By Julia Train
Not many people can say they were able to compete on their favorite television game show or set a Guinness world record, but Gena Laielli, 41, can say she accomplished both.
On Sept. 28, the Northfield resident appeared on “Wheel of Fortune,” a show she has watched religiously since she was a kid.
In addition to being a 2020 Guinness world record holder and a “Wheel of Fortune” contestant, Laielli is a mother of two, a former gym owner and a current part-time nurse at AtlantiCare’s Mainland Campus in Galloway.
“Everyone has always told me I should be on the show because I’m really good at solving the puzzles from my couch,” she said. “It’s like a tradition at our house. After dinner, we put on Pat and Vanna, and we watch “Wheel of Fortune.”
In December, she finally decided to audition.
One night, fresh out of the shower with her hair in a towel, pajamas on and makeup-free, she recorded a 60-second video talking about why she should be picked to compete. She made it in her bedroom, whispering about her love for the show as her kids were screaming and playing Mario Kart downstairs.
She didn’t hear back until the spring when she received an email asking her to complete a virtual audition with a producer.
During the call, she was asked what made her stand out and answered by explaining how she set a Guinness world record.
In January 2020, Laielli, who is known to love burpees, hosted a burpee-a-thon fundraiser for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia at her Somers Point gym, Gen Fitness. The event was organized to raise money for research into omphalocele, a rare birth defect where a baby’s intestines or other abdominal organs grow outside of the body in utero, which her daughter was born with and treated for at CHOP.
At the fundraiser, Laielli set the record for most burpees by a woman in 12 hours by completing 5,332 of the bodyweight exercises.
A few days after the first virtual audition, she was asked to complete another, but this time, it was against two other potential contestants. She also had to solve puzzles and “act like she just drank five cups of coffee,” which she said wasn’t much different from her normal energy level.
In August, she received another email and flew out to California to do the show.
“It was the best experience that I’ve ever had in my entire life. Hands down. From start to finish, everyone at Sony Pictures Studios was so kind and welcoming,” Laielli said. “Everyone was just so kind, warm and welcoming, and they were all so full of energy. You could not have a bad day if you worked there because everyone is just so happy and they’re all supportive of every single contestant.”
During filming, she met Vanna White and Pat Sajak, who is leaving the show after the current season. She also found out that out of 1 million people who sent in an audition video, 10,000 were interviewed and only 600 were ultimately picked for the season.
Laielli competed against two others – Michelle Keller and Derek Wong. She came home with lifelong memories, and an extra $7,300 in her pocket.
Julia is a student at Rider University, majoring in multiplatform journalism with a minor in social media strategies. At school, she writes and copy edits for The Rider News and is the News Director for the radio station, producing news updates. She’ll be graduating in the spring. Connect with her on Instagram @juliatrain
