Simmie and her 4-person team “The Missing Pieces” at the 2022 USAJPA Nationals. They placed 12th out of 33 teams! Left to right: Lorelei, Cleo, Simmie, Alex
Simmie and her SpeedPuzzling.com pairs partner, Dani, pose with a JFK puzzle at a small-scale puzzle competition at the DC Fountain Pen Show
When not doing a jigsaw puzzle, Simmie contributes her talents to her workplace, Applied Physics Laboratory. Pictured here is the main body of NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft!
“When my husband and I went to Montreal, on the way out of town we stopped at this amazing puzzle warehouse and I got to live my best life there. When crossing the border back into the United States, the border guards noticed the stack of puzzles on our back seat and questioned our absurd amount of puzzles in the car before letting us back into the US.”
Simmie’s Puzzle Story:
Simmie B. (she/her) lives in Maryland, and was the 1st place winner of the Springtime Jigtime Competition (Wave 1), finishing the 500-piece competition puzzle in 1:07:35!
She has casually puzzled since she was little, recalling that her mom used to sort the pieces. Looking back on that memory, Simmie knows how lucky she was to have someone else sorting for her! The 2022 USAJPA Nationals was Simmie’s first speed puzzling competition, and she has been hooked ever since!
Simmie enjoys the monthly solo and pairs virtual competitions with SpeedPuzzling.com, and she looks forward to competing in-person at the upcoming Southeast Regionals. She hopes to go to the World’s competition someday too!
Q&A Time:
Are you active in the puzzle community?
“I recently found a number of local puzzle swaps in my area and I'm slowly building a group of friends to speed puzzle with. I started a puzzle IG last year and connected with a bunch of folks there which has been great. Alyssa (@puzzlesatoz) has been my puzzle-community ambassador, teaching me all things puzzle, and I've been able to meet up with her to puzzle when I've been on the west coast. It's awesome!”
What do you enjoy most about the puzzle community?
“Everyone is so kind and generous. I ended up at the 2022 Nationals kind of on a whim because it coincided with a work trip. I didn't know anyone and had no idea what to expect, but almost immediately felt like I had found my people. I left with new friends and have made so many more across the country and the world since then.”
What is your best advice for someone who wants to improve their speed puzzling abilities?
“Practice being flexible. Don't feel like you have to do the edge first every time or stick with one section. If you are stuck, set it aside and look for something else to do.”
Do you have a cherished puzzle-related memory?
“When my husband and I went to Montreal, on the way out of town we stopped at this amazing puzzle warehouse and I got to live my best life there. When crossing the border back into the United States, the border guards noticed the stack of puzzles on our back seat and questioned our absurd amount of puzzles in the car before letting us back into the US.”
Connect:
Simmie can be found through Instagram: @onepieceonthefloor