18-02-2025
‘Beast Games' winner, Ohio native, raising awareness for son's rare illness
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — After winning millions of dollars on a game show, a Columbus native is now using his platform to raise awareness for his son's rare brain disorder.
Jeff Allen, otherwise known as player 831, won $10 million on a show called 'Beast Games' on Amazon Prime, which just wrapped its first season.
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He may live in California now, but Allen was born and raised in Clintonville. Growing up, he attended Bishop Watterson and then went on to graduate from Ohio University.
'Ohio has the moniker. It's the heart of it all, but I think that the people in Ohio truly have heart,' Allen said.
He's the only one in his family who's moved away. The rest still live in Columbus, so he and his family make the trip back when they can.
'My nine-year-old's favorite place in the world to vacation is Ohio,' Allen said.
On 'Beast Games,' Allen competed among 1,000 other contestants for the top prize — $10 million. Originally, the prize was $5 million, but it was doubled in the last episode.
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'It was literally a one-in-a-thousand chance to be crowned the winner and my ultimate aim was to get far enough to where I could talk about Lucas,' he said.
As he advanced further and further in the show, Allen said he realized that 'Beast Games' was a very social and psychological game. It was all about getting to know your opponents, who he said will now be lifelong friends.
'Take away people's phones and internet and time of day and day of the week, it just forces people to connect,' he said.
Throughout the game, Allen said his philosophy never changed. He went on to help people, build relationships and take chances. Little did he know it would pay off.
Shortly after moving to California, Allen met his wife, Jennifer. Together they have two kids, 9-year-old Jack and 7-year-old Lucas. Jack is a fan of Mr. Beast, so he's the reason Allen auditioned in the first place.
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'Jack was kind of the one who planted the seed and then Lucas, his little brother, is my inspiration,' Allen said.
Lucas has an ultra-rare brain disorder called Creatine Transporter Deficiency, or CTD. He was diagnosed with CTD after years of testing. It's a rare genetic disease that affects the body's ability to carry creatine to its cells and there is no cure or treatment. Allen said he'll be using the money he won to change that by funding various research projects.
'Summum bonum, of the highest good, would be to look back at a couple of years where a kid born with CTD is diagnosed at birth and then receives a treatment within a week and can have a conversation just like you and I are having, Jackie,' Allen said. 'That's the ultimate goal.'
CTD was first discovered 25 years ago in Ohio. The exact number of people who have it is unknown, but according to MedlinePlus, more than 150 cases have been identified worldwide.
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While it's still tough to believe he won, Allen said he's grateful for all the support he's been given and now he can't wait to use that money to help find a cure for his son and others like him.
To learn more about CTD, click here.
All 10 episodes of Allen's game show journey on 'Beast Games' are now available on Amazon Prime.
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