Dan: Previously on Relative Race.

Joe: It's Day 8, enough Mr. Nice Guy.

Dan: Joe and Jerica started playing for keeps.

We decided to text Team Red.

We want you all to do well.

We also texted Team Green.

So we can give Team Red their second strike.

Boo-ya-ha-ha-ha.

Dan: Austen met a cousin.

So y'all know each other.

Dan: And Preshious suffered a leg injury... Ah!

Oh, I felt something pop.

...that ultimately led their team to defeat.

You finished in last, and have received your second strike.

DNA tells us who we are and where we came from.

Following their own DNA, four teams are racing... [Jerica screaming] ...to win $50,000... Yeah, baby!

...and to find their family!

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh!

♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh!

♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh!

♪ ♪ Dan: Eight days ago, our four teams set out from North Carolina to find family they never knew they had.

In my head, I'm just seeing all of the faces of the people that we've met.

It's just this overwhelming feeling that we weren't expecting to come away with from this show.

And it means the world to us.

This has been a- a long journey, it also seems like it went by so fast.

We-we're constantly growing as people and, you know, as husband and wife, so we couldn't ask for more.

Explaining how difficult this race is is-- understatement of the century, because it's not necessarily the things that you can prepare for-- it's the things that you cannot prepare for.

It's the stress of traffic when you know that you have an allotted time.

And the stress of working it out with a partner, and it's exhausting.

Dan: Today, our three remaining teams will meet their final family member of the race, and find out if they will compete for the grand prize of $50,000.

In Queensbury, New York, Red Team, Michael and Austen know for certain that they'll be going to Day 10.

However, in Winchester, Tennessee, Team Black, and in Dallas, Texas, Team Green, both have two strikes.

A third-place finish for either team today would send them home.

In Dallas, Texas, Team Green is feeling the pressure of possibly being eliminated tonight.

Woman: So how do y'all feel?

I felt like it was good to put on our good luck charm today.

We need to get through today, uh, without a strike.

Paris: Today we're feeling well-rested and energized, and we're ready to have at it.

Definitely got enough sleep.

Woman: Good.

Paris: That'll help.

We have to be sharp today.

Dan: In Winchester, Tennessee, Team Black is feeling good about their win yesterday, and are about to say goodbye to their cousin, Dawn, and her husband, Jim.

Jerica: So, last night, coming in first was a huge encouragement to us.

It definitely boosted our confidence in today, and we're feeling refreshed and ready to go.

Joe: We're ready for Day 9.

Yes.

Joe: She's throwing stuff in there, I don't know-- Jerica: I don't mean to!

I have to keep her organized.

Jerica: Yup.

Definitely a little more at stake with the strikes, um, but, at the same time, we're forgetting about that.

We're gonna enjoy our day, we're gonna have fun, we're not gonna stress, because that's what helps us do well.

[banging] Austen: I woke up this morning, and stress relief for me looks like hitting the bag.

[banging] It made me so happy, uh, all of the angst and anxiety from that first nine days, took it out on the bags.

[banging] Dan: After relieving some stress, Team Red prepares their routes out of Queensbury while they anticipate sending a team home.

Daddy, I'm sending, uh, Team Black a text message just telling them congratulations.

That's cool.

Awesome.

We want to see them on Day 10.

But we gotta send somebody home today.

Mike: I know.

Which makes me a little uncomfortable.

And it's part of the game.

That's-- everyone-- we all knew what we were getting into.

Yeah.

Mike: And I was really intensely concerned about where Day 10 could possibly be.

Austen: Eight hours.

Mike: This represents 10 hours.

This stir stick represents 10 hours.

I broke out all the maps and we started triangulating from where the other teams were, trying to figure out where it could possibly be.

So you got Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Norfolk, Philadelphia.

♪ Joe: Ah, there we go.

Jerica: We got a text.

Oh, no.

It's from Dan.

All right, here we go.

Jerica: Dan says, "Good morning teams, and welcome to Day 9 of Relative Race."

Team Green will be traveling to Kemah, Texas.

Team Red will be traveling to North Bergen, New Jersey.

Team Black will be traveling to Louisville, Kentucky!

Joe: What?!

We love Louisville!

Today's first place winner will receive a Day 10 benefit.

Your time starts now.

Now!

We gotta find Kemah... [rushedly saying goodbye] North Bergen?

Joe: We've be been there a million times.

Way over there.

Oh, goodness.

New Jersey.

Austen: Come on, Daddy.

I didn't get your bag, you gotta get it.

Bye!

Bye!

Thank you so much.

Love you.

Love you, too.

Louisville, here we come.

[singing to the tune of "Be OK" by Ingrid Michaelson] ♪ I just want to win the race, win the race, win the race, ♪ ♪ I just want to win a race today.

♪ [intense music] ♪ It's Day 9 of Relative Race.

All of our teams continue to race along different paths in the eastern half of the country.

