Jeanne and Cathy’s Puzzle Story: 

Jeanne (she/her) and Cathy (she/her) both live in Washington state, and took 1st place in the Springtime Jigtime Pairs competition, completing the 500-piece competition in just 24:03! That was more than 8 minutes faster than the next team. When their performance is compared to those of a few Spanish competitors who completed the same puzzle, they appear to be contenders for a place on the Pairs podium at World’s! They are commonly found on the leaderboard for competitions they enter, with many people having commented that it is incredible to watch them puzzle together in a competition setting. They also took 1st place at the USAJPA 2022 Nationals competition in pairs, finishing an infamously diabolical 500-piece scenic puzzle in 33:26 - more than 6 minutes faster than the next team. 

Jeanne and Cathy consider their completion of wooden peg puzzles as toddlers as Exhibit “A” for being life-long puzzlers. Competitively, their first contest was the St. Paul Winter Carnival, where they won both times they attended. Years later, when virtual competitions started in 2020, they rejoined the world of speed puzzling.  

They look forward to seeing fellow USAJPA Members in Spain at the World Championship in September!

Q&A Time:

Are you active in the puzzle community? 

“We enjoy being puzzle enablers and are constantly donating puzzles to friends, co-workers and anyone else who starts a sentence with ‘I was thinking of getting a puzzle…’. ”

What do you enjoy most about puzzling? 

“Um, everything? What else allows you to utilize your brain with critical thinking around colors, patterns, shapes and memory, but is still relaxing and rewarding? An unfinished puzzle on a table is as irresistible a trap to us as an empty box is to cats. Cannot resist the siren’s call of an unplaced piece.”

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

“Step away from the puzzles! No, really. Solving puzzles uses a surprisingly diverse skill set and there are other games that help sharpen these individual skills. Check out a color perception game like I Love Hue or test your visual recognition and reaction time with a round of Spot It!. Matching and memory games help to increase concentration and focus, perfect for remembering where in the pile a piece was and where you just left that piece you wanted to connect it to. And if anyone figures out how to flip pieces faster, would you please let us know?”

Do you have a cherished puzzle-related memory?

“Honestly, the entirety of 2022 US Nationals weekend was such a joy. It was our first experience at a full-blown puzzle event and there were so many highlights. From chatting with a USAJPA board member in the elevator early that first morning, to the palpable energy in the competition room (shout out to the Figuras - @teamfloorcheck - whose soft upbeat singing at the table next to us kickstarted our Pairs competition), to the tables full of speed run puzzles, and getting to meet jigsaw puzzle company representatives, artists, and fellow puzzlers from across the globe. It was a sensational introduction to the puzzling community.”

Connect:  Jeanne and Cathy are more focused on their puzzling than on their social media so they don’t have accounts to follow, however they’ll be present at World’s 2023, so watch for them on the Livestream!