| 6/30/2009 10:13:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article |
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| WHO IS INGRID NELSON? — That is the question to the answer: Lake Mills’ woman who recently appeared on “Jeopardy.” Nelson, a Lake Mills native who returned to her hometown in the mid-1990s, was a contestant on the television show in Los Angeles that aired June 19, 22 and 23. They were taped on March 17 and 18. She won two games and then came in second in the third. Nelson is pictured above with “Jeopardy” host Alex Trebek. — Contributed photo. |
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Dream of being 'Jeopardy' player comes true for Lake Mills' Nelson
By Ryan Whisner
Regional Editor
LAKE MILLS - It's not very often someone gets to live out her dream in front of a national TV audience. But that's what Lake Mills' Ingrid Nelson did over three days of asking questions to the answers posed by "Jeopardy" host Alex Trebek.
Given the place (Chicago) and time commitment with traveling to and staying in the Windy City to complete the first step in becoming a contestant, Nelson didn't think her dream would come true until she was viewing "Jeopardy" 18 months ago.
"I was watching the show in January of 2008 and they were encouraging people to take an online screening test on their website," she recalled. "That's great for people like me and I thought it would be fun. I logged on and answered the 50 questions and five or six weeks later I got an e-mail that said, "Congratulations, you passed the test.'"
Nelson's online success translated to a trip to Chicago for an audition in which she took several more steps to the Sony Pictures sound stage that houses "Jeopardy." Among them were a comprehensive written test and a mock "Jeopardy" game with two other people.
"They also conducted a biographical/personality interview where they're looking for interesting facts about you," said Nelson.
It turned out that Nelson was part of the second group of 25-30 people to try out for the show during the day.
"There was one group before and another group after us," said Nelson. "The only thing they told us after we were done was that anyone picked for the contestants pool would get a call during the next 18 months."
Nelson must have made the right impression as her call came less than a year later.
"I got the call in February and I wasn't going to answer it because my caller ID registered the call as Sony Pictures and I thought it was some movie marketing thing," Nelson said. "But the phone kept ringing and my husband, David Pietz, decided to answer. When he found out it was 'Jeopardy,' he quickly got me the phone."
Little more than a month later, Nelson found herself in Los Angeles. The three shows on which she appeared - airing June 19, 22 and 23 - were taped on March 17 and 18.
"It was surreal to be on the set where the show is taped," acknowledged Nelson. "It a lot smaller than it looks on TV, but other than that, the experience was everything I expected it to be and it was as much fun as I expected it to be."
Five shows are taped each day before a live audience of family members, public ticketholders and other contestants.
"I'm not very good on crowd estimates," said Nelson. "It was probably an audience of 200 people."
Nelson said contestants are not allowed to interact with Trebek, who has been the show's only host since its rebirth in 1984.
"The first time I saw him was when he came out for the first show," said Nelson. "He comes out and answers questions from the audience. He's very funny. He has a very dry, witty sense of humor."
While Nelson didn't make the list of individuals who have won more than $50,000 that is posted on Jeopardy's website, she did win $29,802, thanks to her two first-place finishes and her second-place effort on her third appearance.
Was there anything she regretted about her three-day appearance on the game show?
"I'd like to take back my wager on Final Jeopardy on the third show," she said. "I lost by $999 and had I wagered $1,000 instead of $2,000, it would have been a great come-from-behind victory by $1. I'd really like to take that back, but I can't."
And would she do it again if she got the opportunity?
"Yeah, I would," Nelson said without any hesitation. "It was a lot of fun. Being on 'Jeopardy' gets you thinking about other shows like 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?' and 'Are you Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?' We - I and other 'Jeopardy' contestants - talked about it, but contractually, we have to wait six months before any of us could become a contestant on another show."
Another contractual obligation was that Nelson could not talk to the media until her appearances on "Jeopardy" were aired.
Nelson, who is the judicial assistant to Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson at the State Capitol in Madison, said the chief justice might have been more excited than she was once Nelson got the call to tape the show.
"She was really excited about it even though it was a really tough time to take off since she was up for re-election, but she was very supportive and encouraged me to go," Nelson said of Abrahamson. "She thought it was a great opportunity for me."
A Lake Mills native, Nelson moved away to Oconto Falls in 1978, graduating from high school there in 1988. She earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1992 and a law degree in 1995.
"In the mid-1990s, I moved back to Lake Mills to help take care of my grandmother, Fern Ravenhill, and I've been here ever since," said Nelson.
Nelson added that since her appearance on "Jeopardy," others have take note.
"My husband got stopped last week for a burned-out taillight,"she said with a smile. "He didn't have his seatbelt on so he also ended up with a $10 ticket for not wearing his seatbelt. During the traffic stop, the officer noted the car was registered in my name and he asked David if it belonged to the same Ingrid Nelson who had recently been on 'Jeopardy.' David answered 'yes,' but it appears my fame has limits. It wasn't enough to get the officer to tear up the ticket."
To read more about Nelson's appearance on "Jeopardy," surf to the show's website www.Jeopardy.com and click on "This Week" under "Show Guide." On the next screen will be the "Winners' Blog." Click on it to get to Nelson's show-by-show comments.
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