Twenty-five-year-old Amanda is a medical technician at a hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She loves to read and listen to music. Amanda describes herself as "very emotional, helpful and compassionate." She comes across as sweet and innocent, but underneath she is a tough, foul-mouthed girl. While Chris tends to be negative, she tends to be positive: good cop, bad cop. Her phobias include spiders, elevators and fear of the dark. Amanda has never traveled outside the United States, but is very excited about the prospect of experiencing new countries and cultures.

Chris is 28 years old and works as a freelance graphic designer in Sioux Falls. He is very self-deprecating in his humor, calling himself "abominable, cantankerous and obnoxious." He admits that traveling takes him out of the comfort zone and causes some nervousness. He also has a fear of heights and is leery of flying. He's a perfectionist and tends to be overly critical. During the Race, he plans not only to make fun of the other contestants, but he will also "scheme, betray, plot and backstab more than any other contestant." At the same time, Chris says, Amanda will make peace with the other contestants so as not to upset too many people.