Amazing Race season 1 winners Rob and Brennan are still best friends decades after their win
The Amazing Race Season 1 debuted on CBS on September 5, 2001, and concluded on December 13, 2001. More than two decades on, fans still want to know: what happened to the winners Rob and Brennan, are Frank and Margarita still together, and where is every other team today?
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- The Amazing Race 1 cast now
- Rob Frisbee & Brennan Swain — winners
- Frank Mesa & Margarita Mesa — runners-up
- Joe Baldassare & Bill Bartek — Team Guido
- Kevin O'Connor & Drew Feinberg
- Nancy Hoyt & Emily Hoyt
- Lenny Hudson & Karyn Jefferson
- Paul Alessi & Amie Barsky
- Dave Groark & Margaretta Groark
- Pat Pierce & Brenda Mehta
- Kim Smith & Leslie Kellner
- Matt Robar and Ana Robar
- FAQ
Key takeaways
- Rob Frisbee and Brennan Swain won Season 1; Frank and Margarita Mesa finished second, and Joe Baldassare and Bill Bartek finished third.
- Rob and Brennan are still close friends — both work as lawyers specialising in copyright, intellectual property, and patent law.
- Paul and Amie entered the race as an engaged couple, married in 2006, but eventually separated.
- Frank and Margarita initially reconciled after the Race, but divorced and now remain good friends.
- Lenny and Karyn admitted to host Phil Keoghan at their elimination that their relationship would not work out.
The Amazing Race 1 cast now
Team | Relationship | Finish | Relationship status after the show |
Rob Frisbee & Brennan Swain | Best Friends/Lawyers | 1st (Winners) | Still best friends |
Frank & Margarita Mesa | Separated Parents | 2nd | Divorced; both remarried |
Joe Baldassare & Bill Bartek | Life Partners | 3rd | Still together |
Kevin O'Connor & Drew Feinberg | Fraternity Brothers | 4th | Still friends |
Nancy Hoyt & Emily Hoyt | Mother & Daughter | 5th | Nancy passed away in 2011 |
Lenny Hudson & Karyn Jefferson | Dating | 6th | Broke up post-race |
Paul Alessi & Amie Barsky | Engaged | 7th | Married 2006; later separated |
Dave Groark & Margaretta Groark | Married | 8th | Margaretta passed away in 2008. Dave passed away in December 2018 |
Pat Pierce & Brenda Mehta | Working Moms/Friends | 9th | Both living privately |
Kim Smith & Leslie Kellner | Roommates/Teachers | 10th | Presumed still friends |
Matt Robar and Ana Robar | Dating | 11th (1st elim.) | Both living privately |
Rob Frisbee & Brennan Swain — winners
Source: Getty Images
- Full names: Robert Frisbee and Brennan Swain
- Relationship: Best friends and lawyers
- Finish: 1st place (winners)
Rob Frisbee and Brennan Swain were The Amazing Race's first winners. Brennan was 29 at the time of filming and Rob was 27. They were introduced as lawyers at the same Los Angeles firm and best friends. Of the 13 legs in the season, Rob and Brennan won 5.
Frisbee is now a lawyer at Connolly & Finkel in Encino, California, specializing in general corporate and transactional matters. He has a son, Max, with Carman Knight. Swain is also a lawyer, focusing on patent and trademark law, and is the godfather of Frisbee's son. In 2021, Swain celebrated the 20th anniversary of the final leg, noting on Instagram that he and Frisbee are still best friends.
Frank Mesa & Margarita Mesa — runners-up
- Full names: Frank Mesa and Margarita Mesa
- Relationship: Separated parents
- Finish: 2nd place
Frank Mesa and Margarita Mesa were separated parents who had been apart for a year before the Race. Their competitiveness, strong racing instincts, and desire to provide for their daughter made them one of the most formidable teams of the inaugural season.
Frank and Margarita initially reconciled after the Race but divorced, and now remain good friends. Frank has been married to Lisa Francouer Mesa since August 2006. He works at MTA Metro-North Railroad as the Chief Operations Training Officer. Margarita resides in Miami and is the Managing Director, People and Operations at City Year.
Joe Baldassare & Bill Bartek — Team Guido
- Full names: Joseph "Joe" Baldassare and William "Bill" Bartek
- Relationship: Life partners
- Finish: 3rd place
Joseph "Joe" Baldassare and William "Bill" Bartek made history as the first gay couple to compete on The Amazing Race. Both had a killer strategy, going all the way to the top three. They later returned to participate in the All-Stars edition among a cast of returning teams from seasons 1–10.
Even after all this time, they are very much in love and reside in San Francisco, California. Post-race, Joe and Bill remained a couple and continued to travel extensively, and have been involved in charity work — particularly in support of animal rescue organizations.
Kevin O'Connor & Drew Feinberg
- Full names: Kevin O'Connor and Andrew "Drew" Feinberg
- Relationship: Fraternity brothers
- Finish: 4th place
Kevin O'Connor and Drew Feinberg captured the hearts of fans with their comic antics, finishing in fourth place. They made another attempt on The Amazing Race: All-Stars but were unfortunately eliminated after the second leg.
They had the honor of presenting the Best Reality-Based Television Program award at The 28th Annual People's Choice Awards. The duo also appeared in the recurring segment "Kevin and Drew to the Rescue" on The Rosie O'Donnell Show. Kevin has since embraced family life and is a proud husband and father to triplets.
Nancy Hoyt & Emily Hoyt
- Full names: Nancy Lundgren Hoyt and Emily Hoyt (now Emily Crew)
- Relationship: Mother & daughter
- Finish: 5th place
Nancy Hoyt and Emily Hoyt had a great run on the show until they received a penalty, which got them eliminated in fifth position. Nancy was deeply involved in her community — she participated in Habitat for Humanity volunteer work and spent eight years on the Central Texas board of directors for Planned Parenthood.
