Turtle’s Puzzle Story: 

Elizabeth “Turtle” (she/her) lives in South Carolina where she works in medical sales. She has been puzzling casually for her entire life, and always had Legos, puzzles, or board games going while growing up. Turtle enjoys puzzling as a creative outlet and stress reliever. She shares that she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2018, and had to give up many other hobbies as a result as they were too hard on her body. With stress being an R.A. trigger, she sees puzzling as a “perfect fit” of a hobby.

Turtle is an active and well-respected member of the speed puzzling community and is seen as a welcoming and positive spirit! Each summer she hosts a large-scale puzzle-themed fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Association. She lost her mother to early-onset Alzheimer’s in February 2019, and Turtle cites her mother’s love of puzzles as the reason why she shares that passion. After her mother’s passing, Turtle decided to combine that love of puzzles with fundraising in her memory. In 2023, Turtle hosted her first “PuzzleGram” fundraiser for The Longest Day, structured it like a raffle. With the support of 20 different puzzle companies over the years, her efforts and the support of the community have raised over $24,000!

Turtle participates in virtual speed contests throughout the year, and will be back at Winter Carnival in 2026, pairing with Karen Puzzles, and on a team with Karen, Faith T. and Min D. She is also looking forward to the 2026 USA Jigsaw Nationals in Atlanta. Turtle’s Alzheimer’s Fundraiser is every summer, commonly in June or July, so watch her Instagram for more information: https://www.instagram.com/thepuzzledturtle?igsh=eGJhdzFzd3BmZXdi&utm_source=qr

Q&A Time:

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

“Choose a smaller piece count (300 or 500) and record yourself, then watch it. Find where you are slowing down. Is there too much movement or touching pieces over and over? Do you waste time in your flip? Do you need a better plan with sorting and organizing pieces?  Do you slow down after a certain amount of time? Make notes and do the puzzle over and over. Once you “beat” that puzzle, choose another one. The repetition of the same image may sound tedious but you will learn so much about your strengths and weaknesses, and tweaking the smallest thing can make a huge difference. Practice flipping and pulling edges. You can save so much time with a fast flip. Learn how to pick & place (aka “dead reckoning”) and work on shape sorting. And if shape sorting even crosses your mind when puzzling, that’s your sign - it’s time to shape sort. Don’t delay. (Thanks to Andrea P. for that advice.)”

Do you have a favorite brand, type, or style of puzzle?

“I love real art - not AI. I was a graphic artist in my past life so I tend to gravitate towards fun, bright colored illustrations. My favorite illustrations to puzzle are food! I love gradients, patterns, textures and any type of line work (buildings, stripes, etc). I am not a big fan of photography puzzles. My nightmare puzzle is a photo landscape. As for brands, I love so many. My library has more Ravensburgers than any others but I love many brands. As long as the quality is good, I go after the artwork!”

Do you have a cherished or unforgettable puzzle-related memory?

“Jessica H. came to stay with me for a week in April and she surprised me with a video clip. She had a bunch of puzzle friends send her messages for me & then compiled them into a video. I don’t think she has a clue how much that meant to me! That’s what it’s all about - the friendships. This community is one big family and so full of love. ”

What is the puzzle community like in your area?

“There aren’t many avid puzzlers local to me, though thanks to PuzzleGram and USAJPA, I have found a few puzzle friends nearby. I typically puzzle with a big group from Georgia, about 2.5 hours away. I’ve started a FB group for puzzlers in upstate SC and it’s slowly growing. I was featured in Clemson University’s “Clemson World” magazine this summer for my puzzle fundraiser with the Alzheimer’s Association. I found so many more puzzlers locally after the article was published. I’m hoping to finally have our state JPA organized by 2026.”

What do you enjoy most about the puzzle community?

“The people! I’ve never seen anything like it. The community is full of the most authentic and genuinely caring people. The generosity is overwhelming. For me, there’s nothing better than an in person event where you see all your puzzle friends. I often have FaceTime puzzle sessions with friends across the US because I miss them so much. And this summer, my house was a puzzler vacation spot where many friends came on different weeks and vacationed here to hang out and puzzle.”

Tell us a bit about your puzzling teammates.

“I’ve been so lucky to have the best teammates! Jamie A. and Jasper L. have been my most constant teammates. These two are my puzzling brother & sister. We talk all the time and meet up as often as we can. And my other Odd Bird partners rotate between Min D., Faith T., and Kamila L. We trash talk each other, curse a lot, and laugh constantly. I love traveling with them!”

Connect:

Turtle can be found on Instagram: @thepuzzledturtle