Uchenna and Joyce, Racing Again

Uchenna and Joyce Agu became audience favorites of Amazing Race 7 after their emotional trip to an orphanage during the show. They mentioned their own difficulties in conceiving, and said that if they won the million dollars at the end of the show, they had originally hoped to be able to afford in vitro fertilization, but once they visited an orphanage while on the Race, they began to see how many children there were out there that were in need of a good home.

The married couple's popularity grew over the next few weeks, and they found themselves needing to take a big chance in the race. A Fast Forward occasion came up, and it was so far away, that if they weren't the first ones there, and had to turn back and rejoin the rest of the race, they'd be in last place, a far back in the pack last place. After quickly assessing the situation, they decided to go for it, and once the others saw they were well on their way, they let Uchenna and Joyce have the Fast Forward uncontested.

Arriving at the Fast Forward, Uchenna and Joyce found they were being asked to participate in a "good luck" ceremony. This would consist of them getting their heads shaved. Uchenna was already bald, so this was no skin, or hair as the case was, off his neck. Yet, Joyce had gorgeous long braids that you could tell she'd been growing for a long time. They knew that if they changed their mind and went back, they'd lose the race. Joyce submitted to the process, and as beautiful as she was with hair, somehow without hair, she was even more beautiful.

We knew then this team was in it for the long haul. They wanted it and would do anything to get it, and the only other team in the race that had that same quality was Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich. Amber had just won a million dollars on Survivor, and it seemed they were just there for Rob's competitive efforts. Yet, with Uchenna and Joyce, both worked for large companies that went bankrupt, he as an energy broker for Enron, and she as a sales manager for WorldCom. They sorely needed the money.

The final leg of the race looked like it would belong to Rob and Amber. Uchenna and Joyce had come in last during the last leg, behind Rob and Amber, and behind Ron and Kelly as well. While the Agus weren't eliminated, they had all their cash taken away from them. They begged for a ride to the airport, then panhandled for cash in order to catch up to the others. Despite being far behind, they never gave up. This includes after Rob and Amber made a flight back to the states, and the doors closed, and the plane started to taxi away. Uchenna and Joyce were told they couldn't make the flight, but after a commercial break, there they were, on the flight.

Many fans assumed that the show's producers stepped in here to ask for the flight to be detained to get Uchenna and Joyce on, otherwise, it wouldn't be much of a race with only one of the remaining three teams in the country with the finish line. Yet, the show, the Agus, and Rob, have repeatedly denied any involvement of the show, saying it was solely the pilot's decision to come back and pick up Uchenna and Joyce. Although Rob and Amber had a lead on Uchenna and Joyce, they couldn't find a cigar store, and gave up the lead to Uchenna and Joyce, who went on to become the winners of Amazing Race 7.

Uchenna and Joyce have now been together a total of 16 years, and have been married for 7. He no longer works as a broker, but instead has become a land developer. Both he and Joyce have become motivational speakers, yet the one success they have yet to reach in life has eluded them. They have tried in vitro fertilization with their winnings, but have still been unsuccessful. Some people have questioned why they haven't just adopted, yet, it's only been a few years, and maybe they want to be sure to exhaust the opportunities with in vitro first.

It seems only natural that when Amazing Race: All Stars was being planned, that both Rob and Amber and Uchenna and Joyce were included. They had perhaps the most controversial finish in the show's history, and maybe it needs to be settled one way or another. Rob and Amber seem more determined than ever after three first places finishes on the first three legs of the race. While on the first leg, it seemed as if Joyce and Uchenna didn't have their hearts in it, their place in the race has risen steadily, and it seems like they're finally remembering what it was like to play the game.

What would be interesting to see, with Rob and Amber currently in first place, and Joyce and Uchenna in second place, would be for them to align with each other, to help each other stay in the top two or three positions together, to kick out the other teams one by one, so that what we're left with in then end, is a replay of season 7. While some teams seem determined to allow themselves to be walked on in All Stars, it's clear there's quite a few that would give everything they have to win The Amazing Race: All Stars. And Joyce and Uchenna seem in perfect position to make a run of it again.

Read my Amazing Race recaps at Reality Shack

Read more about Uchenna and Joyce and The Amazing Race at SirLinksalot: Amazing Race