The Real Thing: Manny is a San Diego native who grew up in Chula Vista, is an alum of San
Diego State University, and works for the City of San Diego.
In 2001, he walked ‘aboard’ Front Runners and Walkers, as it were, eased into club
runs and has kept going right up to and through 14 marathons. LA is a fave for him, clocking a
4:06 PR. The Camp Pendleton Mud Run, with its daunting and grunting 10K course, counts
big time with Manny: hands-and- knees scrambling, crawling under a low-hanging
tarp, scaling a mud and water soaked eight-foot rope, and more mud, forever.
Manny’s club service earns him a solid 4.0: he started his activities with Sheryl Howard as membership co-chair in 2004 and two years later, he partnered with Carol Pierce to lead the club during its 25th anniversary year. In 2007, he was on the board of directors, while keeping members juiced and watered on Saturday morning. In 2015, he returned as membership co-chair with David Hallen and served as club delegate to International Front Runners in Denver, Colorado. Not enough? Manny enjoys recruiting new members and promoting the club at neighborhood street fairs and events around town. “Over the years, I’ve made lots of friends in the club, it’s a great group to be part of.”
Wheel of Fortune is the longest running TV game show in the country, first seen on Jan 6, 1975, and now has a record of 6,000+ episodes. Contestants guess hidden phrases by guessing letters one at a time, and winning $$$$ or prizes determined by a spin of the wheel. Following his successful audition, Manny and two other contestants competed on the Wheel of Fortune show of February 23, 2017. San Diego and its attractions were the show’s theme—the usual suspects—Zoo, Sea World, Hotel Del Coronado. Manny won $6,500 in Prize money. So far, he hasn’t “thought about” how to spend the money,” which hasn’t arrived yet. Payoff day is usually within four months of the win, he says. Yes, Manny says he’s game for a return spin on Wheel of Fortune.
Check out the episode here: Wheel of Fortune