Misa Tanaka and Maiya Tanaka are a team of Sisters on The Amazing Race 20.
Profile
Retrieved from CBS.com[1]
Misa
- Age: 27
- Hometown: San Diego
- Connection to your teammate: Sisters
- Current occupation: Car Buyer
- Describe what you do: I conduct vehicle appraisals, coordinate on-site auctions and attend regional auto auctions to source inventory. I utilize leadership, decision making and time-management skills in a high pressure competitive environment.
- How will these skills help you win The Race? I perform extremely well under pressure and these skills are going to be invaluable when performing detours and Roadblocks. Making the right decisions and utilizing time wisely separates us from the competition and will help us win.
- Three words to describe you: Hilarious, passionate and engaging.
- Favorite hobbies: Snow boarding, surfing and snorkeling.
- What famous person reminds you of yourself? Cameron Diaz – she's fun, athletic and likes to laugh.
- What famous person reminds you of your teammate? Michelle Branch.
- What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Finishing college and paying my way independently without having to take out any student loans.
- What scares you most about traveling? Illnesses and natural disasters.
- What excites you most about traveling? New experiences, learning about other cultures, exploring and trying new things.
- Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together: Communication issues—sometimes we don't see eye to eye. And since we're sisters we definitely argue.
- Pet peeve about your teammate: She gets bossy and very angry when she's hungry.
- What country and place would you most like to visit and why? I'd like to visit Japan. It's where my grandparents grew up, and I'd like to be more familiar with my family history.
- What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? I hope to gain a much closer relationship with my sister and experience traveling around the world together. We never travel together.
Maiya
- Age: 25
- Hometown: San Diego
- Connection to your teammate: Sisters
- Current occupation: Professional Golfer
- Describe what you do: I hit a little white ball around a manicured lawn, toward a small hole in the ground, and try to do this better than everyone else. I compete on the LPGA Symetra Futures Tour.
- How will these skills help you win The Race? I'm competitive, have a lot of mental and physical talent and drive – I want to win!
- Three words to describe you: Inquisitive, driven and compassionate.
- Favorite hobbies: Golfing, hiking and any competitive game or activity.
- What famous person reminds you of yourself?: Danica Patrick – she's competitive in a male dominated sport.
- What famous person reminds you of your teammate?: Tia or Tamera Mowry.
- What is the accomplishment you are most proud of?: Starting the girls golf team with my sister at our high school and overcoming the odds with my golf career.
- What scares you most about traveling?: Getting a weird disease and the food.
- What excites you most about traveling?: Learning about new cultures and the way others live. Expanding my perspective on the world.
- Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together: We communicate very differently. Sometimes I don't understand her stubborn ways. She gets mad but then gets over it where as I kind of hold a grudge.
- Pet peeve about your teammate: She is stubborn and likes things to be her way – or the highway.
- What country and place would you most like to visit and why? I'd like to go to Japan because my family is from there and I would like to learn more about our lost culture. I would also like to go to Australia or New Zealand because I love the accents!
- What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? I hope to build a bond with my only sister. We never get the chance to travel together, and I'd like to learn about new cultures while having the adventure of a lifetime.
The Amazing Race 20
Race History
| Misa & Maiya's Race History | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Episode | Leg | Destination(s) | Detour Choice (underlined) |
Roadblock Performer |
Placement | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | United States → Argentina | No Detour | Maiya | 11 of 11 | |
| Average | 11.00 | |||||
Legend:
| ||||||
Post-Race
Trivia
- Maiya had previously competed on the show, Big Break.[2]
- First all-female Asian-American team to participate in the race.
- First team to walk past the Pit Stop.
External Links
Interviews
- Susan Gonzales at Yakkity Yaks (02/24/2012): "The Amazing Race: Misa and Maiya Share Their Experience"
- Teeuwynn Woodruff at RealityNewsOnline (02/24/2012): "We Didn't Have the Best of Luck with Vineyards"
- Elimination Interviews at CBS.com (02/22/2012): "Elimination Interview: Misa and Maiya"
- Daniel Fienberg at Hitfix.com (02/26/2012): "What went wrong and how did they miss Phil at the Pit Stop?"
- Catriona Wightman at Digital Spy (02/22/2012): "We need a redemption"
- Gina Scarpa at Reality Wanted (02/21/2012): "The Amazing Race 20: Exclusive Interview with Misa and Maiya Tanaka"
- Elizabeth Kwiatkowski at Reality TV World (02/21/2012): "Exclusive: Misa Tanaka and Maiya Tanaka talk 'The Amazing Race"
- Joyce Eng at TV Guide Online (02/21/2012): "We Didn't Know What to Look For"
Social Media Profiles
Misa's Facebook: /misa.tanaka
Misa & Maiya's Twitter: @Misa_Tanaka
- Maiya's Facebook: /maiyatanaka
- Misa & Maiya's Website: www.tanakasisters.com
References
Template:USAS20Teams