Nancy Lundgren Hoyt lost her battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) on December 8, 2011. Emily is happily married and now goes by the name Emily Crew.
Lenny Hudson & Karyn Jefferson
- Full names: Leonard "Lenny" Zeke Hudson and Karyn D. Jefferson
- Relationship: Dating
- Finish: 6th place
Leonard "Lenny" Zeke Hudson and Karyn D. Jefferson were a dating team on The Amazing Race 1. They spent most of their time on the Race arguing due to their opposing personalities. Upon elimination, they admitted to host Phil Keoghan that their relationship would not work out.
Lenny pursued a career as a Special Education Specialist at the Department of Education. He also coaches football, and previously worked as a Video Engineer for the United Nations for over five years. Karyn currently serves as an Employment Counsel at Corning Incorporated, and previously worked as an Adjunct Professor at Fordham University School of Law.
Paul Alessi & Amie Barsky
Source: Getty Images
- Full names: Paul Joseph Alessi and Amie Barsky
- Relationship: Engaged couple
- Finish: 7th place
Paul Joseph Alessi and Amie Barsky were an engaged team on The Amazing Race 1. The couple regularly bickered on the Race. In the fifth leg, they became hopelessly lost driving around the Sahara, with a sick Amie in the back of the vehicle, and were eliminated in 7th place.
Although they married in 2006, their relationship took a different path and they eventually separated. Following the show, Paul pursued a career in Hollywood as an actor, producer, and production manager. He won "Best Male Actor" for his work in Morphine at the 2006 Independent Film Festival of North Texas. Amie has also pursued acting and became a fitness instructor and entrepreneur.
Dave Groark & Margaretta Groark
- Full names: Dave Groark and Margaretta Groark
- Relationship: Married couple
- Finish: 8th place
Dave and Margaretta Groark were the oldest team on Season 1, racing as a long-married couple. The season traveled through South Africa, Zambia, France, Tunisia, Italy, India, Thailand, China, and Alaska — a grueling itinerary for any team, but especially impressive for them.
Margaretta Groark died on October 26, 2008, after a long battle with cancer, at the age of 67. Dave passed away in December 2018. Both are remembered fondly by the Amazing Race community.
Pat Pierce & Brenda Mehta
- Full names: Patricia "Pat" Pierce and Brenda Mehta (now Brenda Quesenberry)
- Relationship: Working moms/friends
- Finish: 9th place
Patricia "Pat" Pierce and Brenda Mehta were a team of working moms on The Amazing Race 1. Pat and Brenda became the first ever all-female team to win a leg when they took the Fast Forward in the first leg.
Now known as Brenda Quesenberry, Brenda is retired and resides in Florida with her husband, Charlie. Married since 2013, they enjoy biking and spending time on the beaches of Florida. Pat has dedicated her time to giving back to the community, and is involved with Hearts of Reality, a fundraising organization that supports Give Kids The World Village.
Kim Smith & Leslie Kellner
- Full names: Kimberly "Kim" Smith and Leslie Kellner
- Relationship: Roommates and teachers
- Finish: 10th place (2nd eliminated)
Kimberly "Kim" Smith and Leslie Kellner were the second pair to be eliminated from Season 1. The pair came on the show as roommates who were both working as teachers at the time.
Kim and Leslie share a love for children and continued their passion for teaching. Kim has two children of her own while Leslie has three. Leslie is currently working at Katy High School and is happily married to her husband, Chris McAlee.
Matt Robar and Ana Robar
- Full names: Matt Robar and Ana Robar
- Relationship: Dating couple
- Finish: 11th place (1st eliminated)
Matt Robar and Ana Robar were the very first team eliminated from The Amazing Race, exiting in the opening leg in Zambia. Both Ana and Matt have since lived a private life away from the limelight, focusing on their personal lives. They remain among the least-documented cast members of the inaugural season.
FAQ
Are Rob and Brennan from Amazing Race Season 1 still friends?
Yes. The very first winners of The Amazing Race were best friends, and they remain as close as ever more than 20 years on. Brennan is also the godfather to Rob's son, Max Frisbee. Both continue to practice law in California.
Are Frank and Margarita from Amazing Race Season 1 still together?
No. Frank and Margarita initially reconciled after the Race, but later divorced and now remain good friends. Frank has been married to Lisa Francouer Mesa since August 2006.
Are Paul and Amie from Amazing Race Season 1 still together?
No. Though Paul Alessi and Amie Barsky came on the show as an engaged couple and married sometime in 2006, they decided to call it quits. Paul went on to build a career as an actor and producer in Hollywood.
Where are Lenny and Karyn from Amazing Race Season 1 now?
Leonard "Lenny" Zeke Hudson and Karyn D. Jefferson split up shortly after exiting the show. Lenny works as a Special Education Specialist and occasionally coaches football. Karyn works as an Employment Counsel at Corning Incorporated and previously served as an Adjunct Professor at Fordham University School of Law.
When did Amazing Race Season 1 air?
The Amazing Race 1 filmed from March 8 to April 8, 2001. Ratings for Season 1 fell short of expectations, as the series premiered six days prior to the September 11 attacks, after which viewership fell amid preemption for news coverage. Despite its rocky debut, the show went on to become one of television's most decorated reality franchises.
We also highlighted facts about the Love Island USA Season 1 cast and where its stars are now. The former islanders have pursued careers in modelling, social media, business and reality television after leaving the villa. None of the original couples is still together, including winners Elizabeth Weber and Zac Mirabelli, who split just months after claiming the prize. However, several cast members remain in the spotlight, with some starting families, building brands or returning to reality TV.
Source: Legit.ng
