The Amazing Race’s Tiffany & Cynthia On Coming From A Family Of Strong First Nations Women

While many teams on The Amazing Race Australia did a lot of physical training before going on the reality TV show, Tiffany Turland and Cynthia Cameron-Turland decided to just go with the flow.

"Honestly we didn’t do much preparing, the thought was there to train but it never happened," the aunty and niece from Western Australia tell Refinery29 Australia.

"It was more mental training and talking to each other about how we can set ourselves up the best and not cave under pressure."

One of their biggest assets during filming was their strong bond, especially since Cynthia has lived with her aunt on and off over the years.

"We believe our strengths were the dynamic between us itself," she says. "We both have our individual strengths, but knowing what they were and working together the way we do because of the relationship we have as aunty and niece is what really helped us."

The contestants come from a family of strong First Nations women determined to succeed. Tiffany looks to her mother in particular for inspiration. She raised four children after her husband died.

"My mum is the standard in which I live my life by; hardworking, caring, independent, resilient, persevering and strong," says Tiffany, explaining "I am who I am today because of her."

"My mum always told me I can do and be anything I want to be, it’s up to me. She’s been my number one supporter and the voice of reason in my head that tells me to keep going when I feel defeated. So that’s what I took with me on The [Amazing] Race."

"We both have many women in our lives that at one point or another have made an impact on us as teens and women growing up in the Pilbara, and those women know who they are," she adds. "Cynthia’s mum, who’s like my big sister and been there in my life since I was a teenager, is one of them."

As an all-female and Indigenous team on the show this year, Tiffany and Cynthia want to set an example for other women in their community.

"I do want young Indigenous girls and women to look at me and be proud and know they too can achieve more if they want it," says Tiffany.

In the past year we've seen an increase in First Nations representation on TV — with Brooke Blurton as The Bachelorette and Mindy Woods on MasterChef Australia — but Tiffany and Cynthia say there's still room for improvement.

"We think that there definitely is more of a push for it and there’s slowly more of a difference that can be noticed" they say. "We believe that there should be more opportunities created and encouraged to get more voices out there and show who and what the traditional Australia is."

They both have a strong connection to their culture and feel most at home in Pilbara, in the north of Western Australia.

"We are very proud of who we are and where we come from. It’s more than just knowing you’re Aboriginal," they explain.

"It’s a feeling of belonging, of feeling a connection. We feel it mostly when we’re home on Pilbara soil. Our soul honestly feels at peace when we’re on home ground. Our families and our community have meaning to us and we hope we’ve made everybody proud."

It was a close call for Tiffany and Cynthia during The Amazing Race on Monday night, after they finished last in the challenge and risked being eliminated. However in a very lucky twist, the show's host Beau Ryan revealed to the pair that while they came last, they wouldn't be going home as they had just completed a non-elimination leg of the race.

This year teams will travel across Australia, Africa, Europe, Asia, South America and North America in the hope of winning the $250,000 prize money and a brand new car.