By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Tribune and other outlets
March 19, 2024
When Mai Whelan beat out 455 competitors to win $4.56 million dollars on “Squid Game: The Challenge” – the reality competition series based on the award-winning Netflix K-drama … minus the deaths! – she had all kinds of options to go away to luxurious destinations. But she surprised fans with her choice. “I asked my husband, Jay, to pick a cabin where I can go for walks and spend time with the dogs,” she said. “We found a place in Seaman, Ohio, with 80 acres of land for the dogs to run free and for me to stroll with my husband. It was a perfect, serene setting … and I didn’t have to socialize with anyone. I slept a lot for a week, took strolls, wrote and ate.”
Q: What was it like shooting “The Challenge” in London?
A: Filming in London was amazing. I had the chance to see behind the scenes how they film. It required a lot of people from different departments, such as costumes, catering, welfare, camera, sound, interviewers and much more. Everyone wore a microphone 24/7, except when we went to sleep and showered. The staff left the players to do what is natural – living out our lives in an enclosed environment and playing games. I did not keep my eyes on the prize, but it was more like keeping my eyes on my opponents. Even though we were forming friendships, I kept my guard up for any surprises that may come my way.
Q: What stands out about some of the places that you have lived in?
A: I was in the Navy for 20 years so I have lived in Charleston, South Carolina – it has history, friendly people, by the water, good food. Meridian, Mississippi – I was scared after watching the movie “Mississippi Burning.” I didn’t want to go there. Honolulu – beautiful beaches, weather was nice, but I had island fever. La Maddalena, Italy, my favorite place – friends, people, good food, beautiful scenery, relaxing culture, family oriented. London – food was bland, very formal culture, rained a lot, beautiful scenery. Chicago – good food, nice scenery, very cold.
Q: How long did you live in Chicago?
A: I met my husband, who is a chef, [in Chicago]. We started as a catering business, MyChefCuisine, and then opened a restaurant offering six to 12 gourmet courses paired with wine. During the recession of 2008, we lost our business. Chicago was known at the time to tax small business owners heavily. We, unfortunately, took a heavy blow.
Q: You were young when your family fled from Vietnam to Pennsylvania. Was assimilating difficult for you?
A: At eight years of age, it was an easy transition because I knew little about Vietnamese culture, but I did know how to respect my elders. My views conflicted with my mom’s and older siblings at times. The hardest was learning English, because there are so many tenses. In Vietnamese, we have general, formal and no tenses.
Q: Have you been back to Vietnam?
A: I returned to Vietnam for the first time in October 2023 to reunite with my lost brother. After 48 years, we have finally met.
Q: What are your five favorite cities?
A: La Maddalena, Paris, London, Bruges (Belgium) and Kennebunkport (Maine).
Q: You won quite a bit of money on “Squid Game: The Challenge.” Will you take a dream vacation with some of the prize?
A: My dream vacation is going to the Maldives. But my goal is to take the winnings and do something good by forming a nonprofit to promote causes that have been near my heart for some time now – the underprivileged, animals and the environment.
Q: When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
A: I need a straightener to tame my curls, glasses, floss, toothbrush and rosary.
Q: What is your best and/or worst vacation memory?
A: My best vacation was touring Europe for 30 days backpacking with my kids. There hasn’t been a bad vacation to date. Even if there was, we somehow found a way to make it better.
© 2024 JAE-HA KIM
DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.
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