Amy Schneider, an engineering manager from Oakland, Calif., has shut down Peril!it’s second longest consecutive winning streak (40 games) Wednesday, with $1,382,800 in prize money, making her the quiz show’s top female winner and also the first transgender contestant to take part in Tournament of Champions (a contest between Peril!’s the 15 best earners of this season). Schneider’s historic run put her in the all-time ranks Peril! awesome Ken Jennings, who is currently guest host. She also launched Schneider headfirst into a space that, for a long time, made her uncomfortable: the spotlight. She found the confidence behind the buzzer with the help of a clothing lucky charm; her “pearls of wisdom” necklace.
In ELLE’s Clothes of Our Lives series, we decode the clothing choices made by powerful women and explore how fashion can be used as a communication tool. Below in his own words, Schneider tells us why the pearl necklace she wore to each Peril! the recording gave him “so much confidence”.
Since my transition, I have always worried about my appearance. What do I look like? Am I reading in the feminine? What are people thinking? Be certain Peril! put all those fears to rest. I was thrown into the thick of it, like, “Sure, let’s put your face on national television and see what happens.”
You may have noticed that I wear a pearl necklace in every episode. It was a birthday present from my girlfriend Geneviève. We met in the summer of 2020 through a friend of mine, who was dating her brother at the time. Geneviève ended up at my house one day, where I gave her a Tarot reading. I don’t remember the details, but it must have been a good read because we got on really well. We were friends for a while, but eventually realized we both wanted more.
We always told Geneviève that every woman needs a pearl necklace. My first reaction when she gave me mine was, “Oh, I don’t know if that’s my style.” It wasn’t a piece of jewelry I had ever thought of before, maybe I associate it with Marge Simpson or something. But when I tried on the necklace, it looked great. It can be casual or formal, and it goes with everything. It really is a go-anywhere accessory.
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Most of my life has been spent with my nose to the glass, staring at dresses, shoes, and jewelry that I felt unable to wear. When I made the transition and was finally able to let go, I turned to prettier and fancier things. It’s so much fun. I love lying in bed in the morning before work and planning my entire outfit in my head.
When I started thinking about what I would wear Peril! (and that’s thanks to years of therapy) I decided to dress myself. Historically, people tend to like me the most when I’m myself, and even when I’m not, I’ve learned to be okay with that. As long as I’m not artificial.
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The show had two clothing requirements. One was that I needed to have long sleeves to cover up a tattoo on my arm. The other was that everything I wore had to have a place to hang a microphone. It was a challenge, because I almost exclusively wear dresses. A dress, unless it is belted, has no place to attach a microphone. So I had to go out and buy a bunch of new stuff. I went to Nordstrom Rack and in a daze picked out some things that I thought would look good.
The morning of my first Peril! recording, I put on a playlist called “Victory Morning” which has “Lose Yourself” by Eminem, plus a bunch of Lizzo songs and some Cardi B. Genevieve couldn’t come with me, and that was the first time we’ve been apart since we started dating. I wanted to wear something that reminded me of her, so I put on the pearls. Then I gave myself a pep talk in the mirror like, “You’re good at this!” You will do just fine! The next recording, I decided to wear pearls again. Once I started, I wanted to continue. I was like, “Oh, I mean, I guess this can be my thing? Maybe it will be something that people will react to.
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I had been trying to get on the show for years and was always convinced that one day it would happen. I was also convinced that when I went up, I would do well. What I’ve always said is, “I’ll do my best, but you never know if you’re going to get a Ken Jennings or a James Holzhauer. I would never have imagined reaching this level. James is still far ahead of me in terms of amount of money, but I have surpassed him in number of games.
In order to realize what I did, I had to keep all thoughts out of my mind other than the answer to the next question. I didn’t allow myself to think too much about being the series’ first trans contestant to qualify for the Tournament of Champions or becoming its highest-earning player. I was aware, of course, but I didn’t let that distract me from success.
Geneviève had never really seen Peril! before she met me, but she’s definitely a fan now. We pour a glass of wine and watch every night. Seeing myself on TV wearing pearls has given me so much self-confidence. I’m able to feel good about how I look and present myself in a way that I’ve never done before – in an honest way, I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
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