For Sarah Bench, winning a spot on the popular game show “Wheel of Fortune” felt like a stroke of good luck.
She had already auditioned twice without success. But because she had submitted her contact information in the process, Bench received an e-mail message last September about yet another audition opportunity, this time with fewer people.
The 25-year-old Sumner native tried one more time and made it.
“It was like the Super Bowl or something,” Bench said. “It was just awesome.”
Her interest in being on “Wheel of Fortune” stemmed partially from watching the show at home and feeling confident that she could play the game well.
“I love all game shows,” Bench said. “I am a little weird like that. I’m just kind of a puzzle person.”
And her talents paid off — she won $15,000 in cash and two trips. She plans to use some of the money for traveling after she finishes graduate school in August.
The process of getting on the show involved a lot of chance, Bench said. After filling out a slip, names were randomly drawn, and those people played the game as their audition.
Her name wasn’t drawn at either of the two auditions she attended.
At the third audition Bench was invited to, approximately 50 people showed up, played the game and took a test of 16 puzzles, she said. Participants also had to pretend to spin the wheel.
“I felt like a dork,” she joked.
Enthusiasm made a difference, as well as poise, logical thinking and confidence, Bench said.
“They want somebody up there that’s having fun,” she said.
Clapping a lot didn’t seem to hurt, either.
“I am a self-proclaimed over-clapper,” Bench said, laughing.
The episode with Bench aired Feb. 18. She hosted a viewing party in Seattle, and family in Sumner watched the show at Midtown Station. Other family members out of state also tuned in.
“We had the country covered,” Bench said.
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