Each team looking for new relatives, each in a different city.

All of them searching for the finish line in an undisclosed location.

At the start of the race eight days ago in North Carolina, all of our teams surrendered their smart phones and all use of technology, in exchange for paper maps and flip phones with no GPS or internet access.

Now, they're headed to a new city.

They must take a selfie to prove that they've made it, successfully complete a common challenge, and find their relative-- each in a different allotted time.

The team that goes over their allotted time the most will receive a strike.

Three strikes, and you're out of the race.

Welcome to Day 9 of Relative Race.

Joe: There's a stop sign.

Jerica: I think you were supposed to go left there, back there.

Are you sure?

Yes.

There's a stop sign.

No, no, no, no!

Go back, go back.

Shhh, [gentle voice] I will, calm down.

As soon as I said I was calm, I'm freaking-- Joe: You're getting way too excited, Jerica.

Jerica: So our morning started just like any other morning, with Joe making a wrong turn right off the bat.

We do this every morning.

Shh, it's okay, it's our signature.

Now, make sure this is my turn.

It is, I saw it as soon as we passed it.

Shh, calm.

Big, deep breath.

We need to read a stress quote and do our yoga.

Jerica: I know.

Dan: After a bit of anxiety from taking a wrong turn, Team Black, Joe and Jerica, are back on track and traveling from Winchester, Tennessee, to Louisville, Kentucky.

Their allotted time is 4 hours and 52 minutes.

Hello, it is Day 9.

We got two strikes already.

We cannot do three and out, so.

Paris: Two strikes in a row.

Yeah, we got two in a row.

We are not happy about that.

Dan: Still feeling the pressure of two strikes, Team Green, Paris and Preshious are traveling from Dallas to Kemah, Texas.

They also have the same allotted time as Team Black: 4 hours and 52 minutes.

Paris: The fact that it's Day 9 is just crazy, it's just like, where did the rest of the days go?

We're very thankful for everything, and everybody that we've met along this journey.

Austen: Alls I know is that we're over here like, "Life is good."

It's all unicorns, and sprinkles.

But you know what another part of the game is?

Sunshine.

What?

Mike: Is that today is the last day that we're gonna meet the last relative, you know what I'm saying?

If you made it this far, tonight you get to meet your final relative, and it, it's kinda like it's a good day.

Dan: Feeling fantastic knowing they get to meet all of their relatives, Team Red, Michael and Austen, are traveling from Queensbury, New York, to North Bergen, New Jersey, with an allotted time of 3 hours and 43 minutes.

Mike: It ain't over 'til it's over.

[raspy] It ain't over 'til it's over.

I love Rocky.

[deep voice] Yo, Adrian.

That's how we got to Day 10, Daddy.

Because our inner Rocky had us running up the stairs with our arms up.

Mike: It had us-- had me hobbling up the stairs.

But the underdog always wins in Rocky, and that's what makes it so beautiful.

Dan: As Team Red channels their inner Rocky, Team Black is channeling their Southern accents.

[in a Southern accent] Nashville, 22 miles.

I'm starting to sound Southern now.

[in a Southern accent] Y'all, come back and see us.

Don't be a stranger, now, now.

[in a Southern accent] No, don't do that.

Y'all come back and get some chicken and biscuits and gravy.

[laughing] Joe: They're rubbing off on me.

Paris: I'm hoping, you know, we can finally meet your dad.

I hope so.

If I don't meet my dad, then, like, maybe his mom, maybe my grandmother.

Paris: You need somebody who can tell you more about your dad, would be good.

Preshious: Yeah, like, I could probably get a contact from them.

Right.

Preshious: Because I don't think he lives out here, but I don't know.

♪ Dan: As the teams draw closer to their destination cities, anticipation begins to build as they look for a city sign.

Paris: Look at that, I'm gonna ask this person real quick, then I'll turn around.

Okay.

Paris: Excuse me, do you know how to get to Kemah?

He tells us we're not in city limits, but he offers to take us there.

Preshious: Okay.

Thank you.

That's the first time we got that.

Joe: There's a sign that says Louisville.

Maybe we are in Louisville.

Austen: I-9.

Mike: North Bergen, we're looking for North Bergen.

He's putting his signal on.

He stops to point us in the right direction.

That way?

Thanks.

Jerica: We decide to go ahead and pull off at the road, as soon as we felt like we were in city limits, and immediately found a bridge with Louisville, big as day on it.

Joe: University of Louisville.

Do you think we can get that in a selfie?

Kemah, Kemah.

Pull to the right, turn right.

Yeah, I see it.

And sure enough, we drive right into Kemah and find our city sign.

Let's go.

Mike: United States Post Office.

Slow down.

North Bergens, right here.

Pull in, pull in, pull in right here, Pook.

Austen: Okay, Daddy-o.

Let's go get this selfie.

Hand me the phone.

