The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Former Longhorns partner up for adventure
09.30.2012 | Football
Sept. 30, 2012
Gaby Moran, Texas Media Relations
While at the University of Texas at Austin, Trey Wier* and Lexi Beerman were not the typical college students. Wier was a football player and Beerman was a member of the pom squad.
The two first saw each other in the Moncrief Athletic Complex in 2009. With many similar qualities and interests, including the love of adventure and competition, Beerman and Wier began dating soon after meeting and have now been together for three years. Throughout that time, they felt fortunate to experience many special moments together as a couple.
"The coolest moment I think for us in college was going to the National Championship together," Beerman said. "That was definitely our biggest moment as a football player and cheerleader at UT."
Beerman graduated in 2011 and works as a clothing designer and head of sales at an Austin-based clothing company. Wier graduated in 2012 and is a land consultant selling acreage communities in the hill country of Texas.
But their desire to explore the world, their love of physical activity and their ability to work as a team took a different turn when Beerman decided that they should try to gain a spot on a television show called "The Amazing Race." The show is about teams traveling to various countries while competing in a variety of challenges for a chance to win $1 million.
Since the show first aired, Beerman was determined to appear on "The Amazing Race" at some point in her life. After meeting Wier in the student athlete's training facility that day three years ago, she knew she had found her partner for the show.
Now, Beerman and Wier will be one of 11 teams competing in the 21st season of the show which premieres Sunday, Sept. 30, on CBS.
"We just wanted to experience the world," Wier said. "We have never traveled outside of the United States before, so for us, it was going to be a much different experience than for other folks who might have been to a few places. It was all brand new to us."
The couple was lucky to stumble across an open casting for the show at the Hill Country Galleria near Austin when heading to the lake two summers ago.
"I had never seen the show at this point," Wier said. "I just kind of tried out just to (make Lexi happy), and then I started watching the show and I loved it!"
After two long selection-process periods, Beerman and Wier were selected as finalists for the show.
"When we were finally called, I was still thinking that we were still waiting," Wier recalled. "It was hard to be fully excited. I mean we were, but it just felt - and still feels - surreal."
Once hearing they were finalists, Beerman and Wier got down to business. Both were thankful for their time spent on the football team and pom squad seeing that it was going to be huge advantage.
"Playing football for Texas definitely got me in shape," said Wier. "[assistant athletics director for strength and conditioning] MadDog [Jeff Madden] and [strength and conditioning head coach for football] Bennie [Wylie] had us running sprints all last summer. So I definitely was not worried about keeping up with everybody else. That was at least one thing I didn't have to worry about."
"I think the long hours of practicing, the jumping up and down on the field for four hours, and having to keep a positive attitude throughout all that really is what helped us prepare for the Race," Beerman added.
As another preparation, Beerman and Wier watched the previous 20 seasons so Weir could get more familiar with the show and also took note of strategic things previous teams brought and how to pack efficiently.
With neither having ever left the United States, the show became not just a race for $1 million but an amazing opportunity to see different cultures and grow closer together.
"I think the other teams had set places of where they wanted to go but we were just like 'anywhere is great!'" Beerman said. "We were both just excited to be traveling together."
"There is also a lot mental toughness that I think that I had that many of the other teams didn't," Wier said of the experience. "I have played football and had to deal with many different adversities my whole life. So I think the race worked out perfect for us because there is a lot of adversities throughout it."
Editor's note: MB-TF.com will follow up with Wier and Beerman when the show concludes this fall.
