One of Kelly Rabbitt’s prayers before she appeared on Wheel of Fortune was that she’d win $1 million.

That prayer hasn’t yet come true — but another one has for the North Palm Beach woman, who played the game on TV worldwide Oct. 2, and its gift has been no less enriching.

“I had prayed to God that no matter what happened, to please let me be a woman of excellence on national television,” said Rabbitt, who went home with only the minimum prize of $1,000. “I believe I did that. I gave it my best.”

Now in its 30th season, Wheel of Fortune has long been a family routine for Rabbitt, a former anti-poverty volunteer and an aspiring fitness instructor.

“My mom and I love Wheel of Fortune, as did my grandma when she was alive,” Rabbitt said. “If there’s any game show I was going to be on, that was it.”

Her road to Wheel of Fortune took turns both ordinary and inspirational. One day, while folding laundry, Rabbitt heard an announcement on television about local auditions, and then an inner voice — God’s voice, Rabbitt said — telling her she was going to be on the show.

Rabbitt listened to it and showed up at the auditions at Legacy Place in Palm Beach Gardens in April, with about 600 other people waiting for their names to be drawn. Rabbitt was indeed chosen, then qualified for the next level of auditions in May in Boca Raton.

About 70 people at the Boca Raton audition were tested for their public speaking, enthusiasm, performance on a written test and the way they played the game. There were four cuts and 20 people were left at the end.

Two weeks and two days later, Rabbitt received the letter that she was eligible to appear on the show sometime in the next 18 months. That day came in July.

On the show, Rabbitt almost solved one puzzle, but couldn’t come up with either the “g” or the “w” in “Big Buff Brawny Bodybuilder.”

Longtime Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak consoled Rabbitt, telling her, “You were playing well, but sometimes the word just doesn’t want to come out.”

Still, the mood was light when Rabbitt and 12 friends gathered at Mondo’s American Bistro on U.S. 1 in North Palm Beach to watch the show.

“It was a tremendous opportunity for experience and growth,” Rabbitt said. “I wasn’t afraid to try. I wasn’t nervous. I want to encourage other people that it’s OK to try things even if you don’t end up in first place.”