Melton friends, back from The Amazing Race, talk to Andria Cozza.
WORKMATES Paul Montgomery and Steve Scale are two very different people.
But they agree that competing together on reality TV show The Amazing Race has been an incredible experience.
“We both love the show; that was our common ground,” Mr Scale says.
The Melton pair, who work together for a paving and surfacing company in Laverton North, spent two months racing 65,000 kilometres across four continents as part of the popular Channel 7 series.
Mr Montgomery says his favourite destinations were the Philippines, a place he connected to because of his heritage, and Dubai.
Mr Scale enjoyed Cuba and China. “I really loved China, despite the language barrier.”
Mr Montgomery, a keen body-builder who has lived in Melton since he was four, says that after being teased as a child he wanted to prove that children who were bullied could rise up and become a success.
“I was bullied a fair bit as an overweight kid, but I want to be that role model. You can be that kid who was picked on and come out confident and motivated.”
Mr Scale says that through the travelling experience the pair learnt more about each other, and themselves.
“We did a really good job, as a team, from being workmates to learning to really understand each other.
“We’ve got a better relationship now … it has been something unique that we experienced together.”
Mr Montgomery jokes that the pair’s “bromance” has developed. “I’m really happy to have achieved what we did,” Mr Scale says.
After being successful in 11 of the 12 legs broadcast to date, Mr Montgomery says he would do it all again “in a heartbeat”.
“I love the rush of it, but I’m quite comfortable going back to my other life.”
The series final will screen tonight (when you can see them both) and tomorrow night at 7.30 on Channel 7.
