In this heartfelt episode, we sit down with Derek Dawson, a 38-year-old resident of San Diego, California, who shares a touching story that bridges family memories with game show aspirations. Derek reminisces about his cherished summers spent with his grandparents in Arizona, where evenings were dedicated to watching Wheel of Fortune together, creating a core memory that stayed with him throughout his life. Following the loss of his grandmother 15 years ago, Derek made a promise to honor her memory by competing on the show. Despite the challenge of getting noticed, his persistence paid off on his second attempt, years after his initial application. Derek recounts the surreal moment of receiving the audition email, which he initially doubted, only to find out it was indeed his ticket to the show. His episode, filmed on December 7th, 2019, and aired on January 15th, 2020, saw Derek winning over $20,000 and a dream trip to Europe.
His journey serves as an inspiration, with Derek offering advice to others dreaming of game show glory: "Don't give up, be as energetic as you think you can be, and then add 20% more to that."
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