Kevin H.

My son, Leo (9), encouraged me to apply to be a contestant after seeing the promo for how to be on the show at the end of an episode. I sent in a video right then and there, as one of the life lessons I hope to impart on my kids is to always dream big, and never discount their odds to achieve a dream, no matter how tough. I also wanted to teach him the importance of preparation, which would allow me to feel as ready as possible should I have been lucky enough to get the call to be on the show, so I spent time each day watching episodes, playing the Wheel of Fortune App, reading Wheel fan websites, doing crosswords and playing all sorts of other word puzzles.

When we found out that I was invited to be a contestant, we were ecstatic! My wife (Amber), Leo, and my daughter (Dahlia - 6), all flew out to Los Angeles with me so that Leo could attend the taping and see right before his eyes what magic can happen when you give yourself a chance to follow a dream.

He was blown away by the sights and the sounds of the studio, getting to see Pat, Vanna and Jim, and of course, getting to see his Dad spin the famous Wheel! I got off to a good start by solving the opening toss up, but was shocked that my first letter guess of "T" for the first round was a dud! I kept my focus on the game though, and stuck with my strategies - keep looking at the board (not the wheel), call for vowels, remember the categories, etc. When I solved the prize puzzle for a trip to Norway, Sweden and Finland, I couldn't contain myself and had to break into what Pat called, my little "finish dance"! When I realized I was going to be the winner and was going to the Bonus Round, I was so excited for my family to get their chance to join me on set and be on the show too!

When Pat looked over at them, I could tell he had something up his sleeve, as he immediately went over to the director and camera operators and it looked like he was orchestrating something. When he came back and we started taping my Bonus Wheel spin, to our shock, he walked over to my family, told them he needed a family Christmas card, and had the set photographer take a "family portrait" picture of them. The smiles on all of our faces were miles wide! Unfortunately, I totally blanked on the Bonus Round (which contained the dreaded "few" and a silent H), but I still felt like I was on cloud nine, especially after Vanna sweetly told me "You're a star!"

As incredible of an experience as it was to be a star for a day, to win the game, and to be planning for a trip of a lifetime to Scandinavia, what I'm most grateful for was the life lesson that Leo and Dahlia got to see come full circle - If you dream big, prepare, stay focused despite the duds that come along, and have fun, there's no limit to the magic that you can bring to your life.

After taking a moment in the car in the parking deck to process everything that just happened, we celebrated the win with the kids' first In-N-Out burgers and a trip to Walk of Fame and the Hollywood sign. We extended the little family weekend vacation by taking a day to check out the La Brea Tar Pits, Santa Monica Pier and an oceanfront restaurant in Malibu. The kids did a great job keeping the secret of what happened for 2 months, so we were able to host an exciting viewing party with our family and friends... they almost blew the roof off of the house when I solved the Prize Puzzle and when they saw the whole family with Pat during the Bonus Round.

Lastly, we'll never forget how amazingly supportive and thoughtful the entire Wheel of Fortune staff was throughout the entire experience. They were clear with instructions and incredibly positive, which allowed me to feel and perform my best during the audition and the taping day. The marketing staff were also terrifically thoughtful, as a signed copy of the "Christmas card" with Pat arrived at my home the morning after the airing of the episode. It is now proudly displayed in our home and will forever have a place on the Hooper household wall!