Karishma Cordero ran through the streets of Mexico, searching for the next clue. In spite of the sweat dripping down her face and the stress of reaching the next leg, she felt fueled by the adrenaline of this adventure. 

Communication and leadership graduate, Karishma Cordero, embarked on the 36th season of  “The Amazing Race” alongside her cousin, Kishori Turner. The show, which was filmed in fall 2022 and premiered March 13 on CBS, features the pair and 12 other teams competing in a race around the world for a grand prize of $1 million. The teams stop in a different country each leg of the race, facing the possibility of elimination each round.

“I love going to a new place and discovering what life is like,” Karishma said. “I love hearing other people’s stories. That’s something that’s so important to me.”

Unable to disclose their participation on the show, the pair made arrangements to disappear for a month.With limited time to prepare, Karishma and Turner worked on their endurance and quickly learned how to drive a stick shift. Three weeks after confirming their participation, they stood at the start line in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. 

“There’s so many things that you’ve done to lead up to that moment and you get up to the line… (and) it’s make or break,” Karishima said. “It’s time to race. You’re just thinking a million things at once.”

The team let only a few people in on their secret, one of them being Karishma’s sister Kaveri Cordero, a communication and leadership freshman. Kaveri said she enjoys getting to finally watch her sister’s experience on screen. 

“It’s really refreshing and fun to watch her,” Kaveri said. “Now that I get to watch it with her, and we can look back on her journey … it’s super exciting.” 

Karishma and Turner navigated traveling to foreign countries while accomplishing an assortment of physical and mental challenges such as jumping through lassos or recreating traditional Mexican face paint. Karishma said her biggest challenge was maintaining a clear head under the race’s chaotic pace.

“One thing I underestimated was how tired I was going to be,” Karishma said. “A lot of my energy was depleted because I wasn’t eating or drinking because I was so nervous… It’s a very exhausting and tolling time but it’s so fun. I miss booking the flights, I miss the adrenaline.”

Turner said she and Karishma communicated well, allowing them to navigate those high-intensity moments. During their rest days, the pair debriefed each leg, bonding over their experiences and strategizing improvements. Karishma said the time spent together brought them even closer. 

“We act more like sisters than cousins,” Turner said. “It’s easy to get over things fast if you’re frustrated or your teammate’s annoying you. We had a couple of those moments … but within five minutes, we were over it. I think that’s an important skill that not all teams have.”

Karishma said she feels grateful for the time to grow closer to the cast and her cousin under such rare circumstances.

“It’s such a unique experience,” Karishma said. “Getting the opportunity to go on ‘The Amazing Race’ in itself was a prize because not everyone gets to experience that. There’s (just) a handful of people in the entire world.”

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect a name misspelling. The Texan regrets this error.