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“It’s very hard,” acknowledges Daval. “It’s go, go, go. The not knowing is the hardest part. You don’t know where you are going, what time you’re going, what the challenge is going to be, who is going to do the challenge. The not knowing is the craziest part, I think.”

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“It’s very tiring,” adds Masetti. “It’s physically and mentally demanding, obviously. But, yeah, Clara touched on something that was definitely the hardest part about this experience. We’re so used to knowing everything in our lives: you know what time you’re going to work, what time you’re going to finish, where you’re going to be this week, what you are doing this weekend. (With) Amazing Race literally every day you have no idea what is coming next. Where are you going to fly to? What challenge are you going to have to do. That’s really hard, the anxiety and to be able to work on that and control your anxiety. That really plays into it. It was not an easy experience, although it was very fun and life-changing. We saw some beautiful places and met some extraordinary people.”

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Still, it’s the sort of thing that could put considerable stress on a relatively new marriage, but both Masetti and Daval says experiencing the challenges of The Amazing Race actually strengthened their bond and allowed them to see new depth and strength in each other.

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“Facing all this adversity and doing all these really hard tasks all over Canada was a reminder of how much I love her and how lucky I am to have such an amazing teammate by my side,” Masetti says. “She is not just my teammate for The Amazing Race, she is my teammate for my amazing life.”

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Masetti is originally from Brazil and came to Calgary as a child with his family. In 2017, he was midway through his epic journey on horseback, riding through Ushuaia on the southern tip of Argentina, known as the “fin del mundo” or “end of the world.”

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Filipe Masetti makes a pit stop at Tim Hortons in High River on July 9, 2012, as he was getting underway riding two horses from the Calgary Stampede down to Brazil. William Doberstein/Postmedia file

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“On that leg of the journey, towards the end when I was almost arriving at my final destination, I met Clara,” he says. “I travelled 30 kilometres a day and would knock on people’s doors to ask for help. You always have to find feed for horses and water and places for them to stay and Clara’s family took me in very kindly and I stole the farmer’s daughter. I fell in love with her right away.”

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In 2020, Daval came to Canada on a work permit and became infatuated with The Amazing Race Canada. Unfortunately, the couple could not qualify at the time. Participants are required have a permanent residency, or PR, or be a citizen of the country. She got her PR in 2023 and applied for the 2024 version of The Amazing Race. They came close but were not chosen. Producers called them back in 2025, but Masetti couldn’t fit it into his schedule. So, in 2026, the couple decided to block off the month just in case they were called back.

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They were told they made the cut about a month before the show started shooting.

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Daval recently completed her studies in environmental management, finishing her degree online from a university in Argentina. Masetti continues to be busy with engagements around the world as both a speaker and horseback guide, working throughout Latin America, Africa, Canada and the U.S.

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Season 12 of The Amazing Race Canada debuts July 7, which is right in the middle of the Calgary Stampede and a particularly busy time for him, so the couple will hold off on watching it.

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“We will watch it on Crave when the Stampede is over,” he says. “It’s the craziest 10 days of my year, a lot of work. But yeah, we are super excited for the show to come out.”

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The Amazing Race Canada Season 12 debuts July 7 on CTV.

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