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Imagine competing in “Race to Survive: New Zealand” — fighting your way across 150 miles of “deceptively beautiful” terrain in what the USA Network calls “40 days of hell” in brutal conditions, trying to beat eight other teams and win $500,000. Now imagine that your partner is the spouse you just divorced. Which is exactly the case for Salt Lakers Creighton Baird, 34, and Paulina Pena, 31.

“It’s so wild how we ended up doing the show together,” said Baird. They applied to be on the show months before they decided to end their marriage. Then, four days after their divorce was finalized, they got a call from producers with the news that they’d been cast as contestants.



A few weeks later, they were in New Zealand as a team. Why would you want to compete with your oh-so-recent ex-spouse? “When somebody’s offering you half a million dollars to do something that you think you’re pretty dang good at already ..

. it’s really hard to say no,” Baird said. (Patrik Giardino | USA Network) Utah divorced couple Creighton Baird and Paulina Pena team up to compete on "Race to Survive: New Zealand.

" Pena agreed that it was “a no-brainer for both of us,” but admitted, “There were definitely times when we questioned it.” As did pretty much everyone close to them. The initial response from “every single person” in their family and friend group “was ‘Why? .

.. This is a terrible idea,’” she said.

“And, ‘Are you guys crazy?’” “Our parents.

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