Sisters Jackye Clayton and Lauren McKinney talk with Parade following their elimination from The Amazing Race 37.
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00:00Well, let's get into this this girl's trip, shall we? I mean, to start, let's let's talk about what
00:04got you on that plane in the first place. I mean, you talked a little bit about this at the end,
00:08about, you know, your mother and wanting to kind of have her travel vicariously through you,
00:13but I'm intrigued from both your perspectives. Were you fans of The Amazing Race prior? And
00:17what was it that made you want to go from watching to participating?
00:22So I've always been a fan of The Amazing Race. I wanted to go on The Amazing Race when my kids
00:27were in middle school, and now I'm a grandma with 11 grandkids. So that's how long it is.
00:33And I always tell people, your dreams do not expire. So it just happened to be that, you know,
00:38now was the time and the place. And our mother and father never missed an episode of The Amazing
00:43Race. So this was like our show. And they loved it. They dreamed about it as well. It's just that
00:49we got to live that dream. That's incredible. So I mean, let's go from where things started,
00:54I guess, to where things ended. Because, look, I mean, from our perspective, it seemed like we
01:00did not see you in proximity of any other teams since, like, you got off at Hong Kong. Was that
01:06the case? And it seemed like, again, you were kind of trying to embrace the experience. But
01:11how much was that realistic possibility weighing your head of like,
01:14yeah, there's a very good chance, especially with this fork in the road, that we're not going to
01:18survive? I think we I felt that almost closer to the beginning when we got the ferry, like we saw
01:27the other teams where we were in proximity. But when we knew the ferry and the structure that
01:32we knew everyone just got on that ferry where they were before and the way that it spaced it,
01:38and it was like. OK, but being fans of the race, we knew that there is always a possibility,
01:45right? But right from there, it was like, we're just going to embrace everything and do every
01:50challenge to the best of our ability. We can't even think and go there. Like, let's just run
01:54our race, whatever that means. We missed that ferry, by the way, by two minutes. It was. And
02:02we begged them to let us on and they wouldn't. Oh, my God. I mean, just think of like what
02:09what a different leg could have existed, you know, had that happened. But that's how close
02:14the race is and how fast it moves. And, you know, I think you saw Jonathan and Anna talking about,
02:19oh, we got to get on this ferry because the schedule was so tight. So everybody was dealing
02:24with that. But that's one thing that may not come across as like we missed it by two minutes.
02:29Oh, it hurt. But we just kept running. Yeah, we did. Yeah. I mean, one foot in front of the other.
02:34And I guess on that note, let's talk about the stairs. Let's talk about this this moment that
02:39you had, Jackie, because, yeah, I mean, it was a big moment, I would imagine, given what you've
02:44experienced in the past to happen, you know, in a moment on the race when, again, the impetus is
02:49usually go, go, go, go. So talk to me about what you were going through in that process. But I'm
02:54sure your body and mind were telling you, nope, got to slow down at this point. So one of the
03:00things that is important to recognize, it had been raining all day. And so and these stairs are like
03:07marble stairs and they're wet. And so in my mind, in order to be careful to go with stairs, because
03:13we have to take stairs all the time, right? Just in life. So you hold on to a banister and you make
03:18sure that you have sure footing, but you're trying to race. And so part of the overwhelm is that fight
03:24in your head of going really fast and being really careful and being afraid I'm going to take that
03:29step. So it's like, like, I think I'm going to have a panic attack. What am I supposed to do?
