An Arkansas judicial assistant scratched off an item on her bucket list and took home $1,000 when she competed on an episode of ABC’s Wheel of Fortune that aired last week.
Girtrude Simmons, who works for a federal appellate judge, told Arkansas Online that she auditioned in March at the downtown Little Rock Marriott and was notified three weeks after that she was selected.
The 57-year-old Cotton Plant native said she was one of 40 people selected from that audition to try their luck on the game show.
The episode was taped in April at the show’s studio in California.
Simmons said that her husband encouraged her to apply. They like to watch the show every night, and it has always been on her bucket list, she added.
Simmons noted that the show is not as easy as it looks: The big wheel was “surprisingly heavy,” but the producers did allow contestants a few practice spins beforehand.
During the game, she landed on bankruptcy on two separate occasions. She went home with the show’s minimum of $1,000.
“One of the hardest parts is remaining focused because concentration is vital on the show. There are so many things that you have to focus on that viewers cannot see at home,” she said.
The overall experience was “intense” but “very exciting,” Simmons said.
Producers told her that they receive over 1 million applications a year, so she feels like the entire experience was an accomplishment.
“If given another opportunity, I think it would be fun to try out again.”