Okay.

Preshious: Give me your arm, turn around, kneel down.

Kneel.

Joe: Get in.

Are you in?

Jerica: Yup.

Joe: Hold.

Austen: Okay, come here, come here!

No, no.

This is good.

Right there, right there, hold it, hold it, hold it.

Go.

[camera shutter] Got it, got it, perfect!

Paris: Got it.

[camera shutter] Take.

Jerica: There we go.

Joe: Got it?

Am I in it?

Jerica: Yeah, you're in it.

[Joe laughs] That's the dumbest selfie we've ever taken in our life.

Ok, let's go back to the car.

Come on!

[intense violin music] ♪ Come on, Paris!

Let's go!

Jerica: Oh!

Uh, got one from Dan.

Okay, let's go.

Joe: Ah!

I almost slipped.

Austen: Okay, view now.

Okay.

Let us go challenge!

See that road right there?

Okay, Daddy-o, I'mma trust you, Daddy-o.

Dan: With their city selfies out of the way, all three teams will now face their daily challenge.

Jerica: We find out that our challenge is at a park, which we're a little concerned at.

A little?

The last few challenges that have been in a park have been some of the hardest challenges, so, we don't know what to expect at this point.

Preshious: It's right there, so pull over here.

[intense music] ♪ Joe: On that date.

Dan: Day 9's challenge for all teams is "On That Date."

This challenge will test our teams' knowledge of history.

Teams draw cards depicting historical dates, events, and photos.

They then must match those dates, events, and photos on panels in the correct chronological order.

Once teams get all 10 panels correct, the challenge is complete.

The allotted time for "On That Date" is 15 minutes.

Preshious: So basically, we have to align the events in history from the oldest to the newest.

Paris: We wanted to start off just getting the dates up on the panels.

1860.

Jerica: Okay.

Signing the Declaration of Independence.

Our first strategy was to get all of the dates in the correct order, but then we found out that the dates and the titles were all mixed together.

The first Pony Express ride, is that, like, early in history?

Jerica: Umm, that would-- go in the middle here.

Joe: Jerica's going to be better at this one, because she's the history buff.

Austen: It was important to me to just make sure that we got everything on the board, because we knew that once they were on the board, we could move them more easily and more quickly.

Jerica: My biggest concern for this challenge was probably the more recent dates; I'm more familiar with the older dates.

Rosa Parks would not have been in 1949, it would have been in 1955.

Joe: Yeah, you're better at the older dates, and I'm better at the more recent dates.

I only study, like, recent history.

Anything pre-2016 I know nothing about.

Do you know what this whole "founding a native" thing is?

I have never heard of that in my life.

NATO was after World War II.

Austen: So 1949?

Preshious: Switch a picture and a title.

Paris: Okay, okay, okay, okay.

Mike: The San Francisco 49ers, that was the beginning of the gold rush.

That was 1849.

Joe: Are you sure that was 2012?

Jerica: I want to say that's right.

Mike: Give me-- the Mars Rover goes 2000?

Preshious: Come on, put it on there!

Switch me, switch me, switch me.

Paris: That's the Louisiana Purchase right there.

Preshious: Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up.

Score.

Come on.

At any time we can request our score to know how many we have correct.

Score.

Paris: Wait, none correct?

We got zero correct.

We're definitely struggling.

Austen: Okay.

Mike: That's right.

This is right.

Austen: We were very intentional about making sure that we got as many right at the beginning as possible, because then we could start working our process of elimination.

Score.

Both: Seven.

Mike: All right.

Austen: Okay.

That's not too shabby, Daddy-o.

And I'm pretty sure it's over here.

Both: Score.

Aagh.

Jerica: Okay.

Joe: Oh my word.

Jerica: I mean, let's work in chronological order.

Maybe let's switch these two?

No.

It wasn't easy because we had to make sure that we were moving the picture and the corresponding caption.

Mike: See, focus on what you're doing.

Go easy, take your time, everything's good.

Daddy, this is over there.

I just can't-- I only have one piece in my hand.

Mike: Okay, so, walk over here and put it where it belongs.

Austen: You told me to stop and calm down and focus on what I'm doing.

Mike: Okay, so that's, okay.

First commercial radio broadcast, that's correct, I think.

Maybe they founded NATO in 2012.

The Battle of Alamo.

Jerica: The Battle of Alamo?

The Battle of the Alamo might have been in 1848, whereas the Pony Express would have been earlier.

Joe: Switch.

Jerica: Wait, one at a time, one at a time.

Joe: Okay, do it.

The first Pony Express ride.

Did we try that in 2012 yet?

Preshious: No, we can try it.

Paris: Let's try it.

Switch those two real quick.

Everyone need to get a try for 2012.

That's the only way we gon' move anywhere.

Preshious: Score.

Not doin' it.

Come on, let's try this for 2012.

