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Stephen "Steve" Cottingham and Joshua "Josh" Cottingham are a Father/Son team on The Amazing Race 4.

After winning both the first and third legs, they got lost on the way to the Detour in France, falling far behind the other teams and ending up being eliminated in 9th place.

Profile[]

Retrieved from CBS.com

Forty-seven-year-old Steve is a supervisor at a juvenile detention facility in Santa Barbara. His biggest accomplishment is his 22-year marriage to Karen. He is a big fan of THE AMAZING RACE, and when Karen challenged him to go on the show with Josh, it all became clear: father and son needed this trip together. Plus, according to Steve, Josh is really smart and in great physical shape. Steve went to Los Angeles to talk with Josh about it, and found him camped out on Hollywood Boulevard (he had been there for days) waiting for the newest Star Wars movie to premiere. According to Steve, Josh was ecstatic when he asked him to be his teammate on the Race. Since then, Steve has been training by walking miles with a backpack every day. He likens himself to Andy Griffith on Mayberry RFD. He loves to eat, and wishes he had more willpower not to. He and Josh share a love of comic books, and Josh turned him on to building superhero models. He prides himself on being a good negotiator and on being able to bullshit through anything."

Josh, 21, is a computer technician and is attending a junior college. His hobbies include skateboarding, music and meeting new people. He describes himself as "different, free and happy." When he was younger, Josh raised steers for the Ventura County Fair and won a prize for a bull-calf. He lists this as an accomplishment he is very proud of, along with the fact that he once ate an entire bowl of butter for a dollar and never threw up. Josh is disappointed that until recently, his relationship with his father was so bad that he missed out on a lot. He has a mischievous side and loves to "stir things up." He and his dad share a "messed up sense of humor" and are both very stubborn, but comfortable with themselves. In terms of differences, Josh says, "My old man is soooo conservative it often times drives me insane. I am the polar opposite. My liberal ways are a complete 180 degrees from the way my father intended to raise me." This father/son team should be very interesting to watch make their way around the world![1]

How would you describe your previous travel experience?

  • Steve: I have traveled to Tijuana and across the US, but nowhere else.
  • Josh: I traveled a little in high school, but never did anything really extensive.

What is the most stressful aspect of traveling?

  • Steve: Lack of sleep.
  • Josh: Traveling is only stressful if you let it be so.

What is the most important item in your backpack, and why?

  • Steve: Loads of socks and underwear and my favorite flannel shirt.
  • Josh: Clean socks. Gotta watch your feet.

Why did you want to be on THE AMAZING RACE?

  • Steve: It is the adventure of a lifetime, an opportunity to reconnect with my son and the cash.
  • Josh: It's the chance of a lifetime. How many other people get to run around the world with someone they love?

Have you and your partner traveled together before? If so, what was it like?

  • Steve: Most of our travel together has consisted of family trips when Josh was smaller, where he spent the majority of his time asking, "Are we there yet?" or spilling juice in the back seat.
  • Josh: Yeah, it consisted of him driving the family station wagon cross-country and yelling at my brother and I to stop fighting.

What do you fear most about competing in THE AMAZING RACE?

  • Steve: Letting my partner down.
  • Josh: Being eliminated first.

What strengths and weaknesses do you bring to the Team?

  • Steve: I deal well with difficult people and feel common sense is a trait I possess. My weakness is that I can be too direct with others.
  • Josh: I'm willing to do anything, but sometimes I fail to think things through and end up having to fix a mistake.

What strengths and weaknesses does your teammate bring to the Team?

  • Steve: Josh is very intelligent and outgoing, but he has a fearsome temper.
  • Josh: My dad's a rock. He's steady and he's stable, but at other times he's controlling.

What will you miss the most from home (besides your bed)?

  • Steve: Other than the rest of my family, probably a regular cup of coffee and my job, which I love.
  • Josh: Music and Tofutti Cuties.

What languages do you speak?

  • Steve: Only English.
  • Josh: English; Dad speaks American.

What destination are you hoping to visit?

What country do you feel best prepared for?

The Amazing Race 4[]

Race History[]

Steve & Josh's Race History
Episode Leg Destination(s) Detour Choice
(underlined)
Roadblock
Performer
Placement Notes
1 1 United States → Italy Search / Rescue No Roadblock 1 of 12
2 2 Italy Waterway / Pathway Josh 9 of 11
3 3 Italy → Austria Used Fast Forward 1 of 10
4 4 Austria → France Ropes / Slopes Josh 9 of 9
Average 5.00
Legend:
     The team finished in first place
     The team finished in last place and was eliminated from the race
     The team finished in last place in a non-elimination leg
     The team that won The Amazing Race
     The team that crossed the Finish Line second
     The team that crossed the Finish Line third
The team used the Fast Forward pass

Post-Race[]

Trivia[]

  • Steve & Josh are the only Family team to compete on The Amazing Race 4.
  • Steve & Josh are the first parent-child team to win a leg.
  • They were featured in a CBS.com gallery celebrating Father's Day in 2015.[3]

External links[]

Interviews[]

  • TARflies (07/02/2003): "Just Josh"
  • TARflies (07/06/2003): "Steve's Turn"
  • Josh's AMA at Reddit (02/06/2012): "I was an Amazing Race, contestant!"

Social Media Profiles[]

References[]

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