Meet the Eight 'Race to Survive Alaska' Teams

Publish date: 2024-05-15

In 'Race to Survive Alaska,' eight teams of two embark on a 40-day race through hostile Alaskan terrain. Let's meet them!

Haylee Thorson - Author

Attention all outdoor adventure enthusiasts! A new wilderness competition show is officially here, and you don’t want to miss it. USA Network’s Race to Survive Alaska series follows eight teams of two embarking on a 40-day race through hostile Alaskan terrain.

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And the prize? A whopping $500,000. So, who are the 16 competitors in the new outdoor reality contest? Let’s meet the eight Race to Survive Alaska teams now!

Jeff Leininger and Hunter Leininger

Hailing from Canton, Ga., Jeff, 53, and his son Hunter are simultaneously the oldest and youngest racers in Race to Survive Alaska. 21-year-old Hunter has been racing since he was 6, while his father has been an adventure racer for most of his life. Their official series bio states that, "as a team, they combine Jeff’s wisdom and experience with Hunter’s raw energy and speed, making them a formidable duo."

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Brett Gatten and Esther Sunderlin

46-year-old Brett and his partner of two years, Esther, 40, met on a dating app after Brett moved to Wasilla, Alaska, to pursue his dream of living in the state. The couple, both fishing and hunting experts, bonded over their mutual love of the outdoors and fell in love. Will six weeks of racing in their beloved terrain bring them closer together?

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Wilson Hoogendorn and Oliver Hoogendorn

Inupiaq brothers from Nome, Alaska, 23-year-old Wilson and 25-year-old Oliver are no strangers to the harsh wilderness of their homeland. The first Native Alaskan team to summit Denali in less than two weeks, the commercial fisherman and gold diver are a force to be reckoned with. Additionally, “they hunt moose, seals, and whales using traditional methods, tools, and weapons carved from wood and ivory, valuing the land that sustains them.”

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Cason Crane and Bella Crane

Ivy League graduates Cason, 29, and Bella, 25, differ from their Race to Survive Alaska counterparts in more ways than one. The brother-and-sister duo hails from a family prioritizing outdoor adventures, with Cason being the first to put pride flags on all seven summits. As a financial professional based in New York, Bella’s ambition is anything but understated. Will she try to outcompete her older brother?

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Max Djenohan and Christian Junkar

Race to Survive Alaska isn’t 33-year-old Max’s first television rodeo. The Seattle competitor previously starred on Naked and Afraid and has survived on four continents for over 150 days. Max met 25-year-old Christian through mutual friends when he began working as a mountain guide.

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Robin Moore and Elizabeth Killham

Robin, 45, and Elizabeth, 36, haven’t known each other long, but they’re ready to take their friendship to the next level. The duo met while skydiving over the Great Pyramids in Egypt. Can Robin, an ER doctor and licensed pilot from Miami, Fla., and Elizabeth, a veterinarian and backpacker from Del Mar, Calif., take on the great Alaskan wilderness together?

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Genevive Walker and Favia Dubyk

33-year-old Genevive and 34-year-old Favia are passionate about establishing a space for Black female climbers. Genevive — from Kingston, N.Y. — is a cancer survivor and professional rock climber who held the 100-meter dash record for seven years at Harvard University. Albuquerque, N.M. native Favia is a certified rock-climbing instructor and wilderness first responder.

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Hakim Isler and Justice Norman

Fayetteville, N.C.’s Hakim, 45, is a psychological operations Army veteran who teaches vets with PTSD primitive survival skills. He met his partner and Race to Survive Alaska teammate, Justice — age 38 and from Park City, Utah — “through a course where Justice taught Hakim how to perceive things without [using] his eyes.” Justice is highly skilled in martial arts, specifically Merpati Putih, while Hakim describes himself as a ninja.

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