Nat & Kat

Natalie "Nat" Strand and Katherine "Kat" Chang are a team of Doctors and the Official Winners of The Amazing Race 17.

Nat & Kat immediately emerged as one of the strongest teams in the Race with their intelligence, athleticism, and ability to forge strong bonds with their competitors, particularly Brook & Claire, contributing to their successes. The doctors also faced several of their fears, such as Nat's fear of heights and Kat having to eat meat after having been a vegetarian for years, on their way to the final three. In the final leg, they established an early lead and never looked back, becoming the first all-female team to win the American version of the Race.

Profile[]

Retrieved from CBS.com^[1]

Nat[]

Age: 31
Hometown: Scottsdale, Ariz.
Connection to your Teammate: Friend
Current occupation: Doctor
Favorite hobbies: Scuba diving, skiing and traveling
Achievements: Becoming a doctor
Lifelong to do list: Cage dive with great white sharks, take pilot lessons, finish a triathlon, establish a comprehensive pain rehabilitation center, write a book and learn how to speak Spanish.
What scares you most about traveling? Not having access to medical care
What excites you most about traveling? Traveling will give me the opportunity to see new places, learn about different cultures and grow as a person
If I could switch places with someone: The Dalai Lama or Heidi Klum
Role model/hero: My Dad. He is the kindest person I know.
What are you passionate about? I am passionate about helping people live the best possible life.
What would you do if you won the million dollars? If we were to win the million dollars, I would donate money to support challenged athletes and to support the search for a cure for Diabetes. I would pay off my debts from medical school and I would buy a baby blue vintage Bronco with the top chopped off.
People would be surprised to learn: I am absolutely terrified of heights.
Favorite place you have ever visited: Belize
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on the Race together: We went to get our backpack for the Race and we could not find Kat's car in the parking garage afterwards. We were in the completely wrong parking structure. Navigation might be our biggest challenge.
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race (other then winning one million bucks)? I hope to gain personal satisfaction from traveling, meet new people and represent strong, career oriented females.
Pet peeve about your teammate: Kat is so perfect! I don't have a pet peeve.

Kat[]

Age: 35
Hometown: Santa Monica, Calif.
Connection to your Teammate: Friend
Current occupation: Doctor
Favorite hobbies: Cycling, traveling and eating
Achievements: The biggest achievement for me was completing medical school and residency - both of which did not come easy for me.
Lifelong to do list: Learn to scuba dive, surf and cook; have a rewarding career where I am proud of my work; live a healthy and balanced life; have a loving family; run the New York City marathon; remember to live in the present
What scares you most about traveling? Getting sick
What excites you most about traveling? Meeting new people and seeing/experiencing new things - that makes me reflect and learn something new about myself.
If I could switch places with someone: Maybe only for one day, I would switch with a comedian like Chelsea Handler. She's hysterical and what a great skill to be able to make an entire room erupt in laughter.
Role model/hero: I'm inspired by a lot of people—especially strong, successful women. Thanks to all the female physicians before who paved the way for my generation of doctors.
What are you passionate about? Travel, love and good food
What would you do if you won the million dollars? Donate to charity, pay off part of my medical school loans and bring some loved ones on a sweet vacation
People would be surprised to learn: I'm very sensitive and emotional.
Favorite place you have ever visited: Bali
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on the Race together: Having to adjust to not being in control of our daily schedules
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race (other then winning one million bucks)? I hope to have a fun adventure. One million dollars would also help make a huge dent in my enormous student loans.
Pet peeve about your teammate: She tends to show up late for things (fashionably of course).

