She won eight ... and she can skate

Adult ice dancer achieves greatness on ‘Jeopardy!’

Editor’s note: In the February issue of SKATING magazine, Aviva Cantor visits with adult skater Jennifer Quail about her recent winning streak on the popular trivia game show “Jeopardy!” Here’s an excerpt from that story.

By Aviva M. Cantor

Like many adult skaters, Jennifer Quail of Dowagiac, Michigan, wears many hats. With degrees in archaeology, museum studies and culinary arts, Quail made good use of her diverse knowledge when she pursued the ultimate trivia challenge: “Jeopardy!”

Quail appeared in nine episodes, Dec. 4–16, 2019, winning eight times and finishing second in her final appearance. Taking home $230,800, she became the second-highest-scoring female contestant ever. She also holds the record for the 12th-highest all-time winnings in regular games. Quail described “Jeopardy!” as “a surreal experience. … It’s just like you see on TV, and while you’re doing it, it’s hard to believe you’re really there.”

During one of Quail’s matches, Alex Trebek asked about her skating background.

“I had to explain that as far as jumps, I’m an ice dancer, so I don’t jump much,” she said.

Quail took some group lessons as a kid, but didn’t pursue private lessons or testing until she was in culinary school. As an adult, she passed preliminary moves in the field and pre-bronze dance.

“I even managed to combine food and skating,” she said. “When I was finishing up at school, a job posting [was] sent in from The Skating Club of Boston. They were looking for a cook for their café, and I worked there for a little over a year. It was a lot of fun getting to know all the kids, and the ice time was nice, too! I remember watching Ross Miner skating as a novice and junior.”

For full story, read the February edition of SKATING magazine.   

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