David Conley, Jr. and Mary Conley are a team of Coalminer and Wife on The Amazing Race 10 and The Amazing Race: All-Stars.
David & Mary came into The Amazing Race 10 having rarely ventured outside their home state. Their lack of travel experience and physical abilities kept them at the back of the pack, but their kind-hearted natures won them over an array of allies, which they aptly called "The Back Pack". Though they came in last on Non-Elimination Legs twice and were thus Marked for Elimination, their allies Erwin & Godwin and Lyn & Karlyn worked with them to ensure that they would stay in the race, allowing them to claim a Fast Forward to nullify their penalty the first time. However, an Intersection on the eighth leg meant that teams were closely bunched together throughout the leg; despite David & Mary arriving at the Pit Stop before Lyn & Karlyn, their 30-minute penalty dropped them to last, eliminating them in 6th place.
Their popularity later earned them a spot on All-Stars, where they once again constantly languished at the bottom of the pack due to their lack of physical abilities, lack of travel experience, their tendency to bicker, and not having a solidified alliance with any of their competitors. Despite their struggles, they made it to the third leg where, in a leg full of mistakes from several of the teams, David & Mary's mistake of taking a wrong turn on the way to the Detour proved to be the most fatal, resulting in their elimination in 9th place.
Profile[]
Retrieved from CBS.com
David & Mary are a husband and wife Team from Stone, Kentucky. They met while working at a McDonald's 10 years ago and have been inseparable since. The proud parents of three children, David works as a coal miner and Mary is a stay-at-home mom. Their primary motivation for being on THE AMAZING RACE is to expand their horizons and see what the world holds outside of the "Bluegrass State." David served in the Army before becoming a coal miner, a job he loves. He describes himself as a risk taker, hard working and outgoing. David claims that his biggest accomplishment is being the first person in his family to get his boss papers. His biggest phobias are spiders and deep water. Mary believes that the greatest difference between her and her husband is that she is more cautious. Just last year, she took her very first vacation and was instantly bitten by the travel bug. Mary wants to compete on the Race to prove to her husband that she is strong and not a quitter. Since Mary can count the number of times she's been on an airplane on one hand, will this hard working couple be able to navigate their way through four continents and 13 countries without getting lost?[1]
Everybody's favorite coalminer and his wife are back for another trek around the world. David and Mary, the lovable, wide-eyed couple from Stone, Ky., finished sixth in the 10th installment. The Conley's met at the local McDonalds over 11 years ago and have been married for nearly 10 years. They are the proud parents of three children. After falling short of the $1 million prize, Mary was adamant that she and David would not sign up for another Race and leave their children again, but something tells her that they have what it takes to win the million dollars this time around. Both have limited traveling experience outside of the Race. David spent some time traveling while enlisted in the U.S. Army while Mary took her first plane ride after being cast on the show. A bona fide reality TV junkie, will Mary be able to restrain her excitement and stay focused while racing alongside some of her favorite racers from past seasons? Will they be able to find an alliance as strong as the Season 10 "6 pack" or will their desire to win the money for their children be enough to carry them across the finish line?[2] |
The Amazing Race 10[]
Race History[]
| David & Mary's Race History | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Episode | Leg | Destination(s) | Detour Choice (underlined) |
Roadblock Performer |
Placement | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | United States → China | Labor / Leisure | Mary | 10 of 12 | |
| 2 | 2 | China → Mongolia | Take It Down / Fill It Up | David | 7 of 10 | |
| 3 | 3 | Mongolia → Vietnam | Fuel / Fowl | David | 7 of 9 | |
| 4 | 4 | Vietnam | Over / Under | David | 5 of 8 | |
