Chesterfield resident Rachael Stark grew up watching the “Wheel of Fortune” TV game show with her parents, then made it a tradition with her husband, Sean Schmidt. After three years of applying to be a Wheel contestant, she says last fall she received an unassuming but fabulous email with her filming date in Los Angeles.
With Rachael still working through post-concussion syndrome after a car accident, she says she hopes her TV-related tenacity and participation serves to inspire others to persevere and step outside their comfort zones.
"The actual (Wheel) experience was really surreal. We filmed the episode last September in Los Angeles and were only there for about 36 hours, so it was a very quick trip. Sean and I made it to the ocean, walked along the pier and squeezed in a trip to In-N-Out," recalls this captain within the Missouri Army National Guard’s 229th Multifunctional Medical Battalion.
"After filming, I had to return home for my monthly National Guard drill, so it was definitely a lot for a couple days."
The day of filming, Rachael says she arrived on set around 6 a.m. for hair and makeup. "But I ended up being in the final group filming that day, so there was quite a bit of anticipation waiting for my turn, and a lot of Diet Coke!" says the Clayton-based St. Louis County Police Department research associate and reserve police officer for City of Ballwin.
"Watching the production unfold behind the scenes and seeing how everything works on a television set was an interesting and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," she confirms.
During the game, Rachael says she had a few ups and downs, but no matter what, had a blast, all with Sean in the audience cheering her on. "I hit Bankrupt twice and landed on Lose a Turn, but toward the end I was able to win the final toss-up puzzle, which was Karate Black Belt. I also had the chance to do the final spin of the wheel and solved the last puzzle, Pulling a Prank, finishing the game with $8,000."
When the episode finally aired locally Feb. 19, due to Olympic coverage, her Wheel show was moved to 3:30 a.m. Some friends got back up to watch it live; others taped it or watched it later on streaming platforms. Some also hosted a watch party. She says Louis County Police Bureau of Research & Analysis staffers even had a fun viewing celebration where a coworker made an "awesome" Wheel of Fortune cake.
Rachael shares that she's incredibly grateful to her parents, who supported her Wheel dream from the beginning and were just as excited as she was to finally watch the episode air. Indeed, industry sources indicate a million people audition for the show, with only about 600 appearing annually.
"Being able to appear on Wheel of Fortune during my concussion recovery period made the opportunity even more meaningful," she assures.
"One of the more challenging parts was I couldn’t tell anyone about the experience after filming. Keeping that secret for months was harder than I expected."