Brothers’ Dreams Come True as They Compete in “The Amazing Race”

From Brooklyn to Hollywood.

Two brothers from Bay Ridge are contestants in this season’s Emmy-award-winning show “The Amazing Race.”

Now in its 37th season, the CBS reality program has teams of two that race around the world with the goal to win $1 million. 

Mike and Nick Fiorito have been avid fans of the show since it first aired. Although they made their dreams of being contestants come true, the journey was long and, at times, frustrating.

“We grew up in Bay Ridge, and it will always feel like home,” Mike, 28, told this paper about their Brooklyn roots. “We both played football for the Fort Hamilton Tigers and have that Tiger pride. Some of our best childhood memories are from playing sports at the local schoolyard and, in our later years, nights out with our buddies like Wing Wednesdays at Kettle Black.”

In 2016, the brothers had quit their jobs when they saw the show was accepting applications to be a part of the competition and decided to try out.

However, they didn’t receive a response. Instead of getting discouraged, they got creative and kept trying. For the next season, they posted their application video on the show’s fan group on Facebook, received positive feedback from people, and sent those to the producers.

Then, Nick emailed a video to a producer.

 “I’m walking to my car, and I’m just going to send this dude a video of my face just telling them how bad we want to be on the show,” Nick, 32, said on a YouTube video with Mike. “In retrospect, I would probably have set some different stuff, but it worked, and it got our foot in the door.”

Soon after, they flew the brothers to Los Angeles to compete in the casting finals. They made it to the very final cuts. However, they didn’t get on the series again due to a poor performance during the interview process.

 “We were just so disappointed with our performance,” Mike said. “We just completely botched it. It was just a lot of nerves. I don’t think we were ready for it.”

Following the last rejection, Mike and Nick started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to buy blankets for people living on the freezing cold streets of New York City. They later founded Blankets of Hope, a nonprofit that has partnered with schools to donate blankets and handwritten notes to those in need.

“For us, Blankets of Hope has been one of the most fulfilling parts of our journey,” Mike said. “It’s taught us that small acts of kindness can make a huge impact, and it’s shaped the way we approach everything we do—including ‘The Amazing Race.’”

With their new jobs, they kept auditioning for the show. After another close call at making the show, they finally got the news that they’d be competing in this year’s season, which premiered on CBS March 5. 

The two were ecstatic when they got the final phone call that they would be on the show.

“We jumped around like the 10-year-olds who were watching the show,” Mike said. “I don’t think I stopped smiling for like a week straight when we finally got the news.” 

Throughout their time on the show, the brothers’ key takeaways were a love of traveling, friendship, and teamwork.

“It was easily one of the most intense, exhilarating, and unforgettable experiences of our lives,” Mike said. “From the moment the race began, it was nonstop action—physically, mentally, and emotionally. We were constantly tested in ways we never expected, and every leg of the race brings new surprises. But beyond the competition, what really stood out were the relationships we built.”