The ninth leg of The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition marked the end of the road for swimming legend Ian Thorpe and his longtime friend Christian Miranda. The duo’s journey came to a close in Namibia, where the physical demands of the competition proved too challenging for Thorpe, who had been grappling with persistent shin splints. Their inability to conquer The Dome obstacle sealed their fate in the race.
The Namibia-set leg challenged teams with unique tasks, including “Bokdrol Spoeg” (dung spitting), where participants had to spit kudu dung into a stone circle. Thorpe and Miranda also faced an additional Speed Bump challenge due to their last-place finish in the previous leg. Teams then chose between two Detour options: “Weapons,” which involved archery, and “Water,” which required crafting a water carrier from an ostrich egg.
Further tasks included identifying animals from video footage at an animal research station and locating a clue atop the massive Dome boulder. The leg concluded with teams racing to a Pit Stop where host Beau Ryan awaited. Throughout their time on the show, Thorpe and Miranda competed to support ReachOut Australia, a mental health organisation for young people.
The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition is produced by Eureka Productions for Network 10. The series features celebrity pairs competing in challenges across various locations. The next episode will air on Monday at 7:30 PM on Channel 10.
