🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
Pat Sajak had the Wheel of Fortune audience in stitches when he gave a contestant an unusual demand.
Connor Kraska appeared during the first episode of university week on the popular game show when he told the host he was a senior at Brown University studying economics and international public affairs with the hope of going to law school.
More interestingly when he's not hitting the books he works as a campus tour guide, but is also a national and world jump rope champion.
Kraska told the host how he has traveled all around the U.S. and the world thanks to jumping rope abilities.
"I know we don't have a rope, could you just jump once for us," Sajak instructed the college student, who happily obliged, with the host telling him, "Very, very impressive."
The studio audience loved the moment which was shared to the official Wheel of Fortune Instagram page and captioned: "Should've asked him to jump over the wheel."
Kraska from Westlake, Texas, was more than happy to oblige and replied in the comments: "I definitely could've jumped over the wheel too."
Competing on Wheel of Fortune was "once-in-a-lifetime, truly unforgettable" for Kraska, who became hooked on the TV show during the COVID lockdowns.
"During lockdown, my friends and I would walk over to the Grad Center and turn on 'Jeopardy!' and 'Wheel of Fortune' together," he told Brown's news website.
"So that became this event that we all did during COVID just to have some bonding time with each other... and then I became a pretty religious 'Wheel' watcher."
The student also bonded with an aunt as they did puzzles together and was convinced by his friends in January to apply to be on the game show.
He admitted his time on the famous set was all a bit of a blur, but knows he was lucky to have had the experience.
"It's not just going on and calling letters and blind guessing," he said. "There's definitely a strategic element. I put some studying into it."
Kraska added: "It was something I never thought I'd get to experience. I'll always remember being on 'Wheel of Fortune,' because, how cool is that?"
He also shared a surprising fact about the wheel itself.
"I feel like it wasn't that hard to spin. But maybe that's because I've been working out recently," he admitted.
Kraska may have had a once-in-a-lifetime experience on Wheel of Fortune, but he was not a big winner on the day, managing to walk away with $2,000 in winnings.
About the writer
Shannon Power is a Greek-Australian reporter, but now calls London home. They have worked as across three continents in print, ... Read more