A Windsor mother-and-son team has the support of their hometown heading into the new season of The Amazing Race Canada — and longtime host Jon Montgomery says it’s their relationship that will make them especially compelling to watch. Windsor business partners Ameen and Surria are among the teams competing in Season 12, becoming the local pair viewers across Windsor-Essex will be cheering for when the race begins. Montgomery, who has hosted every season since the show’s 2013 debut, said the unique connection between a mother and son can become a major advantage once the pressure of the race sets in. “I think they share a bond that I will never be able to truly appreciate from the mother’s perspective,” Montgomery said. “To watch a mother and son run the race with a level of proficiency, their mental acuity and capacity to solve problems ... there’s no problem too big for Ameen and Sariah to solve.” He added the pair’s success in business together appears to translate well to the competition. “They show what good business partners in life do and what a mother and son can do,” he said. “For that, I was a big fan of Sariah and Ameen on the start line — and today.” Montgomery said family teams often have an edge because they understand each other better than almost anyone else. “I think the fact that they know each other so well — you know their strengths, their weaknesses, their triggers, the subtleties of their body language,” he said. “They have that kind of insight allows a mother-and-son team ... to support each other in a really special way.” He also believes communities naturally rally behind hometown competitors. Drawing a comparison to home-field advantage in sports, Montgomery said local support is real. “It is an advantage to be familiar, to be comfortable and to be in an environment where the energy is primed for success,” he said. “The home-field uptick in performance is a real, tangible thing.” Season 12 will also introduce a new gameplay twist that viewers haven’t seen before. “Right off the top, an element of gameplay is introduced that we have never seen before on The Amazing Race Canada,” Montgomery said, adding the change affects the first five legs of the race and increases the pressure on competitors from the very beginning. After hosting the series for more than a decade, Montgomery said contestants still surprise him with how far they’re willing to push themselves — not for the prize, but for each other. “I honestly believe that it’s the human element that pushes people to perform,” he said. “People will do exponentially more with more heart for someone else... not letting somebody else down.” He said watching teammates overcome fears for one another remains one of the most rewarding parts of the job. “To have somebody do something that they’re terrified to do for you, I think, is the hallmark of a great relationship.” Season 12 of The Amazing Race Canada premieres July 7 at 9 p.m. EST on CTV and the next day on Crave.
