‘The Amazing Race’ Season 34 Cast Includes Long-Lost Twins With a Touching Reunion Story
Up until a year ago, twins Emily Bushnell and Molly Sinert didn’t know each other existed. Now, they’re competing as a team in a race around the world for the chance to win $1 million. Bushnell and Sinert are cast members on The Amazing Race Season 34, which premieres on CBS in just a few days. Read on to learn more about the twins and their incredible reunion story.
‘The Amazing Race’ Season 34 gives long-lost twins Emily Bushnell and Molly Sinert a chance to connect more
CBS announced the cast of The Amazing Race Season 34 earlier this summer, including photos and introductory videos for each team. There are some interesting teammates this season, including Big Brother Season 23 couple Derek Xiao and Claire Rehfuss, as well as former New York Jets and Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan.
Another team that already stands out is Bushnell and Sinert, twins separated at birth. The 36-year-olds hail from Ardmore, Pennsylvania, and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, respectively. Bushnell is a law firm admin, while Sinert is a healthcare admin.
“We just met a year ago, even though we’re twin sisters. So part of this process is not only the chance to win $1 million but also to spend time together,” Sinert said in their intro video, shared by Entertainment Weekly.
“I think the biggest difference is in our experiences,” Bushnell added. “Molly was very athletic growing up and she was a dancer. I am a single mom so I’ve done a lot of mom-ing and crafting.”
Bushnell and Sinert are ready to put their synergy to the test on The Amazing Race, and it’s all thanks to a DNA test that Bushnell’s daughter begged for.
DNA tests brought Emily Bushnell and Molly Sinert together
Bushnell and Sinert made headlines last year when they shared their story. As Bushnell told WLRN, she and Sinert were born in South Korea and adopted by Jewish-American families. They never knew about each other until Bushnell’s daughter, Izzy, insisted on a DNA test to learn more about her mother’s biological family.
“I resisted for years. I wasn’t comfortable sending off our DNA and honestly thought that it would be unlikely for one of my DNA relatives to have also participated, thinking that my DNA relatives were all in South Korea,” Bushnell shared. “Izzy’s interest never faded — so we finally decided to gift her a kit for her birthday a couple of years ago.”
Sinert had also taken a DNA test to learn about her medical history, so she matched with Izzy and reached out. The twins dug deeper into their DNA results and looked at photos of each other, still in disbelief that it could be true. However, after texting and getting to know each other, Bushnell and Sinert discovered plenty of eerie but fascinating connections. For example, the twins wore almost identical looks to their high school proms.
“We had on basically the same style dress: strapless, beaded, fitted gown,” Sinert explained. “We’re wearing choker necklaces and our hair was pretty much exactly the same. Even our makeup was similar, and the way we were posed in the photos that we shared with each other. And our dates are pretty much mirror images.”
‘The Amazing Race’ twins met for the first time last year
Bushnell and Sinert decided to meet face-to-face a few weeks later, on March 29, their 36th birthday. The twins were “nervous” to meet each other out of fear that they wouldn’t “meet expectations.” However, it turned out to be a life-changing experience.
“This is the happiest moment of my life,” Bushnell said on Good Morning America. “I can honestly say that. I was robbed of the last 36 years of a life that I could have had with my twin. But at the same time, I’m very grateful and excited for what lies ahead.”
Fans can see more of the twins on The Amazing Race Season 34, which premieres on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.
