Leveling Up: The Girlaxy Boot camp 2013

 

 

 

Tougher, better, faster, stronger; after a month long stint in Thailand, the Girlaxy girls have returned to Singapore with a vastly improved library of skills and a better understanding of their game—competitive League of Legends (LoL). The Girlaxy Boot camp, held in Bangkok, was attended by Glxy.Athena and Glxy.Mirth who, under the supervision and guidance of their manager Check, spent their days studying game mechanics and deepening their appreciation of the various heroes and their corresponding skill-item combinations. Put through the paces of a grueling routine which involved keen calculations on item values and benefit ratios, intense memorization rounds with plenty of tests and in-game experimentation to boot, the girls were quick to remind us that this camp was not one for the faint of heart.

 

 

“I wouldn’t recommend my peers to go through this course unless they are passionate about being a professional gamer as the course is really tedious and challenging!” warned Athena. But even with the memory of the camp, now almost a month a month ago, fading away, the vivid experiences and invaluable lessons learnt there make this journey one that neither the girls would have traded for the world.

 

 

“We would train everyday! Eating and sleeping together as a team, [in fact] everything we do, we do as a team!—apart from visiting the toilet of course,” laughed Athena who recalled the routines just like it was yesterday. “We were very focused on training as our manager didn’t allow any distractions, meaning no surfing the internet or using Facebook.”—A tough request of the very social media savvy ladies, but one they diligently acceded to.

 

 

“The main objective of the trip was to train and train and train, rather than sightseeing or shopping!” Athena lamented jokingly, “the course wasn’t just about being glued to our screens all day and playing games but it required us to use math and logical reasoning to find answers or support every decision we make so it was actually much more mentally taxing that I expected.” Unsurprisingly then some of the most enjoyable experience to have come out of Thailand stemmed from some of the non-gaming related activities the ladies engaged in.

 

 

“There are actually two memorable events for me! One is when we visited Alpaca View, which is a farm and restaurant fusion. It’s the first time I’ve seen such an interesting concept and not forgetting to mention that the animals there are really adorable! We even got to feed the goats with a milk bottle!” she fondly recounted, “The other would be the daily visits from an adorable street dog, Mascara. She would come without fail and always ask for our affection and nudge us to give her rubs and pats. I miss those days.”

 

 

In between racing to produce reports on all 112 champions in the game and the odd day off for indulgence, there was one gaming related item in particular which made a lasting impression on the two. Visiting the Thailand Garena office for the first time was described as described as a big eye opener. “The working environment was so much more different than what we’re used to. The staff there seemed to be really close to each other, much like a family.”

 

 

And much like a family the Girlaxy girls have become too. Bonding while learning in the sanctuary of theirs provided for by their manager Check, the gritty gamers have forged stronger relations between themselves and their Thai counterparts. While the fruits of their labor will not be immediately apparent as the team hasn’t yet lined up any tournament in the coming months, Athena is heartened by the headway they have made as team mates and professional gamers.

 

 

“I would like to thank my Manager, Check, for the hospitality, Garena Thailand’s, Taii, Chol and Chai for having us at their office and Illuminary Entertainment’s, Picha, for bringing us to awesome food!” She gleefully acknowledged. While this journey has admittedly been a trying one, its rewards have ultimately gotten the girls calling for more. “[This boot camp is something] I would definitely do this again if I have the chance as pro-gaming is something that I would like to pursue.”

 

 

Want to learn more about the Girlaxy boot camp, head on over to their blog at http://lap-makmak.tumblr.com/. For more on the team and their girls visit their official Facebook fanpage at https://www.facebook.com/thegirlaxy?fref=ts