex, Love, and Relationship Coach
Describe what you do: I use my intuitive abilities and energetic healing tools to help clients process past trauma stuck in the body often keeping them in a constant loop of mediocre relationships and life experiences. I combine traditional "top down" talk therapy with a more somatic "bottom up" approach utilizing various types of breath-work, sound healing, meditation, and Reiki in order to encourage my clients to go deep within the self to uncover and/or simply release thought patterns no longer serving their best and highest good. I invite them to reclaim their sovereignty by reconnecting with their own internal emotional guidance system; thus, becoming a more expressed human, free of cultural and familial programming, inspired to live their own authentic truth.
Three words to describe you: Adventurous, curious, and fun.
Favorite hobbies: Hiking, yoga, travel, reading, camping, wake-surfing, snowboarding, paddle boarding, slack-lining, dancing, and playing hide-and-go-seek with my kids.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Raising my boys and up-leveling my relationship with Colin.
What scares you most about traveling? Losing my passport.
What excites you most about traveling? Seeing the world, and experiencing new people and different cultures.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? Africa—the motherland! I enjoyed our visit on Season 5 very much, and would LOVE to go back!
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race with your partner (other than winning one million bucks)? Even more intimacy, connection, fun, and… expansion!!

Who do you think will be your biggest competition: Racers, Houseguests, or Castaways? Racers for sure!![3]

The Amazing Race 5[]

Race History[]

Colin & Christie's Race History
Episode Leg Destination(s) Detour Choice
(underlined)
Roadblock
Performer
Placement Notes
1 1 United States → Uruguay Zips / Chips No Roadblock 7 of 11
2 2 Uruguay → Argentina Perro / Tango Colin 6 of 10
3 3 Argentina Smooth Sailing / Rough Riding Colin 1 of 9
4 4 Argentina → Russia Block 5 Shots / Drink 1 Shot Christie 2 of 8
5 5 Russia → Egypt Used Fast Forward 1 of 7
6 6 Egypt Herd It / Haul It Colin 1 of 7
7 7 Egypt → Kenya → Tanzania Buzzing / Busy Colin 2 of 6
8 8 Tanzania → United Arab Emirates Off Place / Off Road Colin 1 of 5 [1]
9 9 United Arab Emirates → India Heavy but Short / Light but Long Colin 1 of 5
10 10 India → New Zealand Clean / Dirty Colin 1 of 5
11 11 New Zealand → Philippines Plow / Fowl Colin 4 of 4<
12 12 Philippines Unknown Colin 3 of 4 [2]
13 Philippines → Canada → United States Slide / Ride Colin 2 of 3 [3]
Average 2.46
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
     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
> The team used the Yield
< Recipient of the Yield

Notes:
1: Leg 8 had an unaired Roadblock that involved buying and delivering nuts. In a post-race interview, fellow team Linda & Karen stated that the men in the co-ed teams completed all the Roadblocks following the Roadblock in Leg 4.[4]
2: Leg 12 had a Detour, however, all teams were shown performing the same task, and it was aired as a miscellaneous task.
3: Leg 13 had an unaired Roadblock that involved pitching a teepee. Colin has been confirmed to have completed the task.[5]


The Amazing Race 31[]

Race History[]

Colin & Christie's Race History
Episode Leg Destination(s) Detour Choice
(underlined)
Roadblock
Performer
Placement Notes
1 1 United States → Japan No Detour Christie 2 of 11 [4]
Colin
2 2 Japan → Laos ABC / BBQ Christie 4 of 10
3 3 Laos → Vietnam Reel It In / Light It Up Colin 3 of 9
4 4 Vietnam Irritation / Irrigation Colin 1 of 9
5 5 Vietnam → United Arab Emirates Fall / Find Christie 3 of 8
6 6 United Arab Emirates → Uganda Salty Roll / Move the Pole Colin 2 of 8
7 7 Uganda → Switzerland Water Power / Water Down Christie 2 of 7
8 8 Switzerland Haymaking / Cow Dressing Colin 3 of 7
9 9 Switzerland → Croatia Poetry in Motion / Washed in from the Ocean Christie 4 of 6
10 10 Croatia → Netherlands High / Dry No Roadblock 1 of 5
11 11 Netherlands → United Kingdom Know / Row Christie 3 of 4
12 United Kingdom → United States No Detour Colin 1 of 3
Average 2.42
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
     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 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
The team that lost the Double Battle

Notes:
4: Leg 1 had two Roadblocks and no Detour. The team member who sat out the first Roadblock was required to perform the second one.