The Amazing Race 17[]

Race History[]

Nat & Kat's Race History
Episode	Leg	Destination(s)	Detour Choice (underlined)	Roadblock Performer	Placement	Notes
1	1	United States → United Kingdom	No Detour	Nat	2 of 11
2	2	United Kingdom → Ghana	Tune In / Check Out	Kat	7 of 10
3	3	Ghana	Bicycle Parts / Language Arts	Nat	8 of 9
4	4	Ghana → Sweden	Sleds / Beds	Kat	1 of 9
5	5	Sweden → Norway	Used Fast Forward		1 of 8►
6	6	Norway → Russia	Classical Music / Classic Cinema	Nat	4 of 7
7	7	Russia	Circus Band / Circus Clown	Kat	1 of 7
8	8	Russia → Oman	Water Table / Wedding Table	Kat	5 of 6
9	9	Oman → Bangladesh	Balanced Meal / Balanced Bricks	Nat	3 of 5⋐
10	10	Bangladesh → Hong Kong	Ding Ding / Sampan	Nat	1 of 4
11	11	Hong Kong → South Korea	Full Throttle / Full Bottle	Kat	3 of 4
12	12	South Korea → United States	No Detour	Nat	1 of 3
				Average	3.09
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 ϵ The team used the Express Pass somewhere during the leg ⊂ 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

Post Race[]

Nat & Kat competed on The Price is Right for a The Amazing Race special that aired on May 25, 2016.^[2] Nat was shown to be visibly pregnant at the time of filming. Nat & Kat helped their contestant, Kimberly, win a camera, a trip to Hawaii, and a BMW in their pricing game. However, the trio failed to make it to the Showcase.^[3]

Trivia[]

Nat & Kat are the only team to win consecutive legs in The Amazing Race 17.

Franchise Records[]

Nat & Kat are the first team to use the second half of the Double U-Turn.
Nat is the first diabetic contestant to win the Race.
Oldest average-aged team to win five legs in a career, 33 at the time of racing.
Oldest average-aged all-female team to win the race, 33 at the time of racing.
First all-female team to win five legs in a single season.
First winning team to use both the Fast Forward and the U-Turn.

US Records[]

First all-female team to win the Race.
First interracial same-sex team to win the Race.
Only all-female team to win a leg before the winning the Race.
Most legs won by an all-female team in a single season, 5 legs.

External links[]

Nat's Website: www.natstrand.com

Interviews[]

Post-Race[]

AP at Xfinity.com (12/12/2010): "Nat and Kat Make History, Win CBS' Amazing Race"
Maria Elena Fernandez at Los Angeles Times (12/13/2010): "Nat and Kat's secrets to winning The Amazing Race"
Darren Franich at EW (12/13/2010): "Amazing Race winners talk sheep heads, diabetes, and never getting angry at each other, EVER"
Harry Smith on Early Show (12/13/2010): "Winners Make Amazing Race History"
Joyce Eng at TV Guide (12/13/2010): "Winning Feels Pretty Surreal"
TV Guide Magainze (12/13/2010): "The Amazing Race 17 Winners! Nat & Kat Interview!"
Carrie Bell at People.com (12/14/2010): "Amazing Race Winners Discuss Making History"
Reality TV World (12/14/2010): "Nat Strand and Kat Chang discuss The Amazing Race win"
Digital Spy (12/14/2010): "Nat & Kat: We chat to doctors Nabout making history on The Amazing Race!"
Gina Scarpa at Reality Wanted (12/14/2010): "The Amazing Race 17: Exclusive Interview with Winner Kat Strand and Nat Chang"
Teeuwynn Woodruff at Reality News Online (12/15/2010): "We're Really Happy That We Have the Honor to Be the First Female-Female Team to Win!"

Post-Show[]

Amy Tenderick at Healthline.com (01/13/2011): "Amazing Race Winner Nat Strand: Breaking Boundaries with Type 1 Diabetes"
Samantha Shelton at Fitness Magazine (Feb. 2011): "Amazing Race Season 17 Winner Nat Strand Talks Diabetes Control & What It Takes To Win"
Allyson Wells at Reality TV Magazine (04/30/2011): "The Amazing Race Winner Nat Strand Talks About Diabetes"
Rachel Ray Show (07/03/2011): "Travel Tips from The Amazing Race's Nat & Kat"
Christine Copelan at Parade.com (11/06/2017): "Diabetes Travel Tips with Dr. Nat Strand"