Amazing Race's Aja and Ty talk about love

REYMA BUAN-DEVEZA, abs-cbnNEWS.com | 11/06/2008 9:32 AM

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The fifth team to be eliminated in America's popular show "The Amazing Race (TAR)" 13, Aja Benton and Ty White, dubbed the "Long Distance Dating Couple", said that their relationship as sweethearts definitely became stronger as they were able to know each other deeper while competing in the race.

"Definitely the race made our relationship stronger. I mean it took a while for us to pass, you know being disappointed about not winning but after we got that day it definitely made us stronger as a couple," Aja told abs-cbnNEWS.com in an exclusive phone interview.

"Yeah, actually like it made us stronger. We had areas where we regret, you know the game is only dynamic to our relationship. It thought us on how we calm each other through difficult times, that we can lean on each other when things aren't doing well," Ty added.

Ty and Aja described their relationship that went deeper during the race as "playful love."

“It’s a playful love…we have fun together, since we are around each other we are always joking and playing. Well other say that you know we have that youthful love for each other and I hope that it will never turn to that old boring love,” he said.

“We are very connected to each other, we definitely consider each other's feeling and we have a high and a lot of respect for each other,” Aja added.

The two said in a previous interview that they joined the race to be together for an extended period of time. The couple live in separate cities and have had been dating for nine months before being chosen as race contestants. They said that the longest time they've spent time together was last Christmas when they bonded for two weeks.

Aja, 25, is an aspiring actress from California while Ty is the same age and a banker from Michigan.

The couple got eliminated during the fifth pit stop in Cambodia. They admitted that they blamed each other at first for losing.

"After being eliminated it's just the emotions, the feeling at that time where you can't help but to blame your partner and yourself. You just really want to blame somebody definitely at that point we do blamed each other but we were able to passed that and came to a point of reconciliation were we accepted it," Aja said.

The aspiring actress also added that they they've made decisions together and whatever the consequences, they have to face and accept it together.

Hard and easy

TAR is known for the challenges that the teams have to face. Aja and Ty said that the most memorable phase of race for them was the first when the show's host Phil explained the nature of show. From there the couple realized that they were about to compete and travel to some parts of the world absolutely free of charge.

"So when Phil actually say 'go' everything became real. It actually became amazing at that point. We are looking at each other while we were driving on a car in our way to the airport and we are like 'wow' we are really on 'The Amazing Race' and we are about to travel the world for free," Ty said.

The dating couple also shared the hardest and easiest challenges they've experienced while competing.

"The hardest challenge was definitely when we are crushing the kiwis in New Zealand that was probably the hardest thing we've done," Aja said.

"I would say that the easiest one was maybe also in New Zealand where there were warriors that you have to read their faces and find which one match the pieace of paper that was in my hand that was fairly easy for me to do," Aja said.

For Ty, the hardest challenge was the "Soft Way Down" they did in Brazil where teams made their way to an outdoor elevator known as Elevador Lacerda and climbed down a cargo net to the street 240 feet below.

The easiest challenge for him, meanwhile, was "Beach It," where the teams had to travel by "bugres" -- two logs rolled one after the other -- to a nearby beach where they had to choose a two-man crew and a traditional Brazilian boat. Using local methods, teams needed to maneuver heavy rolling logs to drag the 440-pound vessel 100 yards across the sand and into an inlet.

Lessons learned

Ty said that he wouldn't want to be with anyone else except for Aja.

For them, "love" was the greatest lesson they've experienced and learned during the race.

Aja said that loving a partner unconditionally is the greatest lesson for her. "Just to be able to resolve conflicts quickly and to love each other unconditionally," Aja said.

"I must say just be able to work together, it’s good to find someone that even when things turn difficult you stay as team and you work together”

Ty explained that one needs to a love a person, especially if he or she is a co-worker since you would want to give the best because you woudn't want to disappoint him or her.

Candidates for winning

Meanwhile, the two also learned the value of giving. When asked for the team whom they would want to win, the two replied: "We want Sarah and Terence to win and I think that they will win."

Ty explained that after they were eliminated, they picked Sarah and Terence as possible winners because they are really nice and cool people.

Currently, Ty lives Los Angeles and works for a school district's payroll department. He also hopes to go into modeling. If given a chance, he would also want to go into acting or hosting. Aja, meanwhile, Aja is pursuing a career in acting.

"The Amazing Race 13" is the 13th season of the adventure-reality television series "The Amazing Race.”

TAR features 11 teams of two, each with a preexisting relationship, who will be traveling 30,000 miles across five continents in 23 days. They compete for a US$1 million prize.

The show has five teams consisting of couples who are married or dating; four teams who are friend; and two teams made up of family members.

The series is part of the fall line-up for 2008-2009 season and premiered in US on September 28.

Filming for "The Amazing Race 13" lasted for 23 days and spanned across several countries including Brazil; Bolivia; Russia; India; Cambodia; Kazakhstan and New Zealand.

Catch the primetime telecast of "The Amazing Race 13" on Studio 23 every Tuesday at 8:30 p.m.