The 23-year-old, originally from Nova Scotia and now living in Toronto, earned entry into the tournament by winning 23 straight games to record the fifth-longest streak ever on Jeopardy!, collecting more than Cdn$750,000. The tournament of champions pitted her against Andrew He, a software developer from San Francisco, and Eric Ahasic, a meteorologist from Minneapolis. All three contestants plunged into Final Jeopardy, with none of them daring to guess. The answer was: “To fight malaria, this former royal estate helped bring quinine-producing cinchona plants from South America to India.” The correct answer was what Kew Gardens is. He will move on to the finals on Monday after finishing the game with $37,863 USD in a surprise win. Roach finished in third place with $7,200 USD, but earned $10,000 USD for her performance. Ahasic finished second with $16,783, but earned $10,000 USD for his appearance.
Family says it was ‘a lot of fun’
Before Friday’s game, Roach continued her impressive record winning an exhibition match against other champions that aired Wednesday with her family and friends watching back in Nova Scotia. “It was a lot of fun,” Phil Roach, Mattea’s father, told CBC News. “I think part of the fun is sharing it with our family here in Halifax.” Reflecting on his daughter’s magical first run, he said success and money have not affected her. “She’s very down to earth,” Phil said. “She hasn’t made any significant changes in her life.” The biggest change, Mattea’s father said, is that his daughter has become a bit of a celebrity and now people recognize her. “He really appreciates the support. He enjoys it even though he’s a very private person,” Phil said. Phil Roach says his daughter’s fame hasn’t changed who she is. (CBC) The spotlight brought Mattea opportunities she wouldn’t have had otherwise, her father said. He said his daughter had planned to go to law school, but after her first run on Jeopardy!, she decided to postpone her acceptance. Mattea has started a podcast about Canadian politics and is considering writing a book, Phil said. “There are things he would describe as something he thought about doing in 10 years,” he said. “But this exposure has given her the opportunity to do so now.” Phil isn’t worried about what Mattea will do next. He said he always knew his daughter would be successful in whatever she chose to do. “It’s just a real pleasure to see a kid succeed,” Phil said. “That’s really gratifying. We have three boys and we’re supporting them and, you know, rejoicing in their successes as well.” MORE TOP STORIES
