This year’s Lesbian Visibility Week kicks off with a new out and proud Jeopardy! super-champ.
Mattea Roach, a 23-year-old tutor and out lesbian from Nova Scotia, won her 14th consecutive game Friday, making her the latest super-champ on the popular television quiz show. With Friday’s win, she qualified for the show’s Tournament of Champions and became the highest-winning Canadian contestant, winning over $320,000.
“I’m only 23. So, this is like so much more money than I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” Roach said in an interview posted on the Jeopardy! website. “It’s really amazing. I’m so grateful.”
Roach follows in the footsteps of Amy Schneider who earlier this year embarked on the second-highest consecutive winning streak in Jeopardy! history. She ended her historic run with 40 consecutive wins, second only to Ken Jennings (74) and with over $1,300,000 in winnings. She became the show’s top-earning woman contestant, and the first out trans contestant to qualify for the Tournament of Champions.
“I was fully thinking, you know, Amy might still be here,” Roach said of her first appearance on the show. “If it’s not Amy, there’s going to be some other super-champion that’s just going to know me out, game one. And then, I guess what I didn’t realize is maybe I could become the super champion I wanted to see in the world.”
Roach will go for her 15th consecutive win in tonight’s game, where she will play against two new contestants.
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