03:33I can't hurry it. I can't. I felt unsafe. And so I was just like, almost froze, almost completely
03:40frozen in my head, and still doing it. And so I was just, I was so at that point, I just knew I
03:47had the support of Lauren always, my big sister was like, you know, at that moment, it changed,
03:53because it was just about us. But it's also hard when you're looking at home, we realize,
03:58we had, you know, it's a 12 hour flight, we just found out about it, we had no, you know,
04:04we didn't know where we're going. So it was like, everything going and we took the race as soon as
04:09we hit the airport when we got in Hong Kong. So there was no time to really think about it. And
04:13then it all became real. In that moment, when we turned around to go down the stairs, going up the
04:18stairs, I didn't even know there were stairs coming down the stairs was like, we're really
04:24wet. And where are we? And who are you? And what are those people doing there? This is a heck of
04:30a girl's trip. Exactly. Well, Lorna, I want to talk about your own moment here of emotionality,
04:36because perhaps that rain contributed to obviously, the really tough time, the tough
04:40climb, I should say that came in that roadblock. But like, when you had that reaction, I mean,
04:46that's something I feel like we would see someone react to, like in the finale, not even in the
04:51premiere. So talk to me about like, what was behind just that, that expression that I'm sure
04:55just kind of bubbled up from inside once you grab that clue at the top. It I often I'm reflecting on
05:02this a lot. And it wasn't just that isolated task. It was years of just dreaming about having
05:11that moment. That was the first time we actually got had a challenge to reach a clue. And I knew
05:17I had to do it. And the more I would try, the harder the rain would come down. And the slipperier
05:25the bamboo got, we had no one around us. You know, I only had my sister, you know, to cheer me on
05:30like that the other teams had that energy, you know, others around them. It was just me and this
05:34bamboo. Let's go. And, you know, it was difficult. I couldn't get my footing up. I don't know if you
05:41could see several teams, you couldn't even put your foot flat to just climb up. We had to turn
05:45an angle unless you had, you know, strength, like Pops and Jeff. But I just knew I was not leaving
05:52that challenge until I had that clue in my hand, period. I didn't know how it was going to happen.
05:57So when I finally got to the top, it was such a release of just everything, everything. You know,
06:04we were doing this for our parents. We were doing this, you know, for our kids. We were doing this
06:09for ourselves. We were living life. It was the first moment that the race really became so, so
06:15real for me just to touch that clue and to know I got it. And we were still in it. The last thing I
06:22wanted was Phil coming out to the bamboo saying, you know, okay, that was not going to happen,
06:27period. So it was the most, I can't even explain the feeling. Everything within me just came out.
06:35So let's say, you know, you had bridged that two-minute window. You got on the ferry and
06:39you were amongst other teams. You had a choice in the fork in the road. Would you have still
06:43chosen sing or were you intending to do dance before all the slots filled up?
06:48I would have picked sing.
06:50Yeah, when we got up to that box, we saw us dance and sing. We were like,
06:53oh, this is great. That's all we do all day long is dance. So it's like, we can't lose. But
06:59the strategy would have come in looking at who, what teams were already in place there. So that
07:04would have, I think, driven our decision, you know, one way or the other. So we got sing and
07:10it seemed to be the more difficult challenge after watching the show. You know, they were still,
07:17all the dancers were done, check, check, check. And there was still so many empty spots,
07:20which made me feel like, now I know the outcome. We know the outcome. And I still was like,
07:24we have a chance. We have a chance, Jackie. You know, I felt like we were right back there,
07:32just running the race. Oh my God. Well, I want to talk about some of these other teams because I'm
07:37sure, you know, like you said, it was like a 12 to 14 hour flight over. You had a bunch of
07:41opportunities to interact with these other teams. Were there any particular that you were getting
07:46on with in the limited time that y'all had together? I was, it was, I think for me, it was,
07:54we had talked, we sat when we were like taking pictures next to Carson and, and Jack.
08:00Oh, in the group. And so we, we just looked and we had the same watch and we were like,
08:06you know, we're like, Oh, so we like really wanted to talk to them about the watch and
08:11everything else that we've ever, them. And then also Scott and Lori. Scott and Lori,
08:18Ernest and Bridget. So already in the airport, it's amazing how quickly you can bond with someone
08:23or pick up on something. You know, when someone in the airport, Han and Holden, you know, were
08:28helping us out when we were exchanging money, we like we're collaborating and then Ernest and
08:32Bridget, we were working together and then, and then someone else had, okay, here's how we're
08:36going to do this, you know? So it was like the social skills involved in that and just picking
08:41up on how to move. I, I think I could be wrong, but I mean, we had connected with probably well
08:46over seven teams, you know, in that short period of time, just getting on the, just between getting
08:52our ticket and getting on the flight. Yeah. So we felt like we could have worked with everybody,
08:58period. It didn't matter who it was. So, and they all know we love them. We love y'all.
