Gus & Hera

Gustavius "Gus" McLeod and Hera McLeod are a Father/Daughter team on The Amazing Race 6.

Despite entering the Race to sort out their differences, Gus became notorious for refusing to listen to his daughter. As they were not the strongest team physically, they instead relied on their smarts to keep up with the pack, sometimes to the frustration of other teams. However, a gate crashing on Hera's head during a scramble to pick numbers for a task in Budapest caused them to fall in last place. This, along with choosing the slower Detour option, resulted in their elimination in 7th place.

Profile

Retrieved from CBS.com

Gus & Hera are a father and daughter from and Gaithersburg, Maryland and Los Angeles, California, respectively. Gus is a former CIA agent, covert operative and the first person to fly an open-cockpit plane to the North Pole. Hera is a special education teacher and holds a Masters degree in special education with a cross-cultural emphasis.

Gus & Hera describe themselves as intelligent and resourceful, but also as aggressive and headstrong, and they often butt heads. Gus says Hera can be extremely stubborn, but he sees that as an extension of his own personality.

While Hera says the money is her prime motivation for doing THE AMAZING RACE, Gus says that having this experience with his child will help him relate to her as an adult and see how he did as a parent.

^[1]

How would you describe your previous travel experience?

Gus: I am a seasoned world traveler with lots of experience.
Hera: I have traveled to a few places in Europe and all over the Caribbean and Middle America. I also lived in South Africa for half a year and traveled around southern Africa for a little while.

What is the most stressful aspect of traveling?

Gus: Getting enough sleep.
Hera: I think language barriers can be really stressful. I can remember when I was in France on a family vacation, and as soon as we got off the plane, my dad started speaking English in a French accent as if that would help. Ha ha.

Why did you want to be on THE AMAZING RACE?

Gus: I wanted to take the time to be with my daughter.
Hera: I wanted to be on THE AMAZING RACE because I love adventure, and I think my father and I needed bonding time because we really have never had a common goal that could bring us together. The Race presented itself as a chance to really test our relationship and, for me, to show my father--and many other people in my life--how strong I am.

Have you and your partner traveled together before? If so, what was it like?

Gus: Hera is my little girl. We have traveled together many times as a family, but never together alone. Hera can be very stubborn, but so can I.
Hera: Yes, we have traveled a lot together. My father and I travel very differently! He doesn't mind eating at gas stations and not ever stopping to pee, and I am really picky about my food and have to pee a lot. I also have issues with not getting enough sleep. He has issues waking up early.

What do you fear most about competing in THE AMAZING RACE?

Gus: My biggest fear is that we will be the first Team eliminated.
Hera: My biggest fear is disappointing my family, my friends and my students. I want people to see me as the strong, intelligent black woman that I am, not "the black bitch." I want my father to be proud of the daughter he raised. I want my mother to smile, knowing that she was and is my rock and I am a reflection of how she raised me.

What strengths and weaknesses do you bring to the Team?

Gus: My strength will be that I will always be calm and deliberate. My weakness will be that I will always be calm and deliberate.
Hera: My strength is that I am stubborn, determined and athletic. There are a lot of strengths that my father and I share, but sometimes I can bring determination when the mood is down.

What strengths and weaknesses does your teammate bring to the Team?

Gus: Hera has a good mind and can react to a situation as need be. Her weakness is that she can let her emotions get the better of her.
Hera: My dad is one of the most intelligent people I know. He is also really good at reading people. When I am emotional, he has the ability to stay focused and not let his emotions rule him.

What will you miss the most from home (besides your bed)?

Gus: I will miss my wife most on this trip.
Hera: I get really cold easily! I think I will miss being able to put on clean, warm clothes. I will also miss talking to my mother, because not a day goes by that we don't talk.

What languages do you speak?

Gus: I speak English and some German.
Hera: I speak English, and I try to speak French on occasion!

What destination are you hoping to visit?

Gus: I'm looking forward to wherever we go. I'm getting to see how my little girl has grown and getting a chance to meet the woman she has become.
Hera: I am partial to the continent of Africa, so if you see me anywhere in Africa, I will probably be happy!

What country do you feel best prepared for?

Gus: I feel we will do best in Europe.
Hera: I am not sure I can say I would be best prepared for anywhere! I think I could probably do pretty well in South Africa because I lived there, but anywhere else is fair game. I can get lost in my backyard if the activity warranted.^[2]

The Amazing Race 6

Race History

Gus & Hera's Race History
Episode	Leg	Destination(s)	Detour Choice (underlined)	Roadblock Performer	Placement	Notes
1	1	United States → Iceland	Ice Climb / Ice Search	No Roadblock	10 of 11
2	2	Iceland → Norway	Endurance / Accuracy	Hera	3 of 10
3	3	Norway → Sweden	Count It / Build It	Gus	3 of 9
4	4	Sweden → Senegal	Stack 'Em Up / Pull 'Em Up	Gus	7 of 8
5	5	Senegal → Germany	Beers / Brats	Hera	5 of 8
6	6	Germany → Hungary	Catapult Crash / Cannonball Run	Hera	2 of 7	^[1]
8	6	Germany → Hungary	Swim / Paddle	Gus	7 of 7	^[1]
				Average	5.83
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 Yield < Recipient of the Yield
Notes: 1: Leg 6 was double-length leg, with two Detours and two Roadblocks, shown over two episodes. The placement listed in the top row reflect the order teams arrived at the leg's halfway point.

Post-Race

On October 20, 2012,^[3] Hera's infant son died under suspicious circumstances, with the son's father charged with murder.^[4]^[5]^[6]

Trivia

Gus & Hera were the only co-ed team on The Amazing Race 6 who were not in a romantic relationship.
They were featured in a CBS.com slideshow celebrating 'Father's Day' in 2015.^[7]

Franchise Records

Gus & Hera are the first team to be eliminated in Hungary.
First team to be eliminated on a superleg.

External links

Gus's Wikipedia page: Gus McLeod

Interviews

Harry Smith on The Early Show (01/04/2005): "Amazing Race Duo Talks"
Cynthia Wang at People (01/06/2005): "Gus & Hera McLeod"
AP (01/06/2005): "Father-daughter duo out on Amazing Race"
Ethan Alter at TV Guide Online (01/07/2005): "Race's Gus and Hera"
TARflies (03/25/2005): "It's All Fun and Games Until Someone Gets Bonked on the Head"