When the 42-year-old, born in Winnipeg, Raeford, was diagnosed in 2013 with anaplastic astrocytoma, a malignant brain tumor, she was told she would have two to six years to live. “I wanted to show everyone that they have something that is an obstacle that they can overcome,” Wreford says during a phone interview. “They can also muster the courage to tear down the walls in front of them.” Ramsey, 45, of Windsor, Ont., who stood by her side before and after the fight, felt much the same way. “Our rationale for the match itself was because Catherine had potentially limited time here,” says Ramsay. “She inspired people throughout her life, and even more so now, I wanted longevity in this fight to showcase Catherine’s story as much as possible.” On Tuesday, Wreford and Ramsay were named winners of the northern version of the CTV reality show, in which 10 teams race across Canada, completing a massive list of challenges in pursuit of $250,000 in prize money and two Chevrolet Silverado ZR2s. WATCHES | Wreford and Ramsay discuss the challenges they faced:
Best friends win the Amazing Race Canada
CBC’s Marj Dowhos talks to Catherine Wreford, of Winnipeg, and Craig Ramsay, of Windsor, Ont., about how they prevailed over the other contestants, as well as Wreford’s terminal brain cancer, to win the season 8 of The Amazing Race Canada. Runners-up included siblings Jesse and Marika of Canmore, Alta. sisters Franka and Nella of Edmonton; and brothers Brendan and Connor of Parry Sound, Ont. “I’m 45 years old. Collectively, Wreford and I are ages that far exceed any of the previous winners,” says Ramsay, who first met Wreford at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. “With The Amazing Race, it was an opportunity to step in and show what it is and often looks like to support a friend going through a terrible diagnosis.” Both contestants had to bring a unique bag of tricks to win it all in a tough competition. In addition to being a fitness expert, Ramsay, who is also an author, TV personality and loyal, outspoken member of the LGBTQ community, says he has a photographic memory. Wreford added her considerable skill set as a mathematician and former nursing student. “There are so many skills that go into being a well-rounded film, TV and voice performer,” Ramsay says, adding the fact that his friend Wreford owned a mortgage company to the list. “We had so many skills that no one knew about and it surprised other teams.” Wreford teaches a children’s musical theater class in Winnipeg in 2018. (Walther Bernal/CBC) This season, all 10 teams started in Mont-Tremblant, Que., and headed to 24 cities covering more than 20,000 kilometers in a coast-to-coast journey. For the past half decade, this geographic composition and many like it have defined the long-running series based on the appeal of the great outdoors. But as Season 8 played out, showrunner Mark Lysakowski, like many who work in the film and television industry, felt the difficult challenges suddenly presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s been a very stressful time for me as a TV producer,” says Lysakowski, who has faced multiple delays since the show’s originally scheduled 2020 premiere, which faced an additional delay to 2021 before debuting in 2022. He also saw contestants such as Raeford and Ramsey are temporarily out due to their own positive tests. “I had to put things in perspective. This was just a TV show next to people dying all over the world,” adds Lysakowski, who understandably prioritized stopping the spread of the virus over worrying about lower ratings during the production delay. . As a result, the three previously COVID-positive teams including Wreford and Ramsay were given the opportunity to return to the game. “We were very happy to be invited back when the 2020 pandemic hit, but it was scary for us,” says Ramsay. “We would never want any team in the future to have to go through what we did.”
“Expired”
In Lysakowski’s mind, the challenges posed by COVID-19 haven’t deterred the show from continuing to honor two people he sees as the epitome of competition and a difficult time. “Catherine’s story is full of emotion because, as she says, her expiration date has passed,” says Lysakowski. “It’s her resilience as a person, but her ability to go through this adventure and tell her story that gives people hope and something to wish for.” The winning team used Wreford’s history as motivation to keep moving throughout the competition. “Having those years of struggle and having the chance to revisit that goal of ours as best friends was worth it,” says Ramsay. “We hope Canadians see this and take advantage of this opportunity to connect with their friends and create special memories together.” As with many things Ramsay says, Wreford tends to agree. “This competition was all about trust. I trust him 100 percent and I know he trusts me,” he adds. “When you have that, the world is your oyster.”
