Starr Spangler ’08 began her winning worldwide journey on a whim.

When she turned 21, the minimum age required for contestants to appear on the CBS reality show “The Amazing Race,” she looked online and the applications were due the next week. She called her brother, Nick, to be her teammate, and, after several callbacks, they were in.

Contestants logged nearly 40,000 miles on a journey that took them from Brazil to Bolivia, New Zealand, Cambodia, India, Kazakstan and Russia. Team Spangler crossed the final finish line in Portland, Ore. In first place, nabbing the show’s $1 million prize.

“The luck that occurs in the race is incredible,” Spangler said. “A lot of it is skill and doing what you can do to move forward, but then there comes a point where you can’t do anything.”

She also said her close relationship with her brother was key in winning the tight competition.

“We are best friends,” she said. “It definitely gave us the edge because we are brother and sister and didn’t fight once on the race. Family going in and family going out.”

While attending TCU, Spangler was also a cheerleader for the Dallas Cowboys. Jessica Skillman  ’08, a fellow education major, said she remembers Starr practicing until 10 or 11 p.m. and still being prepared for class the next day.

“I’ve never met anybody as determined as her,” Skillman said. “If she wanted to do something, she would just do it.”

Spangler is currently working at a medical research center for children as an analytical behavior analyst in New York City. As for the million dollars, she said she is still looking for just the right project.

Out of all her experiences, from balancing school and cheerleading to racing around the world with her brother, Spangler said the most important lesson is to give everything your best effort.

“Nothing is unattainable,” she said, “If you apply yourself, you can do whatever you want to.”