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‘Wheel of Fortune’ player with disabilities nails tough puzzle after 9 brain surgeries, wins money and hearts

Trenton Girone, who had both Tourette's and Asperger's, didn't win a lot of cash, but surely won everyone's hearts

The hit reality TV show ‘Wheel of Fortune’ has had millions of contestants apply over the years. And while only a few make it to the show, there have been only a few contestants like Trenton Girone, who stepped into the ‘Wheel’ stage on April 30, 2014. Girone, who had been dealing with both Tourette's and Asperger's Syndrome, had also endured nine brain surgeries and an open-heart surgery, and was the first contestant with "physical challenges" on 'WOF,' as reported by E! Online.

However, Girone didn't let any of his physical challenges define him. According to Buzzfeed, he later shared in a blog post for the ‘Wheel Of Fortune’ website, "I have been a fan of the show since I was at least two years of age. I love the show and wanted to be part of its history. I thought I would do a great job at solving puzzles." And he was right, he stunned everybody when he nailed a challenging puzzle that read, _ _ _ASH_ _ _ _UCCE_ _, during the $1,000 Toss-Up Round with the correct answer, A SMASHING SUCCESS. 

He also solved another puzzle, which read, CREA_ C _ EESE C_ _ _ EE CA_E, with the correct answer, CREAM CHEESE COFFEE CAKE, pocketing $2,150 in the Mystery Round, as reported by Andy Nguyen's blog. Though Girone did not advance to the Bonus Round, fans couldn't stop raving about his positivity and attitude on the show. On ABC's YouTube video, a fan gushed, "With all the negative things going on shows like this and people like Trent overcoming their situation really put perspective about everyday things to many people; Trent’s accomplishments are amazing!! Way to go!!"

Inspired by Girone, another viewer facing similar challenges wrote, "I'm autistic with ADHD, and I was inspired to attempt an audition when the Wheelmobile came to my hometown, after I saw this episode! I got to second-tier auditions, believe it or not! (I would think they would have let more people like Trent on the show given how popular he was at the time.)"  Echoing the sentiment, a viewer wrote on X, "#TrentGirone Actually Makes Us Want To Watch ‘#WheelofFortune’! " Meanwhile, another netizen also posted on X, "I picked a really good day to randomly flip to @WheelofFortune. #TrentGirone has a hell of a heart."

According to E! Online, the player gave his two cents to the many hopefuls who are waiting to try their luck on the show. He penned in the blog, "My best advice to future contestants is to relax and have a good time.” He added, “It is a lot of fun, whether you win big or not. That is my number one guarantee." Expressing his gratitude to the host, he said, "I want to thank all of the contestant staff for taking the time to help me, and would like to thank Pat Sajak for his assistance, as well," Trent continued, "I have some physical challenges that they were aware of, and they made sure I was safe and comfortable."