A Flying Dust First Nation woman who, in recent years, made her mark on the big screen is now doing the same on the small screen. Rebecca Merasty is teaming up with her friend, Rebecca Watt of Wrigley, Northwest Territories, as contestants on the latest season of The Amazing Race Canada. The show began airing its 11th season July 8 on CTV, and the two Rebeccas quickly became viewer favourites.
“The show actually reached out to both of us individually and at separate times by the casting department,” Merasty told Northern Pride. “They didn’t know Rebecca and I were connected in any way – they had no idea we were also roommates and best friends. It was an easy decision for us to make. We sent in a tape and everything just happened from there.” The two Rebeccas believe they were approached to be a part of the show because of their strong social media presence. “I’m not entirely sure how it happened, but our best guess is we both have a bit of a social media presence and we also have friends who were previous contestants on the show,” Merasty explained. “We probably showed up in their feed while the casting department was looking for people who could potentially audition for the show. When we first discovered we would be part of the show, we were in shock, and there was definitely some excitement. It’s something both of us never really thought about doing, at least I didn’t. It was definitely surprising, but also exciting.”
Starting their journey at the Commonwealth Stadium, The Amazing Race sees 11 teams from across Canada compete to win two Chevrolet Blazers, a trip around the world and a $250,000 cash prize. This season, the show’s producers say contestants will also reach the Arctic Ocean for the first time in the series’ history during a trip to the Northwest Territories. “We were contacted last fall, and the season wrapped in May – we filmed it in April and May,” Merasty said. Merasty, who in 2018 appeared in the movie The Miracle Season alongside Helen Hunt and the late William Hurt, said being a part of The Amazing Race Canada is another chapter in what has already become an exciting career.
“I grew up on Flying Dust and played all my sports in Meadow Lake,” Merasty said. “I have an athletic background in volleyball. I went on to university, one thing led to another and I eventually landed a role in the movie. Making that movie basically changed my life. From there, I moved to Vancouver and dove headfirst into film and television. I did costuming full-time for two years before gaining experience in other departments within the film and television industry. I went on to work at EA Sports in motion capture, then COVID happened which opened up my availability allowing me to go full-time into modelling and acting in commercials.”
The two Rebeccas met in 2016 at an Indigenous fashion show in Calgary. According to a statement issued by The Amazing Race Canada, growing up in small northern communities, the two Rebeccas are best friends with an unshakeable bond learned resilience and resourcefulness early on. “The Rebeccas are racing for the people that shaped them, striving to inspire Indigenous youth and people of colour – proving their voices matter,” reads a recent news release. In a video promoting their appearance, Merasty described Watt as “the epitome of strength, perseverance and resilience.” Watt responded in-kind. “We want to represent all Indigenous women all over the country, and also women who have gone through challenges and tough times,” Watt said, “I’m a breast cancer survivor and I want to be an inspiration to those that are going through a tough time.”
When speaking with Northern Pride, Watt also shared her excitement on being part of the show. “I honestly couldn’t imagine doing this with anyone else,” she said. “I count my blessing every day… We had such a great time together doing this, but it’s about much more than that. We’re out there representing our communities, our hometowns. We are being that representation we didn’t have as little girls growing up. We didn’t see people who looked like us on TV. It’s important for us to be out there, doing our thing and to be strong.” Watt moved to Alberta as a teenager, attending university in Edmonton where she earned a degree in social work. She moved to British Columbia for work in Indigenous health. “It’s a bonus my bestie lives out here too,” she said. Merasty meanwhile, echoed Watt’s comments about being an inspiration for young, Indigenous people in their home communities and across Canada.
“We definitely can see ourselves as role models,” Merasty said. “It’s a driving force, knowing where we come from, to act with integrity, to be good humans, and go for our dreams, especially when we have those little eyes looking up to us.” The Amazing Race Canada airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on CTV.