Austin L.

So, when I received the email of having a tape date, I was actually at a wedding rehearsal and immediately was overcome with excitement/panic. It had been a few months since my online audition, and I had truly thought that I wasn't picked due to the time that had passed. Fortunately, I had a pretty short notice, which I think helped me by not having a lot of time to overthink what I was actually about to do. I've never done anything like this in my life so obviously the nerves were high.

The experience overall was something that I'll never forget and think about often. It's one of those things that you cross off of a bucket list. Looking back on the game itself, I had some misfortunes with the Wheel, but what still haunts me is not getting any of the Triple Toss Ups... Those are probably my favorite batch of puzzles and I'm typically pretty good at them, but a mix of nerves and tough contestants didn't allow me to solve any of them. Going into the game, I knew if there was one puzzle to solve, it was the prize puzzle, and I was able to accomplish that goal of solving what is considered the most important one!

We had a large watch party at a local bar and about 75-100 people showed up. It was like watching the Super Bowl with people cheering and booing over spins and solves and everything else gameplay wise. I couldn't have been more overwhelmed with the love/support of my family and friends. Wheel of Fortune was something my fiancé and I started watching when we moved into our first home. It's something we love to compete at and brings us a lot of joy. I'm super thankful for the opportunity and hope someday I'll be able to get another chance at the Wheel!