CULVER CITY, CALIF. (Sept. 30, 2010) - After appearing for six days on "Jeopardy!," Chicago Sun-Times reporter Kara Spak is returning to her hometown of Chicago a much wealthier woman with a total of $85,401 in cash winnings.

Regarding her winning streak, Spak said, "It's really exciting.  This is something I've dreamed about ever since I was a little kid."  She continued, "I came on and thought that would be my dream come true.  I can't believe I actually won."

Spak credits her husband Steve as well as her parents and four brothers for her success.  "My husband was so supportive of me and an awesome player to practice against.  My parents made me watch ‘Jeopardy!' nearly every night with my brothers while growing up.  Without playing against them, I would have never made it here today."

When asked what she'll do with her winnings, Spak replied, "I haven't made any definite plans, but I'm thinking it might be time to fulfill my long-held dream of visiting Salzburg, Austria, for the ‘Sound of Music' tour."

Spak, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Science in journalism from Columbia University, enjoys keeping physically active and has practiced yoga for 10 years and has been a competitive runner for more than 25 years.  "I really think both of these activities helped me to concentrate for the duration of the games I was on. Playing one game was exhausting," she said.

"Jeopardy!," the winner of 28 Emmy awards since its debut in 1984, was inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records for the most awards won by a TV Game Show. The series is the #1-rated quiz show in syndication with nearly 9 million daily viewers. "Jeopardy!" is produced by Sony Pictures Television, a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company. It is distributed domestically by CBS Television Distribution and internationally by CBS Television International, both units of CBS Corp.

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