THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 2008

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Resident A Big Winner On 'Wheel'

By TOM ROBB

JOURNAL REPORTER

Des Plaines resident Kim Skorupa spun the wheel on last night's episode of "Wheel of Fortune" and won the big prize.

Making it to the final round, Skorupa won a trip for two to Buenos Aries, $1,000 spending money for the trip and $4,700 cash.

Skorupa arrived at the Sony Studios in Culver City, Calif. early Friday, Mar. 28. The show was not taped until about 4 p.m. She said the atmosphere in the studio was friendly and energetic.

"The four contestant coordinators were the most fabulous people you will ever meet. They geared you up and were super friendly," said Skorupa.

She sat apart from other family members in the audience, as five other shows taped before her on the same day.

While waiting in the dressing rooms early that morning, Vanna White arrived wearing sweats with her hair pulled up.

White brought with her daughter, Gigi, who was on break from school. They stopped by the dressing rooms on the way in and chatted with Skorupa before the taping.

She said when it came time for her to tape, "I was not even a dot nervous. It was an extremely relaxed environment." She said she gets more nervous speaking to co-workers at North Chicago Veterans Hospital where she works as a rehabilitation specialist.

Skorupa auditioned for the show when the Wheel of Fortune van was parked at the Rosemont Theater last October.

From there, Wheel casting crews called Skorupa back to audition with 100 others at the W Hotel Lakeshore in Chicago.

She made the first cut from 100 to a pool of 16 contestants who played rounds of "Hangman".

Some of those 16 appeared on a show filmed at Navy Pier in Chicago, while some, like Skorupa, flew to California at their own expense on two weeks notice to play the game.

Skorupa said playing the game on television is different than playing at home.

"The realization is that at home you solve the puzzle. At the show you can't just shout it out," said Skorupa. "You can be the best puzzle solver and it doesn't matter."