Doug Matter

Doug Matter is a retired fire chief from San Diego who became The Amazing Race’s oldest contestant while racing with his grandson Dylan.

Biography

Doug Matter is a retired fire chief from San Diego and a contestant on The Amazing Race season 39. His teammate is his grandson, Dylan Matter.

The Amazing Race season 39 with his grandson Dylan Matter.

The Amazing Race season 39 with his grandson Dylan Matter.^[1]

Career 1
Work before television
CBS introduced Matter as a retired fire chief from San Diego when announcing the cast. He and Dylan are from the city’s Chula Vista area.^[1]^[4]
Career 2
An age record on the race
In his season-preview interview with Parade, host Phil Keoghan identified Doug as the oldest person to compete on the series and praised his physical preparation.^[5]
Career 3
Keeping his promise to Dylan
Doug agreed to apply after Dylan turned eighteen, following years of watching the show together.^[4]
Career 4
Outdoor adventures together
The pair went camping and mountain biking, and shared a skydiving trip for Dylan’s eighteenth birthday. Dylan told Annenberg Media that they had visited 40 U.S. national parks together by their 2026 interview.^[4]
Career 5
The tasks planned for Doug
Dylan said they expected Doug to take on construction tasks and challenges involving heights, leaving memory and navigation work to his grandson.^[4]