I don't know why, but let's try it, let's try the radio.

Preshious: No, that didn't happen in 2012.

Paris: Well, we don't know-- Preshious: We had radios before then.

We don't know what-- 2012 was a couple years ago.

Paris: Just try it.

He wants to put the radio in 2012, as if we just invented the radio.

You have to think for like what makes sense.

Paris: Well, while we're thinking, we might as well be switching.

Preshious: Okay, we only had radio a couple years ago.

Score.

Thanks.

Told you, there's no way the radio was just done-- Paris: Okay, you're just sitting here whining instead of switching.

Gimme it.

Tell me what you want me to do.

Mike: We need to switch with what happened in 1860 is what happened in 1803, that's what we need to switch.

The problem really boiled down to the Louisiana purchase and the Pony Express.

And once we swapped those around, we finally got 10 correct.

Mike: Yeah, that's it.

Austen: Great, come on.

Okay.

"Your relative lives at 1204 51st street, number three."

Being team geriatric tortoises-- we have a lot of history.

It worked for us today.

Jerica: Did we switch the Louisiana Purchase with the first Pony Express?

Joe: I don't remember at this point.

Switch-- try it, if you haven't.

It really just came down to a couple that we kept switching back and forth, and we finally got it right.

Score.

[cheers] We got it!

Okay, here we go, here we go.

"Your relative is at 7601 Petty Jay Court."

All right, let's go.

Paris: And there's something fishy about-- Preshious: NATO.

Paris: NATO.

So we really get hung up on the Battle of Alamo, and the founding of NATO.

Preshious: So the picture, give me the picture.

All we switched was the title.

Both: Score.

Preshious: [sigh of relief] Come on.

"Your relative lives at 1447 Bayshore Drive."

Go, go, go, go.

♪ Dan: All teams have completed their challenge for Day 9, and are now frantically searching for the final relative that they will meet on this journey.

Where are you going?

I don't know.

So we're gonna turn right.

We're gonna turn right.

We made a left into Clear Lake, so we need to go back out of here right.

Everything we did, we need to go backwards.

So you don't know where we're at on the map, right?

If you don't know, we really should probably be talking to somebody, because I have no clue.

51st.

That was 47.

That's 47th, 48th.

Preshious: You did say you'd seen it.

So we find the street on our map, and Paris remembers it's right next to where we took our selfie.

So it was over there where we were.

Good job!

Paris: I'm telling you.

That's what I'm saying, we're Bonnie and Clyde.

We're like PB&J.

Both: 51st street.

1608, 1604.

We're going down, that's right.

1204.

Joe: Are we pulling into a hotel?

We need to get help now.

Hurry, Jerica, it's okay, breathe.

Jerica: I ask these two guys if they know where Petty Jay Court is, and one of them points us in the right direction.

All right, thank you so much.

Does that make sense?

Yup.

Joe: I knew we needed help.

I was so confused.

Mike: You don't want to pass it, you know what I'm saying?

Do not pass it.

Okay.

I'm not gonna pass it, I promise.

1204!

1204!

All right, so pull in.

Well, who's this?

Austen: Hi!

Man: Hi!

Hi.

Mike: How are you?

Hi, I'm Austen.

I'm-- I'm Mike.

Whose relatives are we?

Austen?

Yes?

My name is Larry.

Hi, Larry.

This is my sister Thomasina, and we are your relatives.

[exclaims in excitement] My grandmother and your great-grandfather are siblings.

Austen: Oh my goodness!

[laughing] Mike: How awesome is that?

I'm Larry Goss.

And I'm Thomasina Heartwell.

We are brother and sister.

We are Austen Williams' cousins.

Come on, let's go in!

All: Okay!

Larry: I am a pastor.

I am a husband, I am a father.

I am, uh, involved in several community events.

I am a mother of eight, a grandmother of 16, I run a soul food and seafood restaurant, as for many years where my children is involved.

Austen: So Larry, what do you do?

Larry: Believe it or not, I pastor a church.

You're a pastor?

Larry: Yes.

Amazing.

How long have you been working in ministry?

Probably 17 years.

I want to come visit.

Immediately, I started asking him all kinds of questions about ministries, and inviting myself to do ministry with him.

Can I come speak?

Sure you can!

I have been traveling, and-- and preaching and speaking to women for about 15 years.

As a result of the work that I did while I was Mrs. America, was awarded with many honors, but that has lead me into a career fighting human trafficking.

Today, I am the president and executive director of a nonprofit organization.

In addition to that, I also run a women's ministry where I speak and encourage women to become their most purpose-driven, fulfilled life.

Apparently it runs in the family.

[laughing] Austen: Who knew?

Larry: I focus a lot on foreign mission.

Uh, I've taken several trips over to Uganda.

Over there, we were able to build a school for the children over there in Uganda.

Um, I've visited a few other countries as well.

Austen: I will go with you.

Okay.

