‘I’m still living on a cloud’: Lufkin woman shares contestant experience on Wheel of Fortune

LUFKIN, Texas (KTRE) - An East Texan won big on Wheel of Fortune on Friday night.

Leah Brown of Lufkin didn’t win the bonus round, but she came back home with $30,780 and a trip to Florida.

“I was ready to solve puzzles. I was ready to win some money!” she said. She’s been a fan of Wheel of Fortune for as long as she can remember.

“It’s actually one of my fondest childhood memories, watching wheel of fortune with my grandmother everyday,” said Brown.

She said support from the community has been overwhelming. “They have encouraged me. I’ve gotten so many congratulations and good luck.”

Brown is a paraprofessional at Brandon Elementary School and said her students were just as excited too.

Brown said she’s usually camera shy, but once cameras began rolling, “the adrenaline was pumping, but I wasn’t really nervous. Like, I was excited, I was ready to go.”

After applying and not hearing back for three years, she finally got her chance to spin the wheel this summer. “I mean, it was just like a small town girl in the big city. I was like ‘oh my goodness, all the bright lights!’” expressed Brown.

She encourages anyone who wishes to be the next contestant to take a chance. “Follow your dreams, go after it, try out, shoot your shot. I promise you, it was the most amazing experience, and I’m glad I tried out for that,” she said.

Brown said she plans on using the winnings to buy her first home.

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