Flo & Zach

Flo & Zach
Team Profile
Born:	(1979-01-17) January 17, 1979 (Flo) (1979-06-29) June 29, 1979 (Zach)
Hometown:	New York City, New York
Relation:	Friends
Occupation:	Public relations associate(Flo) Productions assistant (Zach)
Legs Competed:	13
Legs Won:	2
Placement:	1st
Average Position:	2.54
RoadblockCount:	Flo: 1 Zach: 10
CountriesRaced:

Florinka "Flo" Pesenti and Zachary Golden "Zach" Behr are a team of Friends and the Official Winners of The Amazing Race 3.

Flo & Zach emerged as contenders early on, consistently placing near the top half of the pack due to their youth, language abilities, smart racing, and strong social bonds with "Twin Hunt" allies Aaron & Arianne, Heather & Eve, and Michael & Kathy. When their allies were eliminated by the halfway mark, Flo & Zach were able to pivot and align themselves with former targets Derek & Drew, which saw a budding relationship between Flo and Drew form. However, Flo & Zach are perhaps most remembered for Flo gradually breaking down from the stresses of the Race, resorting to taking out her frustrations by yelling at Zach and threatening to quit. Despite this, Zach's patience with his partner and never-give-up attitude carried them even through their lowest points, particularly whenever Flo was despondent and melting down. Their persistence earned them a spot in the final three, and with a rejuvenated Flo now mentally back in the game, the two friends were able to race neck and neck with Ken & Gerard and Teri & Ian for the win throughout the final leg. Ultimately, the Race came down to Flo & Zach being able to flag a taxi to the final task first, giving them a narrow lead that they were able to hold on to, becoming the first co-ed team to win the Race.

Profile

Retrieved from CBS.com

“With any good friends where there is a guy and a girl, there's a chance of something happening. We've never really crossed into that territory.”

Bio Q & A New Yorkers Flo, 23, a public relations associate, and Zach, 23, a production assistant, have been good friends ever since they met five years ago in a cafeteria at Vassar College. While wearing a funny hat and a camouflage suit, Zach instantly caught Flo's eye. Although Flo and Zach have shared a mutual attraction for each other over the years, they've never pursued a romantic relationship. One of their most memorable times together was when they were both bartending in college. Says Flo, "We would go crazy making drinks for the whole bar, trying to be Tom Cruise in Cocktail. It was so fun to be silly with someone while working." Ironically, one of the worst experiences they've ever had took place while they were working together. When a young girl became extremely ill from drinking too much, Flo and Zach had to rush her to the hospital. "We had to deal with the EMS and it was a really scary situation," says Zach, who adds, "It was reassuring to go through it with Flo." Although Flo and Zach are seasoned travelers, the couple has only shared one 24-hour trip together. This Team is convinced, however, that they have what it takes to come out on top. According to Zach, "I am the logistics man. I'm good with directions, roughing it and keeping a cool head. Flo is very good at keeping things fun. She's also great at getting people to do things they might not otherwise do." Flo and Zach are looking forward to seeing some great places during the Race, and hope the experience will bring them even closer together. Flo's birth date is January 17. Zach's birth date is June 29. How would you describe your previous travel experience? Flo: Pretty extensive. Zach: I have traveled extensively in Europe (east and west), and have been to many other countries in South America. I've never been to Asia. What is the most stressful aspect of traveling? Flo: Missing flights and getting stuck in traffic. Zach: After a while, I find it stressful to be on the move. But in general, I find travel to be very relaxing. What is the most important item in your backpack, and why? Flo: My sunscreen—and my Tylenol—migraines and a sunburn would surely slow me down. Zach: Probably my two pairs of super high-tech underwear. They dry in seconds and make you run faster—very funny stuff. Why did you want to be on THE AMAZING RACE? Flo: To see great places and to win some money. Zach: I wanted to be on THE AMAZING RACE to have the adventure of a lifetime and win a million bucks in the process. Have you and your partner traveled together before? If so, what was it like? Flo: We've never traveled together before, except one 24-hour drive to Boston. Zach: Not really. One time we took a marathon, one-day trip from New York to Boston. It was rugged, but good training, I hope. What do you fear most about competing in THE AMAZING RACE? Flo: No fears. Zach: My biggest fear of competing in THE AMAZING RACE 3 is probably getting lost in a jungle or desert. Either that, or losing in the first leg of the Race. But that won't happen. What strengths and weaknesses do you bring to the Team? Flo: I am a great traveler. I get along well with others. I am also very competitive. The only weakness is that I love to go to sleep early, and often fall asleep in random places. I've also never really roughed it. Zach: I am the logistics man. I am good with directions, orienteering, roughing it and keeping a cool head. One of my weaknesses is that I am not as competitive as Flo. What strengths and weaknesses does your teammate bring to the Team? Flo: Zach is brilliant. He is really prepared and has great endurance. Also, he is not afraid to wear one pair of underwear the whole trip. His weakness: not competitive enough. Zach: Flo is very good at keeping things fun. She is also great at getting people to do things they might not otherwise do. But, she can't really drive stick and doesn't have much experience roughing it. What will you miss the most from home (besides your bed)? Flo: My family. Zach: I'll miss my friends at home, the wolfpack, and my family. What languages do you speak? Flo: Italian, French, Spanish. Zach: Spanish, English, Czech. What destination are you hoping to visit? Flo: China. Zach: Rangoon and Ulan Bator, Mongolia. What country do you feel best prepared for? Flo: Italy, and any Spanish speaking country! Zach: Chile and Bolivia.

