The Team’s Puzzle Story:

The Humpty Dumpty Emergency Response Team placed third place in the 4-person team division of the USAJPA National “Unofficial” Championship event in May 2021. The team is based out of Kalamazoo, Michigan and is made up of Jennifer Thomas, Sarah Thomas, Lauren Peeler, and Eliza Couch.

Eliza just joined the group in 2020 and the other three have been competing together since the Winter Carnival contest in St. Paul, MN in January of 2018.

Sarah started puzzling a year or two before she started doing competitions. She says, “The thing I most enjoy is actually puzzling with my teammates. It's just all about having a fun time and being together. I also love how much other people love puzzling. The best part is definitely our camaraderie, and we always celebrate, win or lose!”

Jennifer - aka @artmacgyverjt on Instagram - agreed and said she enjoys both the social and competitive aspects of puzzling as part of a team and that her favorite part of puzzling is tackling the edges.

Q&A Time:

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

“Just train, and always have fun! Start by choosing puzzles with colors and images that you enjoy and find what works best for you. Once you get comfortable then pick a more challenging puzzle and repeat.”

Connect:

The team can be found through Instagram at @humptydumptypuzz