NORTHFIELD — Be positive, be enthusiastic and be bold, and you may just have what it takes to earn a spot on the “Wheel of Fortune.”
That is the advice of Gena Laielli, a mom, nurse, world record holder and, most recently, a winner on the popular game show.
Laielli’s episode aired Thursday, Sept. 28, and she invited friends and family to her home to watch the show.
“I think I was more nervous to see the show air than I was when I was on the set,” Laielli said. “I wondered how I would look and what it would be like seeing myself on TV. I admit it; I don’t even like to do FaceTime, so I was getting a bit anxious just as the show was beginning.”
Getting on the show was a process that, for Laielli, began in December 2022.
“I have been watching ‘Wheel of Fortune’ since I was a kid with my great-grandmother and my grandmother. That is just what we did after dinner: watch ‘Jeopardy!’ and ‘Wheel of Fortune.’ Now my family watches it every night,” she said.
Laielli said she is pretty good at solving the puzzles, at least when she is sitting at home on the sofa.
“My kids would always say, ‘Mom, you should be on the show.’ I just decided to give it a try and send in a 60-second video of why they should choose me to be a contestant. I had just gotten out of the shower, no makeup, I was in my PJs but thought, give it a try,” Laielli said.
She told them she was high-energy competitive but also supportive and would cheer for everyone.
A few months later, an email arrived setting up a virtual interview. It went well, and they asked her for something unique about her, and she had a good one: Laielli holds the Guinness Book of World Records title for doing 5,332 burpees in 12 hours.
It was only a few days later when she heard back from the production staff. This time, she had to do a virtual competition with two other possible contestants. “It went well, and they told us that we would hear in six months to a year, and if we did not hear anything, try again.”
It was on Laielli’s son Owen’s eighth birthday that she got the call asking if she wanted to fly to California and be on the show.
“You do have to pay your own airfare and hotel to get there, but when I got that call, my husband and I, and the kids, were definitely excited to make the trip to California,” she said.
The trip getting there had its own challenges with canceled flights and overbooking, but they finally arrived the day prior to shooting.
Laielli had to be on the set of Sony Studios at 6 a.m. for hair and makeup, and said it was a pleasant experience.
“From the first person I met, everyone was so supportive and so nice. And Vanna White, oh, she is even prettier in person and so down to Earth. She told us to enjoy our time and that it would be the fastest 22 minutes of our life, and she was correct,” Laielli said.
According to Laielli, they shoot six shows in one day. The show that aired with her as a contestant was the fourth show of the day. She, along with her family and all of the other contestants and their support teams, were in the audience cheering for each show as it was filmed.
“The other contestants were all so nice, and you really want everyone to do well,” she said.
The production day was long, starting with the 6 a.m. arrival; her show began filming at 4 p.m.
“When it was finally our turn, they touched up our hair and makeup one more time, and we were on,” she said. “Then, the producers had us take practice spins of the wheel. It is really heavy, and you have to have the motion down correctly to really do the spin. Once we were all set, the show began, and those 22 minutes flew by.”
Laielli won four puzzles and earned $7,300 and added, not bad, for 22 minutes of work. She said she did know the final puzzle, but the contestant ahead of her guessed it before her turn came around.
But the “Wheel of Fortune” trip to California still had some fun left in it. The Laielli family, Gena, her husband Ron and their two kids, Emma (10) and Owen (8), spent the following day checking out the sights on Hollywood Boulevard, hiking Griffith Park, seeing the iconic Hollywood sign and enjoying the heck out of the rest of their visit before returning to Northfield.
When Laielli isn’t solving word puzzles, she is an orthopedic nurse at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, Mainland Division in Galloway Township. She is a former gym owner and fitness coach, and giving back is a high priority.
Her 12 hours of burpees that earned her a world record was a 2020 fundraiser. Her daughter Emma was born with Omphalocele, a defect of the abdominal wall in which some organs form outside the body.
“They gave Emma about a 5 percent chance of survival. She was in the CHOP neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for nine months. Emma has had multiple surgeries but is doing great; she even plays ice hockey,” Laielli said. “I like to do something in her honor to bring awareness of the condition and bring attention to the amazing NICU team at CHOP.”
So what is next for this very positive and very high-energy mom, nurse, wife, and “Wheel of Fortune” winner? Who knows, but whatever it is, it likely will be exciting.
By SUZANNE MARINO/For the Sentinel