Anthony Myles almost didn’t win more than $13,000. He almost never got the chance to go to Los Angeles and appear on “Wheel of Fortune.” He almost never even auditioned for the show.
Yet the political science sophomore found himself on the show’s colorful set, where he spun his way to $13,700 on the Jan. 9 episode.
His journey to the show began last year when Myles was a freshman. He saw the “Wheel Mobile,” the show’s traveling audition stage, near the Student Union.
“I didn’t get called to audition that day, but we filled out slips that they picked randomly to call people back,” Myles said. “After a couple months, they e-mailed me and told me they wanted me to audition in New Orleans for College Week.”
After being one of 15 participants selected from a group of about 50, show organizers told Myles he’d receive a letter in three weeks if they wanted him to be on the show. When those three weeks were up, Myles thought it just wasn’t meant to be.
“After the three weeks passed, I just kind of accepted that it wasn’t going to happen,” Myles said. “But then out of nowhere they called and asked me to be an alternate for College Week, plus they told me I was guaranteed a spot in the future.”
Myles went to Los Angeles in April 2011, but he didn’t compete on the show during College Week. He had to wait until August, when the new season of “Wheel” was being filmed.
“They called me on Aug. 15 and told me they wanted me in L.A. for Aug. 18,” Myles said. “I called my mom, told her we had to leave in two days and she had no hesitation. She bought the plane tickets and everything immediately.”
Once he was ready to film his episode, Myles said he began feeling nervous. Even after watching five episodes being filmed in a single day and knowing exactly what to expect, Myles said he tensed up when the lights came on.
In the end, Myles said all his worrying was for nothing. He won thousands and found himself in the spotlight after his episode was aired.
“My Facebook was blowing up that day – my Twitter, too,” Myles said. “Even random people from all over the city see me and they’re like, ‘Hey, weren’t you on ‘Wheel of Fortune?’ It’s just kind of strange to me.”
Though he hasn’t received the money yet, Myles said he plans to invest his winnings and to help support his family.
 
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Contact Joey Groner at [email protected]