‘The Amazing Race’ sisters Natalie and Stephanie on their ‘sad’ elimination and why they might reunite on ‘The Challenge’: ‘We’d crush it’
Natalie and Stephanie Negrotti are already plotting their next adventure. After racing through seven legs of The Amazing Race 38 and bowing out in Romania, Natalie is campaigning hard for a sisterly reunion on The Challenge. “Times have changed — we’d crush it now,” she teases to Gold Derby, while Stephanie admits she’s “still having flashbacks” of her sister being tossed around on past seasons.
“I don’t like playing the social game,” Stephanie explains. “I don’t like lying — it’s not my vibe. I’m more about the competition, and that’s why I love The Amazing Race. You’re not stuck in a house where you have to slither around socially.”
Right then and there, Natalie jumps in to make her pitch. “You’re so big and strong!” she exclaims. “I’m 4’11 — I’m easy. People throw me into elimination because they’re hoping that I won’t get back in and I won’t be a big threat. I’m really bad at eliminations. You can win eliminations because of your size and skill set.”
“I’ll have to watch a current season and see how it is,” Stephanie responds skeptically.
The sisters’ Amazing Race journey came to an end after a chaotic travel day that saw them let Joseph and Adam Abdin slip ahead in line for an earlier flight to Bucharest — a move that proved costly. From there, navigation troubles and a series of grueling tasks left them last to reach the Pit Stop at Bucharest’s Carol Park.
The leg also featured one of the wildest challenges of the season: the highest skydive in Amazing Race history at 13,000 feet. Natalie took the plunge while Stephanie cheered from below, but despite their teamwork, the duo couldn’t recover from the their mistakes. The Big Brother alum and her sister opened up about what went wrong, the power dynamics of alliances this season, and the lessons they’ll carry into their next adventure — whether that’s on the mat or in The Challenge arena.
Gold Derby: You were doing so well before Bucharest — even taking first place in a leg. How are you both feeling now that you’ve had time to process the elimination?
Natalie: I’m really sad. It was uncomfortable to watch the elimination episode. We were on a roll and really working as teammates, but Romania just kicked our butts. It was difficult, and unfortunately we weren’t in alignment like the other legs. I’m not going to lie — it feels like a breakup.
Stephanie: We already lived it, so rewatching it was like reopening the wound. You always think about what you could’ve done better, but there’s this thing called race brain. You’re tired, you’re traveling, you’re in another country, and your voice of reason just disappears sometimes.
Stephanie, this was your first time on reality TV compared to Natalie, who’s been doing this for years. What was it like for you to see yourself on screen and join this world?
Stephanie: Prior to this, I couldn’t imagine being on TV — but I don’t think I could’ve imagined doing it with any other show. The Amazing Race has everything I love: it’s wholesome, it’s competitive, and it really tests your relationship with yourself and your partner. You get to see the world together. I couldn’t imagine any other show.
Early in this leg, you got to the ticket counter first, but Joseph and Adam ended up getting on the earlier flight. What was going through your mind watching that back?
Natalie: That really did make a difference. We need to work on being a little less empathetic and a little more assertive at the right times. Being raised by a single mom, sometimes I just bite my tongue instead of taking up space. Watching it back, I was mad at myself. We just sat there and took it. No more! — 2026 is my year to have a little more audacity!
This season has leaned heavily into alliances, partly because of all the Big Brother alumni. Do you think that helped or hurt you?
Stephanie: Before we left, I told Nat we should just race our own race and not rely on alliances — but it kind of turned into a completely different game than I imagined. We did end up leaning on people more than I wanted to. I’m independent and don’t ask for help a lot, so it was hard for me to not run my own race.
Natalie: And people leaned on us too. It was equal on all parts. Steph even felt weird when we got first place because she thought it was given to us, but it wasn’t — we earned it socially. We helped others so much and even wrote out their instructions. Our social game got us that win in a different way.
Which teams were you most loyal to, and did you feel burned by anyone along the way?
Natalie: I was the most loyal to the girl-girl teams. We had an alliance with the guys, but I always had this mission that a female team would win. We helped where we could and extended olive branches when possible. I love Joseph and Adam, but they’re strong competitors.
What was it like skydiving from 13,000 feet in Romania?
Natalie: I didn’t know it was the highest one in Amazing Race history! I’m terrified of heights, so I just decided to close my eyes and jump. My instructor kept yelling, “Open your eyes — this is the most amazing experience of your life!” But I was like, “No, this is my strategy.” [Laughs] It was so hard to breathe up there.”
Stephanie, what was the most difficult challenge overall for you?
Stephanie: Honestly, navigation. That’s what got us in Romania. If I’d had that under control, we might not be having this conversation right now.
How did this experience affect your relationship as sisters?
Stephanie: It made me more empathetic toward Nat. I understand her anxiety better now. Instead of saying, “Why are you crying?” I ask, “How are you feeling?” It made me a more patient sister.
Gold Derby: Was there anything you wish viewers had seen that didn’t make it to air?
Stephanie: They actually portrayed us pretty well! But there were funny behind-the-scenes moments — like sleeping on a floor covered in pigeon poop on an overnight train, or getting kicked out of a German train station and huddling outside freezing for hours. Just little chaotic travel moments that didn’t make it in.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
