Amy Schneider keeps racking up the Jeopardy! milestones during her historic run on the venerable game show.
The contestant was victorious in her 39th straight game on Monday, achieving the series’ second-longest winning streak ever. She surpassed Matt Amodio, whose final episode aired in October, and sits behind only Ken Jennings’ record 74 straight victories, achieved in 2004.
Adding a unique twist to the moment was the fact that Schneider, whose winnings total $1,319,800, reached the feat with Jennings as host.
“It still feels unreal,” Schneider said in a statement. “Knowing that I had this chance, I was definitely thinking about it. Then Ken said it, and I thought, ‘Alright, I just accomplished this huge thing,’ and it was pretty great.”
The Oakland-based engineering manager will face off against Amodio in the show’s next Tournament of Champions. She included a message for Amodio in her statement: “It’s going to be an honor playing against you, and it’s going to be a tight competition.”
In a Monday interview with Good Morning America, Schneider, who is now Jeopardy!‘s top-earning female contestant and only the fourth person to hit the $1 million mark, said she is proud to represent the trans community.
“I think that the best part for me has been being on TV as my true self, expressing myself and representing the entire community of trans people,” she said. “And just kind of showing a different thing than maybe some people have seen, of just being a smart, confident woman and just doing something super normal like being on Jeopardy!”
Source: Hollywood
