In honor of this year’s competition, the Scripps National Spelling Bee released a photo of a teenage Justin Timberlake who took part in the 1995 Memphis Commercial Appeal Spelling Bee.
According to organizers, the then 14-year-old was eliminated after failing to spell “wharf” correctly.
The photo reveals that the future superstar was a student at E.E. Jeter Elementary School, was the president of the Beta Club, and played basketball.
As the Scripps National Spelling Bee Facebook page noted, Timberlake has managed to survive thanks to his other talents.