Lifelong “Jeopardy!” fan Amy Schneider has made history as the show’s first transgender contestant to qualify for the honourable Tournament of Champions.
Although other transgender contestants have previously been on the show, Schneider is the first to make it to the annual competition, which features the best contestants from the past year.
“Once I got to episodes 3 and 4, I knew the fifth one was in sight,” Schneider told ABC7 in an interview on Tuesday regarding her fifth consecutive game win, which qualified her for the tournament, which will take place in the spring.
Schneider went on to win more shows and is the reigning 10-time “Jeopardy!” champion. Her winning streak began earlier this month after taking the reins from five-day champ Andrew He, and she’s now banked $342,200.
Amy Schneider’s pearls (of wisdom) came in handy — she’s now a 10-day champ!https://t.co/Hk43hy8LM0 pic.twitter.com/9tQ1ydI1mY
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) December 1, 2021
But the Oakland resident confessed that the competition isn’t about winning for her, it’s about being a role model for other transgender viewers, “Jeopardy!” hopefuls, and fans.
“My parents always had it on growing up,” Schneider recalled. “There was never an extended period of time where I didn’t watch it.”
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After many attempts to make it on the show and three interviews, “the third one finally worked” for Schneider. Now that she’s on the show, she’s trying to maximize the attention to make an impact.
“I am from Ohio where the only trans people I thought of were drag queens or prostitutes,” she said. “Seeing other trans women in a good spotlight inspired me to not be afraid of trying to compete in the thing I have always loved.” Schneider hopes she “can send a positive message to the nerdy trans girl who wants to be on the show, too.”
Last week, the trivia champ wore a trans flag pin on the Thanksgiving episode. She tweeted:
So this holiday season, as you spend time with family and loved ones, and as you budget out your shopping plans, I would love it if you could find a way to donate to an organization that helps LGBTQ people in need.
— Amy Schneider (@Jeopardamy) November 26, 2021
And there's a specific reason I thought Thanksgiving would be the right time to wear that pin. Thanksgiving is a holiday that is all about family. And that can be hard for anybody who has been ostracized or otherwise cut off from their family…
— Amy Schneider (@Jeopardamy) November 26, 2021
The fact is, I don't actually think about being trans all that often, and so when appearing on national television, I wanted to represent that part of my identity accurately: as important, but also relatively minor.
— Amy Schneider (@Jeopardamy) November 26, 2021
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Schneider also explained how she wanted to send a “message of support”:
Thank you for your thoughtful message, Amy. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Xj02Jd8Nkm
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) November 26, 2021
As for the Tournament of Champions, Schneider said that “ultimately, [she’s] not going to be feeling too much pressure” because she knows that she’s “already had this success”.