We can just make it a family affair.

Larry: Okay, okay.

I love it.

That was a great connection, but I'm excited that she is even in ministry.

I love that we already have so many similarities and things in common, and an opportunity to do work together.

I'm so excited, I don't even know what to do.

[laughing] Mike: Try to contain your excitement.

I'm so excited!

[exclaims of excitement] Larry: Austen, I know this is great, but we've got some activities planned.

We gotta get out of here, let's go.

Let's go have some fun.

Austen: Let's go live a little.

Larry: Sounds good?

All right, you lead the way.

Dan: As Michael and Austen head off to their surprise activity, Joe and Jerica have finally located their relative's address.

Joe: You think that's probably our relative?

Jerica: Yeah, I think that is.

Joe: Okay, come on.

Hi!

Hi!

Joe : Are you our relative?

We are your relative.

We're both your relatives.

Joe and Jerica: Wow!

I'm Joe, what's your name?

I'm Kelly.

Joe and Jerica: Kelly.

This is my twin brother Kerry.

Jerica: Oh, wow!

Hi.

Joe: Kerry, hi there, nice to meet you.

This is Jerica.

Kelly: Twin brothers.

You probably can't tell us apart, right?

Jerica: Well, I can-- a little bit, yeah, you definitely look like twins.

Joe: So, can you tell us how we're related?

We're your cousins.

It's so cool to meet you.

Nice to meet you guys too.

I'm Kelly Smith.

I'm Kerry Smith.

Kelly: I'm a software developer.

Kerry: I'm retired after 39 years in the finance industry.

We're twin brothers, and we're Joe and Jerica's cousin.

We've got an adventure, though.

Jerica: Okay!

We're gonna hop in the cars and run and do this next thing.

Okay, let's do it.

Joe: Come on, hop in with us.

Jerica: As soon as we met them at the door, they said they had something adventurous for us to do and that we needed to leave right away.

Preshious: Okay, we're looking for 1447.

I know we need to go right, so we turn right, and we ended up right where we took the selfie, and the street address was right behind it.

1447.

Right in this driveway.

Great.

Stop, stop, stop.

Paris: Ready?

Yeah, yeah, go.

[intense music] ♪ [knocking] Preshious: We're waiting, and anticipating who's behind the door, and, uh, no one comes to the door.

Kno-- knock again.

We knock again, still no one.

Okay.

Is it cracked?

Preshious: Come on.

So then we go inside the door, it was open.

Hello?

[piano music] ♪ Oh.

I noticed, like, there was, like, these pictures on a table, so I walk over to the pictures.

I see a picture of my mom, the first one I was given, I see a picture of me and my dad.

I'm on his lap, and I think I was six years old in the picture.

My sweet daughter, you're not my little daddy's girl, you're all grown up now, Preshious.

It's like a note, like that he wrote on.

The gods are smiling down on us this day, your time to shine and be filled with all the love and joy, your dad.

Howard and Preshious.

I kind of just take it all in, and now I'm like, well, maybe he's not here, maybe he kinda wanted to just send some words, um, since he couldn't be here.

I'm just telling myself, like, you might need to be okay with this being it for Day 9.

♪ [gasp] Preshious: [soft laugh] You're my dad!

Walking out that door was like walking out into a stadium.

The crowd could have been a million, my daughter's priceless.

So when she turned, face-to-face, direct to me, her father, I can say a thousand words, it would never explain the feeling.

Words cannot express when you love someone, when you miss someone, when you want to embrace someone, and that someone is your daughter.

Preshious: It really is, like, magical.

It wasn't just a piece of paper, here he is.

Like, I really got to meet him, and hug him, and talk to him.

It's okay.

Whatever you was feeling, those feelings can now be filled with joy.

And happiness.

We made it this far, right?

Yes.

Howard: For a reason.

Glad to see ya, man.

Ah, likewise, man.

Thank you, man.

You-- such a beautiful woman, man, I appreciate it.

Thank God.

This was a perfect way to, like, really meet him for the first time, and, like, feel that connection.

My name is Howard Williams, I'm Preshious's father.

By faith, I just said to God, out loud, may God bless her back to me someday.

Here we are, 29 years of age.

Words cannot even describe the feelings.

I went into a state of numbness, because everything just hit me all at once.

After 23 plus years, the day has come to say that joy, pain, hurt, anger, I can say all of that has been turned into redemption.

♪ ♪ Face to face.

♪ ♪ Dan: It's Day 9 of Relative Race, and our three remaining teams have found their final relatives of the journey.

Austen: We meet my cousins Larry and Thomasina.

My great grandfather and their grandmother were siblings.

Dan: Preshious on Team Green has finally been reunited with her biological father after 22 years.

I really got to meet him, and hug him, and talk to him.

It's just been so long.

Dan: And Team Black, Joe and Jerica, met their twin cousins, Kelly and Kerry.