The Amazing Race 3

Race History

Flo & Zach's Race History
Episode	Leg	Destination(s)	Detour Choice (underlined)	Roadblock Performer	Placement	Notes
1	1	United States → Mexico	Wings / Wheels	No Roadblock	2 of 12
2	2	Mexico	Man Power / Horse Power	Zach	5 of 11
3	3	Mexico → United Kingdom	Punt / Bike	Zach	3 of 10
4	4	United Kingdom → Portugal	Old School / New School	Zach	2 of 9
5	5	Portugal → Spain → Morocco	Ropes / Slopes	Zach	4 of 8
6	6	Morocco	Now You See It / Now You Don't	Flo	2 of 7
7	7	Morocco → Germany → Austria → Germany	Used Fast Forward		1 of 6►
8	8	Germany → Switzerland	Count the Money / Run the Numbers	Zach	2 of 5
9	9	Switzerland	Extreme Swiss / Very Swiss	Zach	5 of 5
	10	Switzerland → Malaysia → Singapore	Dry / Wet	Zach	3 of 5
10	11	Singapore → Vietnam	Easy Buy / Hard Sell	Zach	2 of 4
11	12	Vietnam	Basket Boats / Basket Bikes	Zach	3 of 3	[1]
	13	Vietnam → United States	Quick Drop / Slow Walk	Zach	1 of 3
				Average	2.69
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 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
Notes: 1: Flo & Zach arrived at the Pit Stop in 3rd place, but received outside assistance during the Basket Boats Detour, which was explicitly prohibited in the clue. Because they were in last place and it was a non-elimination leg, the 1-hour penalty would be applied to their starting time for the next Leg.

Post-Race

• Flo dated fellow racer Drew Riker after the Race but the two broke up after seven years, in 2009.
  • They were asked to participate in The Amazing Race: All-Stars (2007) as a new team but Flo reportedly declined because she felt that the Race had brought the worst out of her and Zach was not invited to join her.
• In August 2004, Zach published a piece in The New York Times describing his experience on the Race.
• From Seasons 10 to 18, Zach co-hosted an Amazing Race segment with Shawn Pooley on Canadian Radio NL 610 and CKRV 97.5.
• Zach got married to Elyse Steinberg on October 11, 2008. They now have a child together.
• Flo became ABC News Chief Legal Affairs Anchor Dan Abrams' life partner, and together they have a young son, Everett.
• Zach is currently Vice President of Programming at the History Channel.

Trivia

Franchise Records

• First team to switch Detours twice in a single leg (Leg 12).
• First winners who were the youngest team of the season.
• First co-ed team to win the Race
  • Flo became the first woman to win the Race.
• Due to them taking the Fast Forward in Leg 7, they never traveled to Austria. This makes them the only team to win the Race without going to all the countries in the season's route.
• First winning team to have the highest racing average of the season.
• Flo became the first person to cross the Finish Line having completed only one Roadblock.
• Flo is the most quoted woman for episode titles in a season: 5 episodes.
• Flo & Zach along with Aaron & Arianne are the first non-romantic co-ed teams who are not siblings.
• Flo was the first former contestant to be referenced in a future season.
  • During the Rescue Detour in the Season 4 premiere, Chris called teammate Amanda "Flo."

External links

Interviews

Post-Race

• Harry Smith on The Early Show (12/18/2002): "Race Win Amazing For Flo and Zach"
• The Caroline Rhea Show (12/18/2002): "The Final 3 From The Amazing Race 3"
• FansOfRealityTV (12/19/2002): "The Amazing Race 3 Winners: Our Interview with Flo and Zach"
• Donna Petrozzello on New York Daily News (12/20/2002): "Reality Check Amazes 'Em"
• Brian James at RealityNewsOnline (02/17/2003): "An In-Depth Conversation With Florinka (Flo) Pesenti, Winner of The Amazing Race 3"

Post-Show

• CBS.com (2003): After the Race
• TARflies (05/02/2003): "Catch up with Zach"
• TARflies (07/30/2003): "Go with the Flo"
• TARflies (10/11/2004): "The World-Wide Games" with Zach
• Mary Anne Potts at National Geographic Adventure (09/27/2009): "The Amazing Race: A Previous Winner Tells All"
• Reality TV Warriors (12/31/2021): "I Forgot About The Paper Underwear!"

Social Media Profiles

• Flo's Facebook: florinka

• Zach's Facebook: ZachBehr

• Flo's X profile: florinka

• Flo's Instagram: florinka1