Julia Campbell, the wife of a local pastor, saw her life take a surprising turn when a spontaneous decision to attend The Price Is Right led to a once-in-a-lifetime game show win—and a prize package worth more than $41,000.
What started as a fun vacation quickly escalated when Campbell was selected as a contestant, played her way into the Showcase Showdown, and walked away with a six-figure smile and a suite of prizes.
“I was just sitting in the basement, watching the buses go by,” Campbell recalled of the moment her journey began on Jan. 22. “And I said out loud, ‘I should go to The Price Is Right.’”
She ended up with free tickets to the show and called her friend Cheryl Williams to join her before heading to Miami.
“Everything just fell into place,” she said of the trip, which took place on Feb. 12. “It felt like the Lord was making a way.”
Once inside the studio, Campbell didn’t have to wait long for her chance.
“I was the first person picked!” she said. “I ran down to contestant row, played for a Nissan Versa, and lost. I was disappointed, but I wasn’t done.”
She remained in the game and spun the iconic big wheel. “I had the highest spin of the round, and that’s what got me into the Showcase Showdown. And that’s when it all changed.”
Campbell won her final showcase, which included a six-night trip to both Chicago and Mexico, a 2025 model car ready for cruise season, an electric scooter, a full bedroom set, and a massage chair. Altogether, the winnings totaled more than $41,000.
The experience, she said, felt like a blur.
“I didn’t have time to get nervous. I felt like I was just walking through something that had already been set up for me.”
When the episode aired in June, it made a splash on local social media.
“I wasn’t allowed to talk about it until after the show aired, so it was hard to keep it to myself,” she said. “People were asking all kinds of questions, especially about the taxes.”
She confirmed the taxes were already taken care of, allowing her to fully enjoy her winnings.
“It was so fast,” she said. “One moment I was watching buses. Then I was on a flight. Then I was standing on that stage. But I’ll never forget it.”
Campbell is a wife, a mother, and a new grandmother of three. She serves as worship leader and first lady at Damascus Road Christian Fellowship, where she is deeply involved in both ministry and community outreach.
“Our relationship with the Lord is everything,” she said. “I do whatever needs to be done—whether it’s worship, prayer, Sunday service, or helping people during the week.”
For Campbell, her game show victory wasn’t just about luck or prizes. It was about obedience, timing, and faith.
“It looked like I lost in the beginning. But I kept going. That’s how life is—you have to keep going, even when it looks like it’s not going your way,” she said. “If you stop, you miss the blessing.”
