In the high-stakes world of competitive filmmaking, one contestant on Race Around The World turned to unconventional methods in a bid to improve her standing. Mikaela Zuiderduyn, facing creative burnout and a low leaderboard position halfway through the competition, decided to explore the realm of voodoo and magic during her week in Louisiana, USA. While she admits to not believing in magic beforehand, her experiences in New Orleans prompted a re-evaluation, though not a complete conversion.

The Relentless Pace of Competition

The Race Around The World competition demands constant movement and rapid output. Contestants like Zuiderduyn are tasked with producing a short film each week in a new, often unfamiliar, country. This relentless cycle involves navigating jet lag, incorporating judge feedback, adapting to surprise locations, and building relationships with new people, all while battling sleep deprivation. The nature of the show discourages dwelling on past challenges or successes; the focus must always be on the next project and the next destination.

Zuiderduyn recounted the demanding schedule, which had already taken her to diverse locations such as Alaska, South Korea, Morocco, Brazil, and Japan before arriving in New Orleans. The constant pressure to perform and move on meant little time for reflection or rest. This continuous motion, while essential for the competition, left her feeling creatively and energetically depleted.

New Orleans: A City of Slowing Down

Upon arriving in New Orleans, Zuiderduyn observed a stark contrast to the frenetic pace she had become accustomed to. The city’s atmosphere was thick with humidity, and the sounds of music filled the air even before midday. Unlike the urgent rhythm of the competition, New Orleans seemed to encourage a more leisurely approach to life, with people engaging in long conversations on their porches and a general sense of unhurried interaction.

This environment, which rewards “hanging around,” stood in direct opposition to the show’s emphasis on urgency. Feeling burnt out, Zuiderduyn saw an opportunity to make her documentary subject about the very thing she felt she lacked: winning through voodoo magic. This thematic choice allowed her to delve into the local culture and explore beliefs that were far removed from her own.

Seeking Supernatural Assistance

Zuiderduyn’s approach to exploring voodoo involved interviewing a range of practitioners, including tarot readers, clairvoyants, and mediums. She also consulted academics specializing in witchcraft. Her initial goal was straightforward: to use the “dark arts” to influence the judges’ scores and improve her ranking.

Approaching the subject with caution to avoid offending any potential spiritual forces, Zuiderduyn framed her questions not as direct pleas for victory, but rather as inquiries about her journey and learning experiences within the competition. Questions like, “How does this competition end for me?” or “What am I meant to learn from this experience?” were posed instead of a simple “Will I win?”

Unexpected Life Lessons Emerge

Despite her focus on competitive outcomes, the insights she received from the practitioners consistently steered away from predicting her future success. Instead, a recurring message began to surface across multiple readings, offering advice that felt more like life guidance than competitive strategy.

One medium cautioned her about overworking, while another’s interpretation of tea leaves suggested a need to shift focus away from outcomes. The tarot cards emphatically reinforced the message that she “needed sleep.” These pronouncements, while not directly addressing her desire for a higher leaderboard position, highlighted a pattern of self-neglect driven by the competition’s demands.

Zuiderduyn also received a physical token of support: a strength stone gifted by a local practitioner. She accepted it, placing it in her camera bag, perhaps out of a sense of respect or a nascent fear of dismissing potential aid. This act hinted at a growing openness to the possibility of unseen forces, or at least a reluctance to confront the uncertainty that disbelief might entail.

Embracing the Present Moment

The city’s inherent pace continued to influence Zuiderduyn. An instance where a brief follow-up question at a shop evolved into an hour-and-a-half conversation with five people, covering a wide array of life topics, exemplified New Orleans’ ability to foster connection and slow down time. Similarly, an evening spent alone in a jazz bar on Frenchmen Street, simply listening to music without any agenda or filming objective, became a moment of unexpected respite.

These seemingly unproductive interludes proved to be the most insightful. They directly contradicted her competitive mindset, which was perpetually focused on the next destination and the next result. New Orleans, through its culture and the advice of its spiritual guides, compelled her to pause and appreciate her current surroundings.

Zuiderduyn reflected that perhaps her subconscious was responding to the warnings. The psychics’ advice to slow down and “chill out” might have prompted her to seek out these moments of calm, inadvertently fulfilling a prophecy of needing to regroup. The core message from the practitioners wasn’t about predicting a win, but about questioning the very necessity of knowing the outcome. They subtly suggested that the journey itself held more value than any victory.

A Lasting Impact

The experience in New Orleans provided Zuiderduyn with a valuable lesson in managing the inherent chaos of her life and maintaining composure during periods of significant upheaval. While the psychics did not offer a definitive answer about her competitive future, they served as a powerful reminder to engage with and enjoy the present moment.

She left New Orleans not with a prediction of success, but with a renewed perspective on the importance of the journey and a tangible memento—the strength stone—which remains in her camera bag, a quiet reminder of the unexpected wisdom found when one allows themselves to slow down.

Mikaela Zuiderduyn is a contestant on Race Around The World. The series is available to stream on ABC iview.