Callie Thomas-DeWeese was born and raised in Athens, and like many other people around the country she had a certain infatuation with the hit game show Wheel of Fortune.

“When she was little her and her grandmother would watch Wheel of Fortune all of the time,” Jan Holt, Thomas-DeWeese’s mother, told The News Courier. “She would actually go into her grandmother’s closet, drag out some of her fancy clothes, put them on and then stand in front of the tv — just so she could pretend to be Vanna White.”

As Thomas-DeWeese grew older, she still proudly carried her love for Wheel of Fortune with her into her adult life. Eventually, she joined the United States Coast Guard after graduating from college — serving 22 years and earning the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

So, when Thomas-DeWeese saw that Wheel of Fortune was looking for veterans to apply to play for the show’s annual veterans appreciation week — she jumped on the opportunity.

After submitting an online application, and a series of auditions and interviews, she was selected to appear on the iconic game show based at Sony Pictures Studios in Los Angeles, California.

“I still can’t believe it happened,” Thomas-DeWeese said. “I remember when I was waiting for the call I thought to myself ‘There’s just no way I make it,’ but somehow I did. It was a complete surprise, but I was immediately so excited and nervous at the same time.”

Thomas-DeWeesee traveled nearly 2,000 miles for the filming of the show in August with her mother and her 11-year-old daughter.

“You had to be at least eight years old to be in the audience, so my son who’s only 7 was crushed that he had to stay home,” Thomas-DeWeese said. “My daughter on the other hand was like ‘I don’t care, I’m going,’ and she had a blast.”

The episode, which aired on Friday, Nov. 18, showcased Thomas-DeWeese’s expertise and love for the show — as she spun the famous colorful wheel and solved puzzles against her fellow veterans.

“It’s probably one of the coolest things I’ve ever done,” Thomas-DeWeese said. “Everyone there was so nice, from Vanna White to Ryan Seacrest. It was just a great experience, but it definitely was a lot harder than playing at home on the couch.”

Thomas-DeWeese admitted to struggling with nerves while playing, but it did not show in her results. She won a grand total of $14,719 — which included a trip to Hawaii — a place she was very familiar with, as lived there for 4 years while in the service.

“Being in the Coast Guard has allowed me to travel to so many great places, make so many great friends and have so many unbelievable experiences,” Thomas-DeWeesee said. “This is something that I’ll never forget, so I am just thankful to Sony and Wheel of Fortune for having me on.”