A man with Parkinson’s disease who first auditioned for Jeopardy! 24 years ago finally got the chance to compete on the show this week.

Harvey Silikovitz found himself in an extraordinary moment when he competed against the current Jeopardy! champion Laura Faddah and Sabrina Blanks on the episode that aired on March 10. Despite the high-stakes competition, he couldn’t resist sharing his personal story during the show.

‘It’s been a longtime dream of mine to get here,’ he told host Ken Jennings. 

‘In 2019, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, but I continued chasing the dream, and now here I am,’ Harvey revealed.

With a touch of humor, Harvey joked that his unique approach to preparing for the show might not be advisable for everyone. Having dealt with Parkinson’s disease for over five years, his motivation to excel on the show extended beyond personal achievement.

Expressing his desire to inspire individuals battling chronic illnesses, Harvey aimed to offer hope and encouragement to others facing similar challenges. His words resonated with Ken, one of the show’s hosts, who acknowledged the inspiring impact of Harvey’s resilience and determination during the competition.

Ahead of his episode airing, Harvey took to Instagram to share a snap of himself on the show alongside Ken and posted a lengthy caption.

He began: ‘This Monday, March 10, I’m going to be on @jeopardy! One of the principal reasons I travel is to learn more about the world. That same voracious curiosity led me to become immersed in the world of trivia.

‘While I believe that knowing stuff is an intrinsic good, I also enjoy testing my knowledge in trivia competitions of various kinds.

‘Inevitably, I wanted to test myself on Jeopardy!, which has long been the gold standard of TV quiz shows. And so, for many years, I have tried to become a contestant on that show.’

Harvey continued: ‘I persevered in that quest even after setbacks – like that time in March 2019 when I missed a voice-mail from a senior casting producer that, had I returned the call, would have led to my becoming a contestant a few weeks later.

‘By the time I finally heard the VM, taping for the season had wrapped,’ he revealed.

‘In August of that same year, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. But I refused to let that diagnosis deter me from following my long-held dream. 

‘I worked hard to manage my Parkinson’s symptoms – even while relentlessly seeking to improve my knowledge base as well as my proficiency at the skills, such as timing on the buzzer, that are crucial to success on J!’

Harvey then explained: ‘At long last, in late January, 2025, my dream was realized. I flew out to Culver City, CA to tape as a J! contestant! So how did I do? Can a person with Parkinson’s be competitive in the rigorous crucible of a Jeopardy! game?

‘To add to the intrigue, the returning champion who was one of my two opponents had won her first eight games.

‘Did I become another of her victims? Did I put an end to her streak? Or did the third player take down both of us? Tune in on Monday to find out!’ he teased.

According to The Ringer, Harvey first auditioned for Jeopardy! in January 2001 while he was working as an attorney in New York City.

Unfortunately, Harvey – who was 30 at the time – failed the on-site application test and was sent home from the audition early.

He auditioned again in 2004, and while he passed the test this time, he never got ‘the call’ from producers – and auditioned several times after that.

Patience clearly is a virtue, and this year, Harvey finally got the chance to compete and did put an abrupt end to Laura’s winning streak, winning $36,800 compared to her $11,200.