First, it was Ken Jennings. Then it was James Holzhauer, Matt Amodio, and now, Amy Schneider. An exciting, knowledgeable, admirable, and extremely successful contestant, Amy had us sitting on our couches and staring at our TV screens to watch Jeopardy! whilst yelling, shouting, and screaming rapid-fire answers at the TV. Amy is a one-of-a-kind contestant, and she is celebrated for her records as she concluded her remarkable run on the show on Wednesday night.

Amy Schneider is an engineering manager from Oakland, California and was the current Jeopardy! champion. On her first night on the show on November 17, 2021, Schneider was immediately recognized for her expansive knowledge and great speed. She even admitted on the show that in school, she was voted “Most Likely to be on Jeopardy!”. Her winning streak of 40 days that she recently achieved on Tuesday night was second only to current host Ken Jennings, who holds 74 consecutive wins. In her interview with Good Morning America on Monday, Schneider said that her “main secret is just being curious and spending [her] life learning.”

Not only is it significant that Amy Schneider now holds the second longest day streak behind Jennings, but she is also the first openly transgender woman to break any of these precedented records. This is an extremely monumental milestone for the LGBTQ+ community. Schneider tweeted, “The fact is, I don’t actually think about being trans all that often, and so when appearing on national television, I wanted to represent that part of my identity accurately… I do want people to know that aspect of me. I think being trans is really cool!” She also mentioned in her interview on Good Morning America the power of “being on TV as [her] true self, expressing [her]self, and representing the entire community of trans people.”

Amy Schneider’s victories on Jeopardy! are not only huge achievements for the LGBTQ+ community, but for women’s empowerment and gender equality as well. Schneider has surpassed some of the greatest players in the show’s history, all of whom are men. Fans from all different backgrounds were ecstatic, hoping that she would soon surpass the current all-time champions. With her extensive knowledge and likeable personality, she was being cheered on by all viewers. Schneider said on Good Morning America how she has proven to be a “smart confident woman” through her experiences on Jeopardy! Although Amy’s incredible run on the show came to an end on Wednesday night, she is applauded and praised for her achievements.

Regardless of the fact that Amy is no longer on the show, she has already achieved much success in her Jeopardy! career. As of Tuesday night, she had won $1,382,000 and has defeated her opponents each of the 40 consecutive nights she has been on the show. She had recently exceeded James Holzhauer’s record of 32 consecutive days on the show and Matt Amodio’s record of 38 days! Amy will still be invited to play in Jeopardy!’s ‘Tournament of Champions,’ so this does not mark the definitive end of her career and success on the show.

Tune in every weekday at 7:00 p.m. on ABC to watch Jeopardy! as new players attempt to tackle these records!