Post-Race[]

  • After the airing of The Amazing Race 5, Colin proposed to Christie on The Early Show;[6] She accepted. They currently have two sons.
  • In post-race interviews following The Amazing Race 5, Colin & Christie revealed that they were disappointed that their edit was skewed.[7]
  • They were invited to participate in The Amazing Race: All-Stars but had to decline due to Christie's pregnancy with their first child.[8]
  • Colin is now a Senior Vice President at 3D Robotics involving drones.
  • Colin & Christie attended the wedding of Alex Boylan in July 2019.[9]

Trivia[]

Franchise Records[]

  • Colin & Christie are the first team to win three consecutive legs.
  • First team to win six legs in a single season.
  • First team to win a leg before any other team arrived in the destination country.
  • First team to be Yielded.
  • First team to finish last on the eleventh leg of the race and not be eliminated.
  • With a span of 26 seasons and 15 years, Colin & Christie hold the record for longest period between appearances on the race.
  • Most legs traveled by a co-ed team in a career, with 25 legs ran over their two seasons.
  • Tied with Tyler & Korey for most legs won by a team in a career, with 9 each.
  • Tied with Hương Giang & Criss for highest average final placement, with 1.5.

US Records[]

  • One of the first two teams to be U-Turned by vote, alongside Rachel & Elissa.
  • First team to be both Yielded and U-Turned in a career.
    • First team who could have been both Yielded and U-Turned, as they were the first team to race with both the Yield and the U-Turn in play.
    • Only team to survive both a Yield and a U-Turn.
  • First co-ed team to win the race against two all-male teams competing in the final leg.
  • Third team to win the race after surviving a U-Turn, following Dave & Connor and Cody & Jessica.

External links[]

Interviews[]

Season 5[]

Season 31[]

  • Meagan Falcon at Corpus Christi Caller Times (04/25/2019): "Former Corpus Christi natives Colin Guinn and Christie Woods return to The Amazing Race"
  • Allison Miller at CBS Austin (05/22/2019): "Inside look at Amazing Race with competing Austin couple"
  • Dalton Ross at EW (06/19/2019): "Inside the most radical reality show transformation ever: The redemption of Colin and Christie"
  • Mike Bloom at Parade.com (06/27/2019): "Colin Guinn and Christie Woods Change Their Tune and Drum Up a Win "
  • Joyce Eng at GoldDerby (06/27/2019): "Colin and Christie on their 'surreal' win and their surprising 15-year transformation"
  • Rob Cesternino at RHAP (06/28/2019): "Amazing Race 31 Finale Exit Interviews"
  • Meagan Falcon at Corpus Christi Caller Times (06/28/2019): "These Former Corpus Christi natives just won a $1 million in The Amazing Race"
  • Elizabeth Kwiatkowski at Reality TV World (07/03/2019): "Colin Guinn and Christie Woods talk that final frustrating task and a 'fabricated'storyline" [Parts 1 & 2]

Social Media Profiles[]


References[]

