Shirley Meets Alex Trebek on Jeopardy!
Every weeknight at 7:30 p.m., Shirley Smallwood, 83, can be seen sitting at the TV listening to her all-time favorite show and host, Alex Trebek on Jeopardy!. But Shirley doesn’t just watch the show. For the full hour that Alex Trebek is speaking, she is recording ideas for questions for her own Jeopardy! game show that she hosts weekly at the Grand Court Tampa. And with each question card that Shirley writes, she translates into Braille because she is blind.
The Jeopardy! Club has become one of the few things in her life that gives Shirley a sense of purpose. It is her Wish of a Lifetime to go on Jeopardy! and meet Alex Trebek, the man who has kept her inspired all these years.
Shirley Smallwood and LEC Kimberly Wozunk flew from Tampa to LA on October 24, to attend a taping of the show on Oct. 25.
Shirley and Kimberly met Jeremy Bloom, founder of Wish of a Lifetime, upon arrival and watched 3 live tapings of Jeopardy! before going onstage and meeting Alex Trebek. He was so kind to Shirley, he listened, asked her questions and was genuinely interested. The episode aired December 14, 2011.