Trenton Girone is a big Wheel of Fortune fan. He’s been watching the show since he was 2 years old, and knows practically everything there is to know about it. On Tuesday night, he finally got to spin the wheel.
Girone, a 21-year-old from Peoria, Ariz., has Tourette and Asperger syndrome, and he’s endured nine brain surgeries and an open-heart surgery. His appearance on Tuesday’s Wheel of Fortune allowed him to impart his vast knowledge of the show: He even knew about the now-defunct “megaword.”
He started the episode by solving the puzzle “A Smashing Success,” and though he didn’t end up winning, his good nature and humor throughout the show made Twitter take notice. During and after his appearance, the hashtag #TeamTrent circulated as a show of support, from fans and members of the Asperger and Tourette communities.
Definitely on #Teamtrent Would love to represent the Aspergian community on Jeopardy! or Millionaire one day.
— Andrew Hersh (@SNESmaster) May 1, 2014
1st time I’ve been emotionally invested in a Wheel of Fortune episode. Just screamed at TV when Trent landed on bankrupt. #TeamTrent
— Cory Epstein (@cory_epstein) April 30, 2014
In a blog post on the Wheel of Fortune site, Girone explained he applied to be on the show “at every opportunity,” and he gave a shout out to the contestants and host Pat Sajak for their assistance:
“I have some physical challenges that they were aware of and they made sure I was safe and comfortable.”
Girone certainly makes up for this Wheel of Fortune contestant.
H/T Gawker | Screengrab via TVLubber3/YouTube
