There are hundreds of reality shows on television these days, but there are very few that are as positive as BYU TV’s Relative Race. The show that airs Sundays at 9p E/6p P is Amazing Race meets Who Do You Think You Are. Four teams start at one location and then span out across the country to meet family members that they did not know they have all around the United States.
Sounds simple? Nope. Before each team of two gets in their car to go to the next destination, they have to turn in their phones. That means no GPS; they will have to travel with just paper maps. Sounds really difficult? It gets harder. When they reach their new family members’ city, they have to participate in a challenge. Those challenges are not easy. Once they finish that, they are off to meet their family members. Which is what this show is all about.
Mike Brown has never met his father’s family including his father. He wants to get to know them, not only for himself but also for his only daughter, Austin Williams and her children. The father and daughter are not going to spend 10 days in a car together to meet the family they never knew they had.
In the first episode, they found out that Brown’s father passed away. That news is hard enough, but the manner how he died, made your heart break for him. His father killed his wife, who filed for divorce, and himself. Fortunately, his niece was able to tell him that his six brothers and sisters all loved their dad. He now has not just one sibling to meet but three brothers, three sisters and their extended families.
I recently talked to the father and daughter, and they told me what it is like to meet their now huge family.
What was it like to do the show?
AUSTIN: It was difficult. I would say it was one of the most challenging things that I’ve ever had to do. It was absolutely worthwhile, invaluable, in having the opportunity to go do the journey with my father, obviously. But also both of us being able to meet all of his family that we didn’t even know existed, so it was really special. It was just a little torturous.
What is like suddenly having this big family?
MIKE: It’s amazing. I’ve never experienced a family like this before. From the outside looking in, you know, you kinda hear about these kinds of families. But now being part of a family that is so close, it’s really rewarding. I’m glad that Austin gets to see what a really cool big family looks like.
AUSTIN: I’m an only child. Growing up it was just me and mom and dad. And then my mom’s side of the family, that we did know, is a very, very small family. Getting to know these relatives. I’m thankful for, just opportunities to have things in common with people who I’m related to you and not just, you know, friends who I choose to be my family. But knowing that’s my cousin, I’m actually related to her. We have all of these things in common. Then an uncle and all of these people where I’ve never really had that before. Even something as simple as like, I look like you. I actually look like you.
It’s a very unique way of feeling like you belong or I rather I belong. And I had not felt that before. So I think that that’s probably the thing that I’m most thankful for because as daddy said the genetics are very strong. So we look alike and we have very similar interests and we’re good at the same things. Seeing that has been really, really cool.
MIKE: Austin’s kids, my grandkids, have cousins that are the same age as them and they’re just going to be friends for their whole lives. That they are connected and what a blessing.
Have they been to see their family since the show finished taping?
AUSTIN: We have both taken trips. We both took trips separately. Me and my husband, we took our children up to Connecticut to meet all of our new family on one trip. Then we actually had had the opportunity to obviously keep in touch through like FaceTime and those kinds of thing. And then dad, he went a few weeks after I did. So he took his wife.
MIKE: My wife has been adopted into the family seamlessly. She’s a professional educator and they’re professional educators on the Williams side of the family and they just connect. I have to make them hang up the phone. They spend hours on the phone. I tell her she can call them back tomorrow. So it is pretty funny.
AUSTIN: My kids are hilarious in their love for this new family. One example specifically, my daughter Michael, she’s six, and she is just so smitten with Camille who we met from day one. She asks me multiple times a week if we can FaceTime Camille. When we went up to visit, Michael just hung on to Camille like she was a little baby monkey. She just wanted to be on Camille all the time and it was the cutest, sweetest thing ever. She and Camille just kinda clicked. So you know, they love being together.
They love having this new family. It’s been wonderful to you to see my children just kind of be incorporated in, in and entered into the fold of what the Williams family is.
Is Mike sad that he did not meet his dad?
MIKE: Realizing, because of my age, the potential for him to still be alive, it was going to be pretty slim. That came to pass. We realized that on day one. It’s still kinda hard. I’m still processing all of that stuff.
We went from not having a clue who my father was to knowing my who my father is. Then 200 more relative and the emotions that come with, with all of those people and their connections. That it’s, uh, it was still a lot.
Besides meeting their blood relatives, have they become like family with any of the other contestants?
MIKE: We adopted Team Black. They’re part of our family. They have come to visit us in South Carolina. Both Austin’s and my house in there welcome forever and ever.
Would they recommend doing Relative Race to other people?
MIKE: Absolutely! Yeah, totally man. It’s, so, a once in a lifetime opportunity. To have the geneticists do the background checks and being availed the opportunity to meet so many family members that you never would have known. Just answer the other questions that you have regarding your relatives and stuff like that. It’s really a unique opportunity. It’s pretty cool.
What else did they want to say?
MIKE: I would say appreciate every day that you have with family. Family is family. It’s a whole different dynamic. It’s a whole different construct. It’s a whether you get along or don’t get along, family is family. When you allow someone to be part of your family, they become family too. I would say just appreciate every single day that you can share with people that you care for.