09:02I was gonna say, actually, I just talked with Mark and Lara and they, they like
09:06specifically said, send my best to Jackie and Lauren. So like, perfect.
09:12So nice being able to bond with them. And even though, of course, we would love to have had a
09:17different outcome, but having them, they always will have that special place in our life of us
09:22being able to do that together and really embrace some other people through that moment that have
09:29been there and done that. Well, last thing. Oh, go ahead. Oh, I was gonna say, let's, let's,
09:34let's turn things outward, inward. Cause obviously the two of you, again, you know,
09:39are in such a presence in each other's lives, but I'm sure you learned something about one another
09:43getting to have this rainy day in Hong Kong together. So I'd love for each of you to say,
09:48what was the biggest thing you learned about the other person in the amazing race together?
09:52Jackie, I'll start with you. So I hope you have tissues. It's gonna be good. I know.
09:58For me, one of the things that when my mom passed away and someone asked me what my biggest
10:03fear was, and I, my biggest fear was that no one was going to love me like that again in my life.
10:10And then for going through this stuff, I was like, Oh, you do, you love me like that. And,
10:16and so that's, it wasn't a question, but it just solidified because I knew no matter what,
10:22even if it's stairs and it's for a million dollars, she loved me more than what was going
10:28on. And that was just that this is what I learned. Lauren, Lauren, that's Lauren.
10:38I just, I mean, again, she's my, she's my baby sister. We're 10 years apart. And I told her
10:44from the minute she, they told me it's a girl. I told my mom and dad, she, I have been a fan
10:49and she's just so genius and so incredible. And I'm just always so amazed at how she just
10:56navigates through life, despite any challenges or internal struggles. I have just, I'm so
11:02enamored with that and the way that she just still manages to push through and navigate.
11:06And I thought if I was a fan at the beginning of this, I am just off the charts, like,
11:11Oh, you are just so incredible. And she's, and she uses that to help empower other women and
11:18other people period, daily, every day in her life. And I just have so much respect for you.
11:25I have so much respect for my sister and she is so much stronger and so much wiser than I ever knew.
11:31Yeah. So yeah. And here's the thing is like, you know, I, while I'm sure this, this is really
11:37beautiful information you're expressing to each other. It's something that I even felt, you know,
11:41not knowing you until before this 90 minute episode last time, I think like the amazing
11:45race, as we have seen over the years as an environment where it can push the limits of
11:50a relationship to its furthest and allow people to, to sometimes act their worst in front of each
11:55other. And I just find it so admirable that in a moment when, again, you have this like flickering
12:00candle of hope that it might be, you know, you might survive in the race that is getting washed
12:06out by the rain. Like you still took these moments to coach each other through facing Jackie's fears
12:11or getting Lauren through this incredibly physically arduous situation. And I think
12:15that while reality TV does not necessarily always represent reality, it felt like like a way for us
12:20to kind of look at your relationship, like a bird's eye view. And so to hear that so beautifully
12:24expressed through today through right now, it's just a great reminder as to why we were so happy
12:29to get to see you on our screens for those 90 minutes. Thank you. We had the journey of a
12:37lifetime. It was a blast. Yeah, it was an absolute blast. We still pinching. We woke up today. It's
12:43like, Oh, same dream. I was such a delight to get to talk with the two of you. I wish you both
12:54nothing but the best in your future endeavors. And thank you so much again for everything.
12:58You have a great day. Thank you. Bye. Take care. Bye bye.