|
Playing to win on national TV |
|
|
|
Wednesday, 20 February 2008 |
Jennifer Larson
Staff Writer
Katie Henslin almost knows what it’s like to be a millionaire. After all, it was literally within her grasps.
While the Forest Lake resident didn’t take home the top prize as a contestant on the popular NBC game show “Deal or No Deal,” she was fortunate to win $449,000 during the finale that aired on Monday, Feb. 18. During the game, the youth pastor at Willowbrook Community Church declined the banker’s offers, which went up to $491,000 at one point, to sway her from taking home $1 million.
“I honestly believed I was going to be a millionaire,” Henslin said. “The luck I was having picking the cases was unbelievable.”
She was the second contestant in the Million Dollar Mission. Of the 26 cases to open, half of them contained $1 million with $13 million at stake. In the end, it came down to two cases – one held by her and the other by one of the show’s model. As it turns out, the $1 million was in Henslin’s case 8.
Why did she choose that number? Well, Henslin was born in August, it’s also the date of her and husband Peter’s wedding anniversary not to mention they stayed in the 8th room on the 8th floor of a California hotel before the shows taping. So, there were a lot of subliminal reasons for her selection.
Despite the urging of Peter and Henslins’ cousin Anna to keep going, the 28-year old graduate of Apple Valley High School decided to play the game responsibly and quit though her gut told her otherwise. Maybe it was intuition or even a higher power but Henslin knew she had the $1 million case. However, the mother of 18-month old Maja didn’t want to be greedy because that is just not her.
“Knowing her (Maja) future could be changed forever by this one decision, I knew I was going to take the deal,” Henslin said. “It was way too big of a risk.”
Although she played to win $1 million – the woman is a fierce competitor – Henslin has no regrets with her final decision. And the victory won’t change their way of life really. Henslin says she’ll still clip coupons and drive the same vehicle. There will be no shopping sprees either.
The couple will be meeting with financial planners to make the most of Henslin’s winnings and invest it. During the show, she said the money would be used to buy a bigger home because they want to have more children.
“It stabilizes our future,” she added.
However, Peter purchased a new snowmobile as consolation for being an unwilling participant of sorts. Deathly afraid of heights, the show’s producers put him on a platform and raised it into the air a couple feet each time Henslin picked a million-dollar case.
Around 300 people from friends and family, to church members and former schoolmates were invited to watch the finale at Buffalo Wild Wings in Maplewood. It was the first time anyone, with the exception of Henslin’s supporters who were at the live show, would know if she was indeed a millionaire. While she didn’t take home the top prize, Henslin is definitely no loser.
The magnitude of her winnings were revealed in a discussion she had with another guest at the hotel they stayed at in L.A. Like Henslin, this gentleman was a contestant on a game show – Wheel of Fortune. She said he was ecstatic to have won only $12,000 and a trip to Ireland.
“I’m more than thankful,” Henslin said. “I know 10 other people that deserve it over me, easily. I was just lucky. God gave me that chance.”
|
