'The Amazing Race' season 36 cast features two teams with Wisconsin connections, including firefighter moms and a former Packer, his wife

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Season 36 of "The Amazing Race" features 13 duos competing in a race around the world for $1 million. The season, which will premiere March 13, features two teams with a Wisconsin connection: Rod and Leticia Gardner (orange, middle) and Sunny Pulver and Elizabeth “Bizzy” Smith (blue, right). Rod Gardner played briefly for the Green Bay Packers in 2005, while the team of Pulver and Smith are best friends from Wisconsin.

"The Amazing Race" returns in spring 2024 for its 36th season and two teams with Wisconsin connections will be racing around the world to win the $1 million prize.

And if past history shows us anything, there's a good chance one of them will win it.

The cast for the next installment of CBS' long-running reality TV competition show was released on Wednesday with 13 teams ready for an adventure that tests pairs personally, physically and mentally while immersing themselves in different cultures. Among them includes a best friends team of moms from Wisconsin and a husband-wife pair who have an affiliation to the Green Bay Packers.

The multi-time Emmy Award-winning reality series is hosted by Phil Keoghan. Teams face challenges across the world and look to avoid elimination by staying out of last place during each leg of the race. The team that comes in first place in the final leg, which concludes at a city in the United States, is the winner. The season was filmed in October and November 2022.

Here's what we know about both teams.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Wisconsin firefighters and best friends Sunny Pulver and Elizabeth "Bizzy" Smith will appear on the 36th season of "The Amazing Race." Pulver is from Edgerton and Smith is from New Berlin.

Sunny Pulver and Bizzy Smith

Best friends Sunny Pulver and "Bizzy" Smith are ready for the ultimate test when they look to conquer "The Amazing Race."

Pulver, 41, of Edgerton and Smith, 37, of New Berlin are firefighters and moms.

The two shared a fun video on their Instagram accounts Wednesday after the show revealed the cast.

Last year, they competed in the Fight for Air Climb at American Family Field while wearing their firefighting gear to raise money for the American Lung Association. Smith showcases the day on her Instagram account.

Smith also has a Tough Mudder on her competition résumé, an event that saw her work her way through an electro shock obstacle.

Rod and Leticia Gardner

Like the firefighter team, Rod and Leticia Gardner also have the look of a physical duo ready for any challenge.

Rod, 46, is a former NFL wide receiver and current owner of a supplement company in Georgia. Leticia, 38, is a fitness business owner. They reside in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

Married couple Rod and Leticia Gardner will appear on the 36th season of "The Amazing Race." The reality TV competition show premieres March 13. Rod Gardner played briefly for the Green Bay Packers late in the 2005 season.

Rod played six seasons and 91 NFL games. Two of those games came with the Green Bay Packers late in the 2005 season. He caught four passes for 67 yards for a career-high 16.8 yards per catch with the Packers.

The Packers re-signed him on March 21, 2006, but they cut him before the start of the 2006 season. The Kansas City Chiefs signed him in September of that year for what turned out to be his final season.

His best season came with Washington in 2002 during his second NFL season. He had career highs of 71 catches, 1,006 yards and eight touchdowns that year.

Laticia has a huge social media following and is the owner of Skinny, a company that sells health-based products.

She also hosts a popular podcast called "Live’n Life’n Love’n" that is dedicated to supporting and uplifting women.

Wisconsin's 'Amazing Race' history

Wisconsin teams have fared very well on "The Amazing Race" over the years.

University of Wisconsin-Madison food scientists Maya Warren and Amy DeJong bested 10 other teams on the 25th season that aired in fall 2014. Warren and DeJong were the ultimate underdogs. They didn't win a leg on the race until they shocked everyone and took home the grand prize by finishing in first in the finale.

Three years earlier, Wisconsin had its first winner. And unlike Warren and DeJong's victory, married Madison couple Rachel and Dave Brown were a dominant team throughout season 20. They started with a first-place finish, and their impressive run didn't stop all the way to $1 million. In 12 legs, they finished first in an "Amazing Race"-record eight of them.

If there was a reality TV competition show Hall of Fame, the Army combat pilot and his wife would be in it.

REALITY TV ALL-STARS:The top performances involving Wisconsin contestants

'The Amazing Race' premiere: How to watch on TV, streaming

"The Amazing Race" season 36 premieres at 8:30 p.m. March 13. Like last season, every episode will be 90 minutes.

The show airs on CBS and streams on Paramount+.