Vietnamese-French actor Saetti Baggio and stuntman Nguyen Thanh Phuc won the first season of Amazing Race Vietnam reality game show, based on U.S. series ‘The Amazing Race’, netting a cool VND300 million.

The HCMC duo, who practice at the city-based Quoc Thinh Cascade Club, defeated  couple Minh Hoang and Phuong Thao from HCMC and siblings Thanh Chung and Thanh Bang from Hanoi during the final episode which was screened last Friday on VTV3.

The last episode consisted of a break dance challenge in District 7, pyramid building from 286 boxes of Sting beverage brand in Amata Industrial Park in Dong Nai Province and playing a role of action stars who balance on an iron bar between two blocks of containers at the same height from a four-storey building. They also had to escape a hunting gang of motorcyclists at Hung Dao container area in Binh Duong Province.

Baggio and Phuc got continuous cramp but managed to reach the finish line at Ong Cay Bridge in District 2 to be crowned champions.

“Our contestants, who are normal people in daily life, have transformed into people with exceptional strength and courage to overcome many tough challenges throughout the one-month journey across Vietnam,” Dustin Nguyen, the program’s producer/host said at the award ceremony at Movenpick Hotel Saigon in Phu Nhuan District.

Baggio told the Daily that luck, good health and trust between him and his partner helped bring them the victory. He expects to spend the cash prize on business and a singing project. Meanwhile, Phuc who was born into a poor family in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap, will use his money to help his mother and tuition fees for his action film director training at university.

The Amazing Race Vietnam was produced by BHD and VTV3. The contest sees contestants travel around the more exotic locations in the country, explore local culture and strengthen the bond with their team-mates through a series of tough challenges.

SGT