CBS

Bill Bartek and his partner Joe made up the infamous Team Guido on the first season of THE AMAZING RACE. After they returned from their trip around the world, Bill and Joe went into hiding. "We decided to go to our condo in Park City, where we could disappear for a month to recuperate," shares Bill. "The hardest part [about life after the race] was the feeling of isolation, not being able to share the incredible, life-changing events we had been through! We wanted to stay away from our friends because they all knew we were up to something. A couple of our friends thought we were breaking up, others thought we had gone on a long business trip, so we just let them speculate."

Fortunately, being on the Race only strengthened Bill & Joe's relationship. "We are much closer and spiritual with each other," notes Bill. "The Race brings out raw emotion, and we survived that test. We found new strength in new ways that surprised us! We had this pact that if something angered us on the Race, we would say, 'Enough Said.' That was our secret word to stop arguing about something. We still use it to this day, and so do a few production folks who noticed us using the phrase and asked us what it meant."

Today, the happy couple lives with their dog Guido in Laguna Niguel, California, which is about halfway between San Diego and Los Angeles. While Joe is retired, Bill continues to work as a realtor in Laguna Beach. "I hope to join [Joe] in retirement sometime before I die!" jokes Bill.

Being on THE AMAZING RACE also provided Bill & Joe with an incredible side benefit. "We have been very fortunate to help out many gay kids," explains Bill. "We had no idea how powerful the medium of TV is in making bridges between cultures, and how much we could end up helping troubled kids."

When he's not working or helping others, Bill enjoys spending time with Joe and Guido at the beach in summer and on the slopes in the winter. "Yes, Guido is an excellent skier!" he adds. He and Joe also keep in touch with most of their fellow Racers from season one. "Nancy, from season one, and Brennan, were the two that have been kindest to us post-Race," he reveals, adding, "We were the season one villains." Thanks to the Internet, the couple formed friendships with Racers from other seasons, and some Survivors as well. "We have a lot in common when it comes to this ex-reality TV experience."

To find out more about what Team Guido has been up to since the THE AMAZING RACE, visit their website at www.TeamGuido.com.