Jerica: As soon as we met them at the door, they said they had something adventurous for us to do and that we needed to leave right away.

[rock music] ♪ Jerica: Whoa.

Kelly: This is what we're here for.

This is the Louisville Mega Cavern bike ride.

We're gonna ride bikes in the cave.

Jerica: Wow.

Joe: Oh my goodness.

Jerica: We found out that Kelly and Kerry really enjoy mountain biking, and that they've traveled all over and done lots of mountain biking together.

I have a passion for biking because it's exciting, and adrenaline's running, and so you're not thinking about the fact that you're just about ready to die from exhaustion.

Jerica: All right.

Joe: Whoa, Jerica.

Apparently, people ride bikes on mountains.

And I've never mountain biked before in my life.

It's supposed to be wobbly, right?

Okay.

Okay, so we're done?

Nope, we're gonna head inside the cavern.

Jerica: Okay.

Kelly gave us some tips on how to ride, and that way we didn't hurt ourselves.

Kelly: Whoo!

Jerica: [shakily] Whoa.

Okay, that wasn't as bad as I was expecting it.

Joe: Wait for me!

I'm a little bit nervous going down the hill for the first time.

Oh, dear.

I don't know if I'm just going to, like, fall over and die, or what to expect at the bottom.

Jerica: You coming Joe?

[screams] Joe: Oh my goodness.

Kelly: All right, onto the next adventure.

♪ Dan: Back in North Bergen, New Jersey, Michael and Austen are about to bury the hatchet.

Larry: We went axe throwing.

[thud] This is a good Austen activity.

Mike: I have never thrown an axe before and this was awesome.

[thud] Austen: That was good, Daddy.

I was on the same team as Larry.

Mike: And I was on with Thomasina's team.

Austen: It's just like a standard dartboard, so the closer you get to the bullseye, the more points that you get.

Larry: You got it!

Yeah!

[shouting] Mike: I got four?

Austen: That was totally three.

It's totally appropriate to take out your frustrations this way, and this makes me so happy.

♪ Joe: Go, Jerica!

♪ Joe: I finally got the hang of it and it ended up being a lot of fun, actually.

♪ Joe: Getting to know what they like to do and doing it with them, it's the best way to get to know them.

I think that's one of the things we've enjoyed the most about Relative Race is going on all of these exciting adventures with our relatives.

Joe: Careful!

All right, we're done.

♪ ♪ Mike: Watching my relatives throw an axe was pretty scary.

It was terrifying.

[laughs] [thud] Never have I thrown an axe, but it was so amazing.

[cheering] I hit the bullseye several times.

Mike: At the end of the game, each team has a certain amount of points, and you can get 10 bonus points if you get the kill shot.

One, two, three!

All: Kill shot!

[cheering] Mike: That's my girl!

That's what I'm talking about!

Austen: Thomasina's the only reason why you won!

Good job.

Mike: It was a blast.

We had a blast, it was fun.

Good job!

Larry!

Psych!

Austen: Our relatives totally seemed to love this activity right along with us.

I don't think any of us have ever thrown an axe before, but it was so fun.

♪ Dan: While Michael and Austen head back to their relatives' home, Joe and Jerica are learning more about their new family connection.

Jerica: It's been a really chill evening.

We've just come home and gotten some pizza.

It's been a lot of fun.

So we were talking earlier about how we're related.

Yeah.

Yes, have you ever heard the name Highfield before in your ancestry?

Yes!

We have recently just heard it this last week, actually.

As we're traveling through, we're meeting more cousins, and that name has been brought up quite a few times.

So John Highfield.

Okay.

Was married to Catherine Applegate.

Interesting, uh-huh.

And that's our common ancestor that we're related to.

Jerica: We are related to Kelly and Kerry through our maternal side of the family and their maternal side of the family.

So, so interesting.

Somehow when you know you're connected to somebody through DNA or they're your relative, you're instant friends.

I mean, you know, it just creates a bond that it's hard to duplicate in other scenarios.

Jerica: Mm-hmm.

To see us go from like, oh, you know, like these two kids like, let's just go on an adventure!

To like where we are now, just meeting all these family members, it's really cool.

You know, it goes even further than just common ancestors.

It's just people that you hold close to your heart.

And so to be meeting people like you guys and hearing your story, it just means the world to us.

[poignant piano music] ♪ Preshious: My dad tells me that there's a fun activity for us tonight, and we're actually gonna go to the boardwalk.

And then out walks his mom, my grandmother, and I remember Grandma Audrey, so that's an immediate flashback to childhood.

She was just so sweet, I could tell she missed me.

It's great to see someone that you remember, like any name, any piece.

Because I was blessed to see my daughter again, reuniting with her, my surprise to her was to have a professional photographer to capture every moment, every powerful feeling.

Preshious: It's just great to have him by my side.

