New Jersey’s Olga Roggenkamp says ‘Squid Game’ reality show was grueling but unforgettable

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• Olga Roggenkamp, a resident of Wanaque, was contestant 071 on the reality game show and talked to NorthJersey.com about the experience.

A New Jersey native has shared her experience of being part of Season 2 of the Netflix reality show “Squid Game: The Challenge.”

She told NorthJersey.com that her time there, though sometimes grueling, was one she will never forget, mostly because of the friendships she built while filming the show.

Olga Roggenkamp, a resident of Wanaque and formerly of Rockaway, was contestant 071 on the reality game show, based on the original Netflix drama series “Squid Game.”

“Squid Game: The Challenge” is currently airing on Netflix with weekly episodes. The finale will air on Nov. 18.

Roggenkamp and 455 other people competed in a multitude of games similar to those of the original show, with a chance to win $4.56 million.

She said she was big fan of the original show and Season 1 of the game show, so she sent an audition tape. After 11 months with no response, Roggenkamp got a call from Netflix telling her she had been selected for Season 2.

She said the experience was challenging at times. The game show is similar in many ways to the original show, but the reality version doesn’t involve life-or-death experiences, as seen on the fictional “Squid Game.” Still, Roggenkamp said, at times it felt like prison. There was hardly any daylight, contestants could not have phones or any contact with the outside world, and they had no sense of time or when meals would be served.

Most difficult for Roggenkamp was adjusting to the sleep schedule while filming in the United Kingdom for a week. She said sometimes she could not fall asleep because her adrenaline was so high. One minute she was having a full conversation with someone, and the next minute the lights were off and it was time for bed.

“Not being able to take a step back and recharge was a little grueling,” she said.

However, she said the friendships formed while on the show made her experience worthwhile. Roggenkamp said she would consider many of the people she met at the game show to be some of her best friends. She still talks to some of them every day.

She also enjoyed her time without a phone, because it fostered personal interactions with other contestants.

“Seeing the raw and real side of people made me appreciate this experience so much more,” Roggenkamp said.

Not only were the relationships she made life-changing, but she said the games that were played were fun and intense. She enjoyed the pentathlon game, in which players had their legs tied to another player and still had to compete in individual games.

Roggenkamp said it was insane to see herself on television. She works for the New Jersey Devils and occasionally would see herself on the Jumbotron, but she was never before on a series.

“My friends and family are absolutely ecstatic,” she said. “They all freaked out when they saw me on television.”

New Jersey had plenty of representation in the game show, and Roggenkamp said she even made alliances with fellow New Jerseyans. Other contestants included Bergen County native Debbie Goldberg of Westfield. The four others from New Jersey were Christian Darling, Erin Felix, Alex Saltalamacchia and an artist whose first name is Zim.

Roggenkamp said she would love to return to the show for Season 3. Fans can vote for their favorite contestants to return in the next season through the Netflix website.