The Amazing Race 5 Teams
S5 AlisonDonny
 Bob & Joyce
Internet Dating Couple
S5 BobJoyce
 Brandon & Nicole
Dating Models
S5 BrandonNicole
S5 CharlaMirna
 Chip & Kim
Married Parents
S5 ChipKim
 Colin & Christie
Dating
S5 ColinChristie
 Dennis & Erika
Once Engaged
S5 DennisErika
 Jim & Marsha
Military Dad and Daughter
S5 JimMarsha
S5 KamiKarli
 Linda & Karen
Bowling Moms
S5 LindaKaren
S5 MarshallLance
The Amazing Race 31 Teams
 Art & JJ
Best Friends
S31 ArtJJ
 Becca & Floyd
Friends
S31 BeccaFloyd
 Chris & Bret
Friends
S31 ChrisBret
 Colin & Christie
Life Partners
S31 ColinChristie
S31 CorinneEliza
 Leo & Jamal
Cousins
S31 LeoJamal
S31 NicoleVictor
S31 RachelElissa
S31 RupertLaura
 Tyler & Korey
Best Friends
S31 TylerKorey
The Amazing Race Winners
United States
(flagship)
 Rob & Brennan
Lawyers/
Best Friends
S1 RobBrennan
 Chris & Alex
Lifelong Friends
S2 ChrisAlex
 Flo & Zach
Friends
S3 FloZach
S4 ReichenChip
 Chip & Kim
Married Parents
S5 ChipKim
 Freddy & Kendra
Engaged Models
S6 FreddyKendra
S7 UchennaJoyce
 Linz Family
Siblings
S8 LinzFamily
 BJ & Tyler
Best Friends
S9 BJTyler
S10 TylerJames
S11 EricDanielle
 TK & Rachel
Newly Dating
S12 TKRachel
 Nick & Starr
Brother/Sister
S13 NickStarr
 Tammy & Victor
Siblings/Lawyers
S14 TammyVictor
S15 MeghanCheyne
 Dan & Jordan
Brothers
S16 DanJordan
 Nat & Kat
Doctors
S17 NatKat
 Kisha & Jen
Sisters
S18 KishaJen
 Ernie & Cindy
Engaged
S19 ErnieCindy
 Rachel & Dave
Army Wife & Combat Pilot
S20 RachelDave
 Josh & Brent
Goat Farmers
S21 JoshBrent
 Bates & Anthony
Hockey Brothers
S22 BatesAnthony
 Jason & Amy
Dating
S23 JasonAmy
 Dave & Connor
Father/Son
S24 DaveConnor
 Amy & Maya
Food Scientists
S25 AmyMaya
 Laura & Tyler
Blind Dating
S26 LauraTyler
 Kelsey & Joey
Dating News Anchors
S27 KelseyJoey
 Dana & Matt
Engaged
S28 DanaMatt
 Brooke & Scott
#TeamBrooke andScott
S29 BrookeScott
S30 CodyJessica
 Colin & Christie
Life Partners
S31 ColinChristie
 Will & James
Dating
S32 WillJames
 Kim & Penn
Internet Personalities
S33 KimPenn
 Derek & Claire
Reality Romance
S34 DerekClaire
 Greg & John
Brothers/Computer Scientists
S35 GregJohn
 Ricky & Cesar
Boyfriends
S36 RickyCesar
Asia
 Joe Jer & Zabrina
Co-Workers
ASS1 JoeJerZabrina
 Adrian & Collin
Gym Buddies
ASS2 AdrianCollin
 Vince & Sam
Best Buddies
ASS3 VinceSam
 Parul & Maggie
Beauty Queens
ASS5 ParulMaggie
Australia
AUS1 TylerNathan
 Daniel & Ryan
Intensive Care Nurses
AUS3 DanielRyan
 Tim & Rod
Newlyweds
AUS4 TimRod
 Heath & Toni
Memory Makers
AUS6 HeathToni
 Alli & Angie
Mother/Daughter
AUS7 AlliAngie
 Darren & Tristan
Uncle/Nephew
AUS7 DarrenTristan
 Emma & Hayley
Sisters
AUS7 EmmaHayley
 Bam Bam & Logan
Brothers
AUS8 BamBamLogan
Brazil
BRS1 PatríciaSane
Canada
 Tim & Tim
Father & Son
CAS1 TimTim
 Mickey & Pete
Best Friends
CAS2 MickeyPete
 Gino & Jesse
Brothers
CAS3 GinoJesse
CAS4 StephKristen
 Sam & Paul
Dating Couple
CAS5 SamPaul
 Courtney & Adam
Engaged First Responders
CAS6 CourtneyAdam
CAS7 AnthonyJames
 Catherine & Craig
Best Friends
CAS8 CatherineCraig
 Ty & Kat
Dating
CAS9 TyKat
 Taylor & Katie
Best Friends
CAS10 TaylorKatie
China
CNS1 ZhongHanliangJackie
 Geng & Xin
Friends
CNS2 HanGengWuXin
CNS4 JiaJingwenXiuJiekai
China Rush
 Charlie & Rachel
Flirtatious Friends
CRS1 CharlieRachel
 Lily & Jan
Dating Couple
CRS2 LilyJan
Finland
 Kaisa & Mari
Friends
FNS1 KaisaMari
France
 Anthony & Sonja
Cyber Friends
FRS1 AnthonySonja
Israel
 Shay & Guy
Business Partners
ILS1 ShayGuy
 Bar & Inna
Painter & Saleswoman
ILS2 BarInna
 Talia & Koby
Newlyweds
ILS3 TaliaKoby
 Shay & Shani
Friends
ILS4 ShayShani
 Amit & Raz
Father/Son
ILS5 AmitRaz
ILS6 EvelinTohar
 Tia & Fay
Models
ILS7 TiaFay
 Yael & Yosiel
Cousins
ILS8 YaelYosiel
 Lee & Anne
Sisters
ILS9 LeeAnne
Latin America
LAS1 TamaraMatías
LAS2 CarlosMauricio
LAS4 DanielCésar
 Giovanni & Juan Carlos
Brothers-in-Law
LAS6 GiovanniJuanCarlos
Norway
 Morten & Truls
Brothers
NOS1 MortenTruls
 Omar & Bilal
Brothers
NOS2 OmarBilal
The Philippines
 LJ & CJ
Celebrity Best Friends
PHS1 LJCJ
 Matt & Phoebe
Dating Couple
PHS2 MattPhoebe
Ukraine
 Valeria & Bohdana
Beauty Queens
UAS1 ValeriaBohdana
Vietnam
 Hương Giang & Criss
Singer/Athlete
VNS3 HươngGiangCriss
 Ngọc Anh & Nhật Anh
Diving Coaches
VNS4 NgọcAnhNhậtAnh
 Lincoln & Tiến Đạt
Hotel Manager/Rapper
VNS5 LincolnTiếnĐạt
LeHangHHenNie
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