Erin A.

Erin A.

Theme Week:
Historic Boston
Contestant:
Erin A.
Hometown:
Marlborough, MA
Week of:
November 2, 2009

Posted on 11/5


Wow! Although it’s still hard for me to believe it’s true, my dream has become a reality and it happened in a bigger way than I ever could have imagined!

As soon as Pat and Vanna walked out on the stage, I remember saying to myself “this is it!”  I had literally dreamed about this moment so many times and my once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be a contestant on my favorite show was here!  No matter what was about to happen during those twenty minutes of my taping, I wanted to make sure that I enjoyed every second of it!

I am still amazed at how calm and relaxed I was before and during the taping of my show.  There were five shows taped that day and taping the last show of the day gave me time to view other games before my own. I definitely think that part of my calmness during my taping had to do with all of the practicing that had gone into preparing for this day.  I really tried to just focus on the game and the puzzles and made sure I called logical letters and bought as many vowels as necessary.  I think the most challenging part of being a contestant was trying to remember all of the directions the contestant coordinators had given us during the day!  “Make sure you clap; look at this camera now; spin the wheel now; look at the used letter board; call letters loudly and clearly; buy vowels; don’t look down at the wheel…”

Every night while watching Wheel of Fortune at home, I would practice “buzzing in” for the Toss-Up puzzles with my TV remote.  I know I must have looked crazy, but it paid off and I was able to solve 2 of the 3 Toss-Up puzzles!  The third Toss-Up was “Clever Endeavor;” a phrase that I have repeated to myself over and over since my taping!  I was the first to buzz in for that puzzle and, while I was confident I knew the answer, I ended up second guessing myself and running out of time. Although, for a while, I regretted not taking a chance on that puzzle, I know now that the game may not have turned out the same way if I had.

When Pat gave the wheel the final spin, I was so shocked that he landed on the $5,000 wedge! As excited as I was, I also knew that anyone had a chance to win. As the round went on, we had all called many letters and I kept looking at the used letter board.  When it was my turn I didn’t know what the puzzle was, but guessed a “P.”  That one letter helped me solve the puzzle and take me to the bonus round!  I had no idea how much money I had just won until Pat came over and told me that I had won $24,000 during that round, giving me a total of $42,450 (including an awesome trip to the Canadian Rockies!) before the bonus round!  This was the only point of the game that I actually started shaking with excitement but had to quickly overcome that to concentrate on the bonus round!  The bonus round was such a blur and it went by so fast.  The only word I can think of to describe not only making it to the bonus round, but then solving the puzzle and celebrating with my family is surreal!

One of the most memorable parts of my day was actually once the show was over.  Because my show was the last one to be taped for the day, I ended up walking out of the convention center with the whole audience who treated me like a celebrity!  It was so funny to have people calling my name and giving me hugs on the way out!  The best part, though, was the teachers, both past and present, from the audience who came up to me and told me how happy they were to see someone who worked in education win big! 

The whole day was such a whirlwind, but an amazing experience.  The other contestants on my show, Amanda and Joe, were so great and made the competition really challenging!  I am incredibly grateful for this experience and I want to thank everyone at Wheel of Fortune for making this all possible!  It truly was my dream come true!



Posted on 11/2


If you ask anyone who knows me what my biggest dream has always been, they would tell you it was to be on Wheel of Fortune.  In fact, I think I even told my fiancé that on our first date!  Luckily, that didn’t send him running and a few years later he agreed to accompany me in taking the first steps in reaching that dream during two long days at a Wheelmobile event in Marlboro, MA.  The Wheelmobile had come to my area in 2007, but I was away and unable to attend the event.  I was so upset that I missed it and I was determined to try out the next time it came around.  For the next two years, I eagerly awaited information on the next Wheelmobile event in my area.  When I heard it was coming to the Solomon Pond Mall, in my hometown, I knew I had to be there. 

We got to the mall early on the first day of the event, waited in line with thousands of Wheel of Fortune fans and stood through two of the three auditions that day with no luck.  The next morning I contemplated not going back to the auditions because getting on the show was such a long shot, but I reminded myself that this was my dream and I had to go for it.  Once again, my fiancé and I waited in line and watched as others got their chance to audition.  Finally, during the last audition my name was called!  “This is it,” I kept telling myself as I was rushing through the crowd to get to the stage.  I knew I had to make an impression and do something that would make me stand out and, hopefully, get a call to attend the second audition.  So, when it was my turn to get on stage, I challenged the traveling host to a “robot dance-off” competition.  The experience was crazy but fun and a few weeks later I received an e-mail inviting me to the next round of auditions!  My “robot” skills (or lack thereof) paid off!

The next few weeks included practice, practice and more practice.  I also spent a lot of time reading through message boards and former contestants’ blogs.  By the time my audition day came around, I felt fully prepared and comfortable and was ready to prove to the contestant coordinators that I would make a great contestant.  I made sure to clap and smile and really let my personality shine, but I was mostly focused on being a good game player.  I was feeling pretty good after the audition, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up.

I didn’t have to wait very long to receive a call back from one of the contestant coordinators saying they wanted me to be on the show!  I could not believe that this was happening!  I was so excited and shaking so much I could barely write down the information that was given to me over the phone.  As soon as I hung up I started jumping up and down and called just about everyone I knew to share the good news. 

From the time I was done making phone calls until the time I left my house the morning of the taping, I was focused on practicing every free moment I got.  The day of my taping in Boston was such a fun and surreal experience.  Because I am not getting married until next summer, I can confidently say that the day of my taping was the best day of my life!  I had such a blast meeting the other contestants, going over all the rules, getting my make-up done, and practicing spinning the wheel and calling out letters.  We all felt like celebrities for the day and even had escorts bring us wherever we went!

By the time we all got down to the set and were ready to start taping the shows, I was surprisingly not nervous but really more excited than anything!  I knew that regardless of how well I did, I had done all I could to prepare.  This was finally my moment to live my dream.  Watch me on Wednesday, November 4th, to see how I did!