Like, I feel like a little kid again with the merry-go-round there and we feed the birds there and I just feel super special to be there with him in that moment.

Howard: It was her joy I got to embrace.

It was her happiness I got to watch, and that's pictures for me in my memories for life.

Preshious: My thing being younger was just, I just wanted answers.

I just wanted to know for myself and hear it from a parent myself.

I thought I would meet my mom.

I think I really had that in my heart, like, I'm gonna meet her, it's gonna happen.

So meeting Sheena and then how that happened.

Your mom, my sister, she passed away.

It was heartbreaking for me, but she's with me in spirit, and I have my dad who's still alive.

So what I did was put a picture of your mom, you, and hopefully throughout your journey you can find another family member to put inside.

Preshious: Now I think I have several pictures that I could put in there, and I'm gonna make a big picture of us to put in there.

It's just good to finally see him, and I'm so happy to see what we can get now, what can happen now.

This may be the end of this journey today, but now I have the rest of my life to make more memories.

[poignant music] ♪ ♪ Mike: After nine days, I had no idea that I would be walking away with an entire family intact.

Knowing where I came from, meeting brothers and sisters, aunts, finding out my father's name.

I had no idea that it could have been like this.

The family is just, it's priceless.

You can't put a price on that.

The fact that we are here on Day 9 is kind of a surprise to Joe and I, and we're so excited that we've actually been able to meet all of our relatives.

Joe: It really does mean the world, because from the beginning, this has been our ultimate goal is making it to Day 9 to be able to meet everyone and go on these journeys together.

Preshious: I really almost gave up.

It was hard.

When no one understands, when you have to be strong anyway.

Like, you have two kids.

I have to make sure everyone else is okay.

Your-- like, everyone else and like, it's not enough of just making sure I'm okay.

Like, I need to be okay.

I needed a dad.

Luckily, he's the way he is.

'Cause I would have took anyone.

So this has done so much for me and so I want him to know, like, I accept you.

It really feels like this was for me this time, and I wasn't forgotten and I'm just thankful for that.

♪ Preshious: I'm now ready for the Skype call to see what the results are for today.

I met my dad, so I'm complete.

Our biggest goal through this journey was to meet all of our relatives.

Joe: And if we can do that and still make it to Day 10, great.

If not, we're still walking away feeling overwhelmingly blessed and enriched through this whole experience.

I'm not even thinking about the $50,000.

At this particular moment, I'm thinking about how satisfied I am meeting my family, and I'm thinking about how tired I am.

I just want to eat and sleep.

♪ Dan: Day 9 of Relative Race is coming to a close.

All of the teams have met their final relatives tonight, but who will make it to Day 10 and compete for $50,000?

[mouse clicks] Dan: Welcome, teams.

In some ways, it seems like Relative Race just began, and yet here we are, Day 9.

I want to start with Joe and Jerica.

Are you concerned about that third strike today?

It's definitely something we know is a possibility, and you know, we'll just have to see.

No matter what happens, has it been worth it?

I don't think we can put into words how worth it it's been.

It's meant the world to us to go on this journey.

It's just something you can't really describe.

Michael, Austen.

Your same thoughts.

You know, the apprehension of not knowing who my father was then finding out who my father was and the circumstances behind, you know, his death.

You go from the bottom of the bottom to the top of the top in nine days, it's amazing.

I want to pose that same question right now for Preshious and Paris.

Preshious: This was way more than I thought it would be.

I had no idea it would get this intense to find out answers that you've been searching for 23 plus years now.

You started this journey looking for your parents and anyone else that might be out there, and you found out early on about your mother.

Unfortunately, she had passed away.

You knew that your father was still alive.

Who did you meet today?

Today I got to meet my dad.

So here he is.

It was so great to meet him.

And I also met my grandmother, so his mom.

So I am like a kid in a candy store.

I am completely happy and complete and I am so thankful and I never would have imagined this would have happened like this, and this means the world to me.

Dan: Paris, what was that like for you to see your wife meet her father?

The only word to describe that moment was perfect.

She got exactly what she's been telling me was missing her whole life.

We learned that how much of a daddy's girl she was coming up.

Her father has been her behind it, just, you know, to see that happiness that we've gotten from him and her grandmother, just to see it all come together the way it did, it couldn't have happened any better.

And a strike, a third strike, there is nothing that anything can happen competition-wise that could take away, you know, the feeling of gratefulness that we have right now.

Dan: Well, Relative Race is real.

We've talked about that.

I don't think anybody can prepare themselves for a journey like this, but it has been a privilege to watch each of you over the last nine days.

♪ We know Team Red, regardless of whether or not they earn a strike today, is headed to Day 10, the final day.

But who will be there?

Will it be Team Black or Team Green or it might be both of you, depending on the results.

The winning team came in 18 minutes over their allotted time.

They will be given a Day 10 benefit.

