It’s official: Amy Schneider has made Jeopardy! history once more with her latest achievement. The former software engineer, now writer, is the first out trans person to compete in and win the show’s annual “Tournament of Champions.”
“I feel amazing,” Schneider said after her win, a grand prize of $250,000, according to a press release. “Earlier in the finals, I had this sudden moment of seeing myself and being like ‘I’m on stage in the Tournament of Champions finals,’ and that was crazy. And I won! It’s a great feeling.”
Schneider first began her Jeopardy! journey in November 2021; in her first episode, she bested software developer Andrew He, who had kept up a five-day winning streak prior to their initial face-off. Schneider’s win kicked off a 40-game run, leading to her claiming a spot in this year’s “Tournament of Champions,” where she faced He once more. The all stars also competed against Sam Buttrey, an associate professor at the Naval Postgraduate School.
Schneider is no stranger to setting records on the Jeopardy! stage. In December, she claimed the title of “most games won by a woman on the show,” and the following month she became the first woman to win $1 million — an incredible feat considering the trivia program has been on the air since 1964.
But Schneider remains relatable despite her impressive accomplishments on and off the podium — including advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and speaking out against anti-trans bills. Following her big win last night, the newlywed (she married wife Genevieve Davis in September), hostaed a Twitter chat to answer fans’ questions, including one about best study habits. “Believe it or not, I barely graduated college, partly due to undiagnosed ADHD,” she tweeted.
Other tidbits we can definitely relate to: loving peanut butter and chocolate ice cream (from Baskin-Robbins, specifically) and not winning bar trivia. “Tonight I went out to bar trivia for the first time since my first Jeopardy appearance!” she tweeted last night. “My team came in third.”
Jeopardy! winners, they’re just like us. (Well, kind of.)
