A Benton resident recently got the opportunity of a lifetime — to spin the wheel on her favorite game show.
Sarah Douthit appeared on the April 9 episode of ‘Wheel of Fortune.’ Douthit said being on the show, in which contestants solve word puzzles to win money and prizes, was a dream come true.
“I’m a huge fan of the show,” Douthit said. “I watch it religiously and I’ve applied [for the show] a lot.”
A door of opportunity finally opened for her in March. Two weeks after submitting a short audition video, Douthit received an e-mail saying she had been chosen for a private audition.
She traveled to Little Rock, AR for a more in depth audition. Douthit said, frankly, it was so much fun that it hardly seemed like an audition at all.
By the end of the day, though, she wasn’t asked to stay for the second round. Just a few short hours later, her luck had changed.
“I got a call that they wanted me to fly in the following week,” Douthit said. “I immediately said yes.”
The next week she jetted off to Los Angeles, accompanied by her sisters. From there, it was a whirlwind experience.
“It was so much fun,” Douthit said. “To be able to go back and watch it was really neat.”
One thing she discovered is that the show is harder than it looks.
“It definitely isn’t as easy as watching it in your living room,” she said. “You have so many things going on around you that it’s hard to hone in and focus.”
Nonetheless, Douthit won the initial toss up round, correctly guessing ‘Newark, New Jersey’ for a $1,000 cash prize. The rest of the game, however, just didn’t play out in her favor.
Despite her misfortune on the wheel, Douthit said the experience alone was priceless.
“It was unlike anything I ever imagined it would be,” she said. “It was an experience of a lifetime. I’ll never forget it.”
Douthit watched the show with her family Monday night. She definitely recommends others try out for the show, even just for the experience.
“I wasn’t the big winner, but I had a blast that entire day,” Douthit said.
For information on how to audition for the show, visit www.wheeloffortune.com.
