MNN - Mother Nature Network

Go ahead and admit it: You never gave the Beekman boys a real shot at winning the $1 million top prize on "The Amazing Race."

 

CBS's hit reality competition series, known for its stressful and dramatic pace, seemed like the perfect catalyst to Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell's legendary (and often times, hilarious) relationship drama. Instead, viewers were treated to the very best of teamwork and dedication — and an underdog story that ended in Hollywood fashion.

 

In other words, the "Amazing Race" turned fabulous.

 

Last night, Josh and Brent crossed the finish line in New York City, besting nine other teams and finishing a whirlwind trip that covered nine countries and more than 25,000 miles. The final challenges included completing a Houdini-inspired escape from a straight jacket, delivering pizzas in Little Italy and correctly matching the words for "hello" and "goodbye" in different languages at the U.N.

 

After being declared winners, Josh and Brent shared a kiss and hugged — a dramatic finish all the more unexpected because they had never once came in first during the various legs of the race. 

 

“We were underdogs, and what I hope this proves to people — whether they’re a minority or they’re out of work or they’re losing their house or whatever — if they just keep going and keep working as hard as they can, people will help, and at some point you will win," said Josh. 

 

So now that they're $1 million richer, what's next for the two city-slickers-turned-farmers from Sharon Springs, N.Y.? For one thing, it appears that Josh will likely be leaving his New York City job and living on the farm full-time, a many-years-in-the-making dream that has eluded the couple. 

 

“This race has really brought us back together again,” Josh said. “I had to work in the city, and he’s on the farm. So winning this race actually will bring us physically together again … for the next 50 years.”

 

According to the Times Union, the couple will also use the winnings to pay off the mortgage on their farm. Public records show Josh and Brent bought the Beekman farm in 2007 for $950,000. While there's no telling how much they put down, working with the standard 20 percent, that's an initial mortgage of more than $750,000.

 

On their official website, the boys in a Thank You note added: "Next, we’re going to invest in a building on Sharon Springs Main Street that will become the new home of Beekman 1802. And finally we’ll be launching a new line of food products named after a 1929 Heirloom Tomato – “The Mortgage Lifter.” 25 percent of the profits will help other small American farmers pay off their debts."

 

Leave it to Brent and Josh to find a way to help others through their own success. 

 

"Looking back after this exhausting and exhilarating journey, it seems appropriate that it culminated in that very difficult final 'Amazing Race' challenge," the pair wrote on their site. "'Hello' and 'Goodbye' are perhaps the most important words we need to learn as human beings, and we should all try to learn them in as many languages as possible. But along the Race, we also learned nine equally valuable ones: Xie xie, Terima kasih, Dhanyabad, Sagolun, Spasibo, Dank je, Gracias, Merci & Thank you.

 

Check out video of Josh and Brent winning "The Amazing Race" below.