Ron & Kelly

Ron Young and Kelly McCorkle are a team of Former POW/Pageant Queen on The Amazing Race 7.

After barely escaping elimination in the first leg, Ron & Kelly formed an alliance with Rob & Amber that lasted until the final four, when their former allies Yielded them. However, their romantic relationship dissolved during their time in the race with constant arguments over the future of their relationship, culminating in the realization that they were not meant for each other during the penultimate leg. Despite this, they regularly placed at the top of the pack and made it to the final leg where a wrong turn on the way to the airport in Puerto Rico caused them to get a later flight than the two leading teams, relegating them to a 3rd place finish.

Profile[]

Retrieved from CBS.com

Ron & Kelly are a dating Team from Villa Rica, Georgia and Greenville, South Carolina, respectively. Ron is a former Iraq War POW who is currently a student at the University of Georgia and works as a motivational speaker. Kelly was crowned Miss South Carolina in 2002 and works as a Legislative Correspondent. Their primary motivation for participating in the Race is strictly for the adventure.

Ron grew up in Lithia Springs, Georgia. A fan of the movie "Top Gun," Ron became a pilot after joining the Army and started flying Apache helicopters. When Ron's helicopter was shot down in Iraq, he was captured, interrogated, held captive and later rescued by the United States Marines. Following his rescue, Ron returned home and was introduced to the reigning Miss South Carolina. The two have been an item ever since. Ron is very competitive and admits he's a thrill seeker. He currently works as a motivational speaker.

Kelly's determination has always been a part of her life. After growing up with a learning disability, she graduated cum laude from North Greenville College. After being crowned Miss South Carolina, she went on to compete in the Miss America pageant. Kelly describes herself as well-rounded and persistent.

This couple has been on quite a roller coaster ride over the past few years, and they're not showing any signs of slowing down. They're ready for a new adventure.^[1]

The Amazing Race 7[]

Race History[]

Ron & Kelly's Race History
Episode	Leg	Destination(s)	Detour Choice (underlined)	Roadblock Performer	Placement	Notes
1	1	United States → Peru	Rope a Llama / Rope a Basket	No Roadblock	10 of 11
2	2	Peru → Chile	Shop / Schlep	Ron	2 of 10
3	3	Chile → Argentina	Paddle / Pedal	Ron	4 of 9
4	4	Argentina	Shipwreck / Island	Kelly	4 of 8
5	5	Argentina → South Africa	Tunnels / Tribes	Kelly	2 of 7
5	6	South Africa → Botswana	Food / Water	Ron	1 of 7
6	7	Botswana	Carry It / Milk It	Ron	2 of 6
8	8	Botswana → India	Solid / Liquid	Kelly	2 of 5	^[1]
9	8	Botswana → India	Trunk / Dunk	Kelly	2 of 5	^[1]
10	9	India → Turkey	Columns / Kilos	Ron	4 of 4
11	10	Turkey → United Kingdom	Brains / Brawn	Kelly	2 of 4<
12	11	United Kingdom → Jamaica	Raft It / Build It	Kelly	1 of 3
12	12	Jamaica → Puerto Rico → United States	Pony Up / Tee It Up	Ron	3 of 3
				Average	3.08
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 was a double-length leg with two Detours and two Roadblocks shown over two episodes. The placement listed in the first row reflect the order teams arrived at the leg's halfway point.

Post-Race[]

Ron & Kelly broke up soon after the race ended, but still remain friends.^[2]
Since the show ended, Kelly has been to India 12 times for non-profit work.^[3]
Kelly eventually married a pastor named Scott Parkinson. They have five children.

Trivia[]

Franchise Records[]

Ron & Kelly are the first team to finish second to last on the first leg and make it to the final leg.
First team to be awarded a prize despite not winning that leg (Leg 9).

External links[]

Ron's Wikipedia page: Ron Young (United States Army officer)

Kelly's Wikipedia page: Kelly McCorkle

Interviews[]

Harry Smith on Early Show (05/10/2005): "Uchenna & Joyce Win Race"
Aaron Earls at The Wardrobe Door (05/11/2005): "Interview with Kelly from The Amazing Race"
Ethan Alter at TV Guide Online (05/17/2005): "Why Ron and Kelly Split"
TARflies (07/02/2005): "Life Lessons" with Kelly"
Logan Saunders & Michael Harmstone at RTV Warriors (09/12/2018):"The Woman Who Stares at Buses"