| 5 | 5 | Vietnam → India | Wild Things / Wild Rice | David | 7 of 7 | |
| 6 | 6 | India → Kuwait | Used Fast Forward | 1 of 7► | [1] | |
| 7 | 7 | Kuwait → Mauritius | Salt / Sea | Mary | 6 of 6 | [2] |
| 8 | 8 | Mauritius → Madagascar | Long Sleep / Short Letter | Mary | 6 of 6 | [3] |
| Average | 6.13 | |||||
Legend:
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Notes:
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The Amazing Race: All-Stars[]
Race History[]
| David & Mary's Race History | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Episode | Leg | Destination(s) | Detour Choice (underlined) |
Roadblock Performer |
Placement | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | United States → Ecuador | Wrangle It / Recover It | No Roadblock | 9 of 11 | |
| 2 | 2 | Ecuador → Chile | By Hand / By Machine | Mary | 9 of 10 | |
| 3 | 3 | Chile | Vertical Limit / River Wild | David | 9 of 9 | |
| Average | 9.00 | |||||
Legend:
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Post-Race[]
- After their first race, Rosie O'Donnell invited David & Mary onto The View calling them "so unbelievably kind and giving", she showered them with numerous gifts including a brand-new home that would be built to replace their trailer.[3]
- In 2011, the couple participated in Reality Rally, which raises funds for Michelle's Place Breast Cancer Resource Center.[4]
- David and Mary's had a daughter in September of 2009 named Savannah.
- David and Mary eventually separated.
- David moved to Twin Falls, Idaho and, as of February 15, 2019, was engaged to Jennifer Sprain.
- In 2018, David's first grandson Ryker was born. Again, in 2021, His oldest daughter Hannah then had her 2nd born son, where they once again celebrated the birth of his 2nd Grandson, Elliott. And in 2023, his daughter Hannah gave birth to her 3rd son and his 3rd grandson.[5]
Trivia[]
- David originally applied for Survivor before being asked to apply for The Amazing Race as casting was looking for a team of coalminers. David also attempted to compete with his father, who declined because of injuries in the past.[6]
- David & Mary are the first team to be Marked for Elimination.
- They are the first team to nullify this penalty by finishing first.
- In addition, they are the first team to be Marked for Elimination twice, the first team to receive the thirty-minute penalty for failing to finish first, and the first team to be eliminated via the thirty-minute penalty.
- David & Mary are the first team to be eliminated in Madagascar.
- David & Mary are the first team to be eliminated that was in the same position (9th) for three consecutive legs.
External links[]
Interviews[]
Season 10[]
- Harry Smith on The Early Show (11/06/2006): "Six Pack Alliance Loses Two"
- Eric Goldman at IGN (11/07/2006): "Amazing Race Exclusive Interview: David & Mary"
- Rochell D. Thomas at TV Guide Online (11/10/2006): "From Amazing Race to The View: Team Kentucky Recalls Their Wild Ride"
All-Stars[]
- Harry Smith on The Early Show (03/05/2007): "Conleys Eliminated From Race"
- Christopher Rocchio at Reality TV World (03/05/2007): "Interview: David and Mary Conley voice no 'All-Stars' regrets"
- Oscar Dahl at BuddyTV (03/05/2007): "Exclusive Interview: David and Mary, 3rd Team Elminated on The Amazing Race: All-Stars"
- Eric Goldman at IGN (03/06/2007): "Amazing Race: All-Stars Interview: David & Mary"
- Teeuwynn Woodruff on RealityNewsOnline (03/06/2007): "We Were Big Fans of Everyone!"
Social Media Profiles[]
David's Facebook: /100050050341131
- Mary's Facebook: /mary.a.conley.1
References[]
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20160913231725/http://www.cbs.com/shows/amazing_race/cast/23499/
- ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20080219093730/http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race11/bios/bio5.shtml
- ↑ http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/race-couple-dave-and-mary-conley-given-new-car-home-and-more-4407.php
- ↑ http://www.realityrally.com/index.php/home/ripples-of-reality/2-uncategorised/86-mary-a-david-conley-jr
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/100000060401184/posts/3113767728635210/
- ↑ http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/11/08/amazing-race-exclusive-interview-david-mary
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