Alice’s Puzzle Story: 

Alice is a high school student living in Colorado, and is the 2024 USA Jigsaw Nationals Individuals first place winner! She was the youngest and fastest solo puzzler of the event!

She has puzzled for as long as she can remember, but only started puzzling for speed in 2023. Alice would compare her times to competition results found online, and was ready to try an in-person competition as a solo competitor. She says that she was a bit shocked about placing well in the Individuals Prelim round, and was then nervous going into the Individual Finals. Being surrounded by the top speed puzzlers from across the country and seated next to Andrea Peng for the Finals, she felt the pressure as a first-time competitor. 

The end of the Individual Finals was a blur, but Alice remembers never feeling stuck when putting in the final pieces. It was a great realization for her to know she could compete on the national stage in an activity/sport she loves doing. Some of her family members were able to support her in-person at the competition, while others watched the livestream. Alice’s homecoming was celebratory with her family and friends expressing their joy for her accomplishment.

Alice is looking forward to representing Team USA at the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship in Spain later this year.

Q&A Time:

What do you enjoy most about puzzling?

“I love puzzling because it is an escape from all the other parts of life. When I am timing myself, I am only focused on finishing the puzzle quickly and I'm able to tune out everything else. I also have a very competitive side so being able to compete is a great activity. I began puzzling when I was super young and did a ton of puzzles during COVID; it was a great activity to do with my family between online school. Since there is so much variety there are always new puzzles and twists to discover.”

What is your best advice for someone who wants to improve their speed puzzling abilities?

“I would say my best advice is to practice. The more puzzles that you do, the more experience you get. Also definitely practice with the brands that you may see in competition, because it can be difficult to face a puzzle that is irregularly cut when you aren't used to it.”

What is the puzzle community like in your area?

“The puzzle community in Colorado is slowly growing. I feel like stores dedicated solely to jigsaw puzzles are rare, so I'm very lucky to be near Missing Piece Puzzle Exchange where I am able to rent tons of puzzles to speed practice on, as well as for fun.”

”What do you enjoy most about the puzzle community?

“I love how open and accepting the puzzle community is. I found my pairs partner by renting puzzles from her, and she has been so much fun to puzzle with! Nationals was my first speed puzzling competition and everybody was so welcoming and supportive.”

Do you have a favorite brand, type, or style of puzzle?

“I really enjoy doing large piece count puzzles and I'm hoping to complete a 9000 piece puzzle this summer. I also love Ravensburger puzzles; they are great quality and there are a lot of fun designs. I enjoy doing Charles Wysocki puzzles because I can complete them in a few hours and they are the type of puzzles my family would do together.”

Connect:

Alice can be found on Instagram: @aliceispuzzled