Last year CU senior Floyd Pierce (ApMath,听Econ鈥�17) raced around the world for $1 million听as a contestant on CBS鈥� The Amazing Race. Beginning March 30, the world will see how he fared. 听
Pierce, originally from Highlands Ranch, Colo., is one of 22 contestants on the reality show鈥檚 29th season, which follows 11 teams of two as they decipher clues, complete physical challenges and navigate foreign cities 鈥� all while avoiding elimination at designated checkpoints.
This year, the show debuted a twist: None of the teammates knew each other before the race began. On previous seasons, teams were selected in pairs.听
Pierce, a Boettcher Scholar who served as a drum major in the Golden Buffalo Marching Band, originally applied to the show with a fellow marching band member in December 2015. When he got a call back from CBS in March 2016, he was informed it would be a solo process.
A devout follower of the show since elementary school, Pierce reapplied alone.
鈥淚鈥檝e been waiting,鈥� said Pierce, 22, alluding to the show鈥檚 minimum age requirement of 21. 鈥淚 thought this could be real鈥s long as I could express my real personality.鈥�
After meeting casting directors in Los Angeles last spring, Pierce was invited to compete.
鈥淚 said, 鈥榊es! I鈥檓 so ready,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淭hen I started running to train.鈥�
There was one caveat: He couldn鈥檛 tell anyone he was going on the show, except immediate family and some professors. He attempted normalcy, but his exciting secret overtook his thoughts. 听
鈥淭o be honest, it made it a little hard to concentrate on classes,鈥� he said.
Six weeks later, Pierce was off on his global adventure with a teammate he鈥檇 never met, a 17-pound backpack and an unknown destination. The details will start to emerge Thursday, March 30, when the latest season of The Amazing Race premiers on CBS at 9听p.m. MST.
Pierce鈥檚 family are the only ones who know any details of his experience, which he calls 鈥渓ife-changing.鈥�
If there鈥檚 one thing he hopes people see while watching him compete, it鈥檚 that he remains true to himself.
鈥淚 was really conscious about being myself on TV,鈥� he said.
As he finishes his final semester at CU, his thrill from the experience will remain top of mind.
鈥淚t鈥檚 incredibly hard to focus,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e started seeing myself in commercials. It鈥檚 like high-definition Floyd.鈥�
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Photo (top) by听Monty Brinton/CBS; courtesy Floyd Pierce听