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‘Wheel of Fortune’ player takes home over $60K after smashing records with lightning-fast puzzle solve

A third-grade teacher proved to be a mastermind when she hit the jackpot with a record-breaking puzzle solve

Set against the exciting backdrop of solving puzzles to win major prizes, 'Wheel of Fortune' has been a fan favorite ever since it made its debut in 1975. Throughout its 42 seasons, countless contestants have tried their luck, with many even taking home the grand prizes. In one such instance, a 'Wheel of Fortune' contestant proves to be a mastermind when she hit the jackpot after solving a record-breaking puzzle. 

The contestant in discussion is Julie Allen, a third-grade teacher from Meadow Ridge Elementary in Spokane, Washington, who appeared on the Wednesday, April 16 episode of 'Wheel of Fortune.' Allen revealed that watching the show every night during her maternity leave helped her get through that phase of life, as per Screen Rant. In an after-show Instagram interview with Maggie Sajak, she explained that her teaching experience, especially working with letter patterns, gave her an advantage in solving puzzles. Allen even added that she looks forward to the day she can show her episode to her son when he's older.

Coming back to her major win, Allen competed against Thomas Young of Detroit, Michigan, and Nikki Lopez of Melbourne, Florida. Young made an impressive start by solving the first two Toss-Ups, earning $2,000. Though his momentum briefly stalled after landing on 'Bankrupt' during the first puzzle, he bounced back and ultimately solved it for $8,600. Meanwhile, Allen got on the board by correctly solving the second puzzle in the 'Before and After' category with the clever phrase, saying, 'Chili Dog Whisperer,' which added $4,700 to her total, as per TV Insider.

During the prize puzzle round, all three contestants faced setbacks, with both Young and Lopez landing on Bankrupt. In a surprising twist, Lopez came close to solving it before her misfortune, but Allen ultimately solved the puzzle 'Lions, Leopards, and Hippos,' winning an African safari and bringing her total to $17,890. Allen continued her winning streak by solving two of three Triple Toss-Ups, adding $4,000, and later the final puzzle, 'I Appreciate You,'  winning the game with $23,590. 

For the bonus round, Allen, whose husband stayed home to watch their one-year-old daughter, brought her friend Amy and selected the category 'What are you doing?' after landing on the '&' wedge of the bonus wheel. After 'Wheel of Fortune' revealed the standard letters 'R, S, T, L, N, and E,' Allen selected 'G, D, H, and I,' which transformed the puzzle into '_EING _ _ ITE _ITT.'

Even before host Ryan Seacrest could announce the 10-second countdown, Allen immediately guessed, 'Being Quite Witty,' and nailed it with barely a second gone. "You got it!" Seacrest exclaimed, smiling as he opened the prize envelope to reveal the word 'Ford.' Overjoyed, Allen threw her hands on her head, hugged Seacrest, and then embraced her best friend as they jumped up and down in celebration before heading over to the prize car, which was a $43,760 vehicle. In the end, her grand total winnings reached $67,350.