Geoffrey and Katherine’s Puzzle Stories:

Geoffrey S. has puzzled his whole life and competed since 2019. Katherine D. has puzzled her whole life and started competing in 2021. They practice together with their World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship (Jigsaw Junkies) online, and their first time puzzling in-person together was so strong that they took 1st place in the Pairs division of the 2021 National Championship as Puzzle Addicts Anonymous! Geoffrey also took 3rd place in the individuals division at that same competition.

Q&A Time:

What’s your favorite part of puzzling?

Geoffrey: “Getting 1000 tiny dopamine rushes in a row, one for every piece you place.”

Katherine: “Puzzles have always been something that I've enjoyed and just became part of my life very early on. If I didn't have puzzles, I would feel like something was missing from my life.”

What’s your advice to get faster?

Geoffrey: “Some advice I don't hear often is to stay alert and focused for the entire duration of a race. Most people start doing puzzles as a way to relax and have fun, so it takes discipline not to slip into that meditative relaxation mindset while speed puzzling, especially when you're already two hours into a 1000-piecer. If you don't feel sore, sweaty, and thirsty after a race, you could've pushed yourself harder!”

Katherine: “Practice, practice, practice! It's especially important to practice puzzle pictures/cuts that you find difficult.”

What’s your favorite part about puzzling as a team?

Geoffrey: “In a team, I'll never be responsible for assembling any sections with gradient colors. Gradients are my puzzling Achilles heel, so I'm happy to let a teammate take care of them --  I'll take the sections with busy patterns instead, please!”

Katherine: “My teammate was an awesome motivator during the competition. His excitement about the contest made me just as excited!”

Connect:

Geoffrey can be found through Instagram at @puzzlenomad

Katherine can be found through Instagram at @katiesucksatlife