She Almost Didn’t Make the Trip. Then She Won $65,650 on Wheel of Fortune.
Delinda Rood had been trying to get on Wheel of Fortune for three years. When her shot finally came, a family health scare nearly took it away — and then the show gave her the perfect way to honor it.
Rood, a Brainerd native living in Rosemount, Minnesota, appeared on the November 4 episode of the long-running game show. By the time the night was over, she had walked away with $65,650 — and a moment that her hometown is still talking about.

Three Years in the Making
Appearing on Wheel of Fortune was a longtime dream for Rood, who had been applying to get on the show for three years. She had watched the show every day with her parents growing up, and kept watching wherever she lived — always feeling like it connected her to home. Hometown SourceBrainerd Dispatch
When the call finally came, she booked her flight to Los Angeles. Then her mother-in-law had a health scare. Rood nearly didn’t make the trip. She went anyway. Her husband Mark and daughter Molly went with her. Hometown Source
The episode was taped all the way back in April. That meant Rood and her family had to keep the secret under wraps for months before it finally aired. Yahoo!

A Slow Start, Then a Surge
The game didn’t open in Rood’s favor. The first toss-up — “My Game Face” — went unsolved by all three contestants. But Rood found her footing fast. She buzzed in to solve the second toss-up, “Practical Joker,” earning her $2,000 right off the bat. Opposing ViewsOpposing Views
From there, she steadily pulled away. She solved four of the six puzzles before the other two contestants, building a total of $20,650 heading into the Bonus Round — including a trip to Scottsdale, Arizona, among her winnings. Hometown Source
Her fellow contestants had their own highlights. Justin Zamora from Palo Alto, California won a trip to Norway, while Shateria Smith from Chattanooga, Tennessee obtained the One Million Dollar Wedge. But the night ultimately belonged to Rood. Yahoo!

The Answer That Said Everything
In the Bonus Round, Rood chose the category “Around the House.” The board revealed: _ARM _ _ _ LT.
It took her more time to say the answer than it did to fill in the blanks. Hometown Source
But before she said it, she turned to the camera.
“For my mother-in-law,” she said. “Warm quilt.” Bring Me The News
The audience erupted. That correct answer won her an additional $45,000, bringing her total to $65,650. MIX 108

What We Know

Rood had applied to appear on Wheel of Fortune for three consecutive years before being selected
The episode was taped in April 2025 and aired November 4, 2025
She won $20,650 in the main game and an additional $45,000 in the Bonus Round
Her mother-in-law’s health scare nearly prevented her from making the trip to Los Angeles
She dedicated her Bonus Round answer — “Warm Quilt” — to her mother-in-law on camera
Her husband and daughter were in the studio audience
The City of Rosemount shared the Bonus Round clip on social media Yahoo!
Rood plans to use part of her winnings to take a family vacation Hometown Source

Why a Minnesota Town Is Still Talking About This
Game show wins happen every week. This one hit differently.
It wasn’t just the money or the speed of the solve. It was the two words she said before the answer — and what they meant. A woman who nearly stayed home to be with a sick family member flew across the country, kept a secret for seven months, and then used the biggest moment of the game to say thank you.
“I am a ‘Wheel of Fortune’ champion, and it is amazing,” Rood said the day after the episode aired. Brainerd Dispatch
“What an AMAZING experience!!!” she wrote on Facebook. “So happy to finally share our secret!” Yahoo!
For three years, she kept trying to get on that stage. When she finally got there — she made it count.