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Amy Schneider wins Jeopardy’s Tournament of Champions becoming the game show’s first transgender constant to win the $250K prize

Amy Schneider capped off a historic season on Jeopardy by winning the Tournament of Champions on Monday, and taking home the $250K cash prize.

The 42-year-old former software engineering manager (who quit her job after her initial Jeopardy success) became the first to amass three wins in the finals, besting software developer Andrew He, who won two games, and associate professor Sam Buttrey, who won one game in the best-to-three game finals.

Schneider becomes the first openly transgender contestant to both compete in and win the Tournament of Champions, according to a Jeopardy press release.

Historic: Amy Schneider capped off a historic season on Jeopardy by winning the Tournament of Champions on Monday, and taking home the $250K cash prize

Historic: Amy Schneider capped off a historic season on Jeopardy by winning the Tournament of Champions on Monday, and taking home the $250K cash prize

‘I feel amazing. 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 said in a statement after her win.

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Schneider and He previously competed in her first match on Jeopardy in November 2021, which ended He’s five-game winning streak and started her impressive 40-game win streak, second only to current Jeopardy host Ken Jennings’ record 74-game streak. 

‘I both wanted to [compete against him] and was afraid of facing him again,” Schneider said of He.

Ken and Amy: Schneider and He previously competed in her first match on Jeopardy in November 2021, which ended He's five-game winning streak and started her impressive 40-game win streak, second only to current Jeopardy host Ken Jennings' record 74-game streak

Ken and Amy: Schneider and He previously competed in her first match on Jeopardy in November 2021, which ended He’s five-game winning streak and started her impressive 40-game win streak, second only to current Jeopardy host Ken Jennings’ record 74-game streak

‘I knew he was one of the top competitors in the field. He was definitely someone that I knew could beat me because he very nearly did before, and he did a couple of times here as well,’ Schneider added. 

‘Any of the three of us really could have won if a very small number of things had gone differently. I’m glad we got a really fair chance to test our skills against each other, and I’d love to play him again someday, somehow,’ she added.

The game came down to both Schneider and He, who both gave the correct response in Final Jeopardy, though Schneider risked more and came away the victor.

Risked: Risked: The game came down to both Schneider and He, who both gave the correct response in Final Jeopardy, though Schneider risked more and came away the victor

Risked: Risked: The game came down to both Schneider and He, who both gave the correct response in Final Jeopardy, though Schneider risked more and came away the victor

Her $1.382 million in Jeopardy earnings from her 40-game winning streak puts her at fourth all-time, behind Matt Amodio ($1.518 million), James Holzhauer ($2.462 million) and Ken Jennings ($2.520 million).

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Schneider also recognized what her victory meant for representation as part of the trans community.

‘I’m going to keep going out there and being me. Being in places where people like me haven’t been before, it’s a very powerful thing to do,’ Schneider said.

Representation: Schneider also recognized what her victory meant for representation as part of the trans community

 Representation: Schneider also recognized what her victory meant for representation as part of the trans community

She opened up about her experience auditioning for Jeopardy for more than a decade before she was finally chosen, after she transitioned. 

‘I do think part of the reason I finally did get selected was that I had transitioned, and I was living my real identity,” Schneider explained. 

‘Looking back, I realized that I was hiding so much of myself. I was a very closed-off person before that,’ she added.

Opening up: She opened up about her experience auditioning for Jeopardy for more than a decade before she was finally chosen, after she transitioned

Opening up: She opened up about her experience auditioning for Jeopardy for more than a decade before she was finally chosen, after she transitioned

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