Law School Graduates Win Amazing Race

Harvard Law School graduates Victor H.J. Jih and Tamara “Tammy” T.J. Jih crossed the finish line first on Sunday’s season 14 finale of The Amazing Race to claim the victory and the $1 million prize.

Victor and Tammy, siblings who graduated from HLS ten years apart (1996 and 2006 respectively) and are both litigators, traveled 40,000 miles and completed tasks in nine countries over the course of the race, which ended in Maui, Hawaii. They braved eight rounds of elimination, as well as stiff competition from the two other teams in the “final three,” one of which included the Amazing Race’s first deaf competitor.

Over the course of the race, the show emphasized the duo’s older brother-younger sister dynamic. A task in the hills of Romania brought the team’s “communication issues” to the fore, according to Victor, when he led his sister along an incorrect path despite her conviction that they were going the wrong way.

For him, simply “getting along” with Tammy for 24 hours a day proved to be the most challenging aspect of the experience.

“The race is designed to test—to stress—normal relationships, and see how they weather under extreme conditions,” he said.

Over 14 episodes, Tammy and Victor completed numerous tasks, including boarding a party taxi in Thailand and singing karaoke with “Mai Tai trannies,” Tammy said.

For her, one of the most valuable experiences was learning to travel without money or credit cards to serve as a safety net.

“Victor and I, in the grand scheme of things, have lived fairly privileged lives,” she said, noting that the rules of The Amazing Race put them on an equal playing field with everybody else.

While both Victor and Tammy thought they had a shot at claiming the prize, Tammy said, “I never let myself truly believe that we would win until the very end.”

She said that she plans to use her winnings to repay her law school loans. Victor said he hopes to continue with his passion—supporting high school debate.

—Staff writer Molly M. Strauss can be reached at mstrauss@fas.harvard.edu