Finishing in first place and headed to Day 10, I don't know if a day can get any better, but this might help, Team Green.

Paris and Preshious, you finished 18 minutes over your allotted time.

You've discovered everything that you needed to know about your mother, you met your father and your grandmother today, and you've just found out that you punched your ticket to Day 10.

Congratulations.

We're so happy.

Dan: And so it comes down to Team Red and Team Black.

Team Red, no matter what the results, you're headed to Day 10.

Team Black, you have two strikes.

Finishing 46 minutes over their allotted time and receiving their third strike is Team Black.

Team Red, you finished 37 minutes over your allotted time.

Team Black, it is hard to say goodbye.

You have had your ups and your downs, but through it all, you have smiled and it's an infectious smile.

We have followed you with laughter and fun and we've seen you discover relatives you didn't even know you had.

We thank you for allowing us to watch your journey.

We wish you only the best, but it is your third strike, and you will be headed home tomorrow morning.

Please enjoy this time with your relatives.

Any thoughts?

You know, it's all right.

We're okay.

Our goal was to meet family, our goal was to hear stories, to share stories, and to go on an adventure, and we accomplished all of those goals.

I think all of us making it to Day 9 proves that we are all winners and we all fought through it all.

Joe: We definitely can't put a price tag on what this whole experience has meant to us.

And meeting our relatives and even meeting you guys and feeling like you're our family too, and we're gonna miss you guys, but we'll see you again soon.

That's right.

Definitely.

Dan: With sadness, we say goodbye to Team Black.

Joe and Jerica, thank you once again.

But Team Red and Team Green, you're in different states right now and we've got to get you together.

You will be there for Day 10.

Where that is, you'll find that out tomorrow morning.

You will be competing for $50,000.

I strongly suggest that you take another look at your Day 10 benefits that you've picked up.

What are they?

How might they help you?

Get some sleep.

Get focused, because tomorrow, it's Day 10.

$50,000 is on the line.

You've met your relatives, but what lies ahead?

There's still one more day for Relative Race.

Good luck in Day 10 of Relative Race.

Goodnight, everybody.

[all saying goodnight] Mike: We love you!

Jerica: Bye, love you guys!

Travel safe!

Rest up, be careful.

Travel safe, yes.

Joe: Go rock that Day 10!

Thanks!

Joe: We love you so much!

Love you guys!

Take care, love you.

Be safe.

Good luck.

[cheering] First place!

Dan: The results for Day 9 of Relative Race are in.

In first place and moving on to Day 10, Preshious and Paris.

In second place and also moving on to Day 10, Michael and Austen finish 37 minutes over their allotted time.

Austen: It's a happy-sad thing.

This is exhausting.

This is so...

I'm so tired.

It's so much.

Dan: And finishing in last place, 46 minutes over their allotted time, Joe and Jerica Henline have received their final strike and are now eliminated from the race.

It's okay.

Mm-hmm.

Yep.

We did our best.

Mm-hmm.

I think I'm supposed to give you this.

Preshious: Oh!

Okay.

What is it?

Howard: Find out.

Preshious: Let's see.

What is this?

When we got our Day 10 benefit, we opened the envelope, and it happened to be kind of like a cutout picture on the front and then on the back were like words.

Hmm.

We're unsure as to what this piece might be.

But we have a flag, we have a blueprint of like a house on bricks with wood.

Paris: I just don't think this is related to any of those.

They all somehow go together.

I have no idea how, but I know we have three, and that's better than having none.

Best of luck to both of you.

Austen: I'm happy for them, especially because that means that they don't have to go home, but I'm disappointed for us, because that means we didn't come in first and we don't get that Day 10 benefit that we really need.

Right.

Especially since we have one.

We need to outthink and stick to our plan.

I think we'll be victorious, I think we can do it.

Joe: Yeah, we're definitely disappointed.

And we don't feel sorry for ourselves that we don't get to do Day 10.

We just feel so happy that we made it to Day 9.

Jerica: I do feel like we have done our best.

Every day, we have fought hard.

We haven't given in, we haven't given up, and we've just kept moving forward.

And at the end of the day, we can feel like we did a good job, regardless of the results.

Joe: And that's all that matters.

Paris: We all realized, you know, how much of a gain, how much of a win-win situation this show was for everyone to begin with.

Preshious: It was very special for me to be able to sit there side by side with my dad and show him to the world on this TV show that I finally found him.

Well, that's a wrap on Team Black.

It is.

Yeah.

Our final day.

It's a little sad, but we're mostly happy and thankful for every moment of this whole experience.

Absolutely.

We wouldn't change it for the world.

No.

We are cheering on Team Green and Red all the way, and we wish them all the best.

They're part of our family.

We have so many new family members now, it's not even funny.

So true.

It's amazing.

So this is Joe and Jerica Henline, Team Black, signing off of Relative Race.

Bye, guys.

We love you.

Captioned by BYU tv.