Name: Louise Thomsen
Date of Birth: 01.12.1979
Location: Malmo, Sweden
Maritial Status: Single
Occupation: Marketing
Food Preference: Pasta or chicken
Favorite Music: Trance
Favorite Movie: Ice age or 5th Element
Motto: You only live once

Gaming Related:
First Game: Captain Comic
Played CS since: 2002
Favorite Weapon: AK
Favorite Player: Misshyper
Favorite Clan: Les Seules!

Hey Aurora, I know who you are, but could you introduce yourself to the ones who does not?

- 26 year old, living in Sweden together with my roomie MissHyper. Work in Denmark and have 2 cats :) Enjoy playing golf, and travelling around the world.

How did you get involved with Counter-strike, and when did you realize that you had a talent for it?

- I started through a good friend of mine – got hooked straight away :) who ever said I had a talent for it!! – pure luck :)

Should professional gamers get some sort of special treatment from School in order to practice/prepare for a big event, like some young like athletes get?

- If you see CS as a sport, as I do – then one can argue for this type of treatment. But until it becomes an olypmic sport (if it ever does) then it will not be treated as something that merits special school treatment.


All more or less professional teams have managers. What do you expect of a manager handling your team?

- To fix everything from A to Z. Gamers shouldn’t have to worry about all the things, big or small with regards to running a clan/organisation. Gamers need only to worry about their game and that’s it.

As a female gamer you interact daily with both boys and girls on the virtual battlefield and often on LAN. What has been the most positive and negative experience from your time as a gamer?

- Negative experience : CXG Las Vegas 2004 – cancellation of tournament. Positive experience : Got to do some gambling :)

Negative experience: ECG 2003 Delays of up to 18 hours. Positive experience: Came second and won a cool grafics card :D

Best experience: Winning ESWC 2003
Worst experience: Not winning ESWC 2004, 2005.

You were nominated as female eSports Player of the Year and won. Do you think you will acomplish as much this time as last year, and did this nomination stimulate you to play more?

- I took the nomination, and in turn the award not as a single person, but as a member of my team. I would not have received the award nor the nomination if I had not had the backup of my wonderful teammates, and the support of people around the world. Of course it stimulates ones self, perhaps not to play more, but to realise and put things into perspective. Like when you feel the game gets boring, you think back to what you have accomplished and fight on!

People who are not into female gaming tend to criticize your style of play and the quality of the game. How do you react to this, and does it motivate you in any way?

- Those people that criticize have either seen females that aren’t very good, or just can’t seem to get past the fact the females are here, and are here to stay. I know many females that play REALLY good, at the same level as many pro guys. Put any one of these females together with one of the top teams out there – and they would do brilliantly. No doubts about that.

How do you feel when you are playing boys and not girls, do you do something different when preparing for the match?

- When you play girls, you play to win – you feel you HAVE to win. When you play boys, you play to win but also to improve. That’s roughly how I feel.

Seules did not reach the top3 at last years ESWC. Your lineup has changed since then, what do you think about your chances this year and what is different now?

- Last year was quite unlucky. We managed only to be beaten 16-14 by the actual winners of ESWC 2005. After that match, everything just fell apart. I think having only 10 mins between matches didn’t leave us to reflect on the previous matches, and talk about what needed to be done. Our line up is stronger and more steady now than in 2005. Lets hope to see us on the Stage for the Finals this year!

Who do you think will end up in the top placements at this years ESWC?

- Les Seules, BtB and Hacker Victory.

Do you have a coach for your team or do you mainly stick to watching demos when not playing?

- We have a few coaches. Its nice to get some different opinions and difference in tactics. We do watch demos when we bootcamp.

Do you think events like ESWC should continue to host female tournaments, and do you feel that female teams will be able to play in male tournaments on the same level in the near future?

- ESWC since the beginning has held a female CS tournament. Would not feel the same to change that! Define playing on the same level. Some pro male teams have days where they are unable to play on the same level as other pro teams. I think any team has the ability to play on that level – it just takes a good day and loads of practice. So yes – we might not win, but play on the same level we will do.

As far as i know you are working at Sennheiser, do you still have enough time to play on a professional level?

- Not always. I think its often difficult to have a full time job, as well as play full time. I often don’t do anything else but work, play and sleep maybe 5 hours. But that’s the life I chose. Stressful at times, but also very rewarding.

Who do you often tend play with when not practicing with your team, boys or girls?

- Play with my mix mates :) Both girls and boys!

Can you tell us about Les Seules' plans for the near future?

- The Tv show is gonna be produced pretty soon. So after that I am not really sure whats going to happen!

Do you have any advice for young female gamers hoping to make it big?

- If you really wish for it – it will happen. Keep training hard, and take chances. That’s what life is all about!

Honestly, is there any male or female gamers out there that would do more for e-Sports by not being involved?

- Hell yes, but with the good, comes the bad. For every idiot, there is a good person. That’s just the way the world works, the quicker u accept that, the less you care about those types of people.

Gaming is probably a big part of your life, but what other interests do you have and what do you do for fun?

- I love to play golf to relax, or just lay in front of the TV and watch CSI, Desperate Housewives, Prison Break, Surface or any one of my favourite series :)
I also love to spend time with my friends, although I don’t get to do that so often because of my busy life style.

Which team is THE one to beat, say the Grand Final at ESWC, and why?

- Any team – a win is a win, a loss is unacceptable :P

As you probably know, mYm just recently added a female CS team, mYm Ladies. What are your thoughts on the new team, can they go far?

- I wish them the best of luck, they will need it. Hope they stick together for some time, and prove their position in the professional organisation of mYm.

Do you ever get recognized by people in daily situations because of your involvment with gaming?

- Not really. Most of the people in my daily situation know who I am, and know what I do.

If you could change one thing with e-Sports as it is today, what would it be and why?

- The gamers brains. Greedy, jealous and just impatient. Would be nice to see teams stick together, instead of just leaving when the going gets rough. Gamers are special, but have a lot to learn about how the world works sometimes :).

Thanks for your time Louise, so when could wee meet next time, lets say for a cup of coffe?

- Coffee sounds good :) Shout out to all our fans and all those that hate us too! Big mention to our sponsors Sennheiser Nordic and Sennheiser Communications, Bringiton our production company, Databuttiken for their support and to my girls <3 ya. ATN 4 Life <3

By Domas 'pb' Grecevicius & Andreas 'Njord' Steiro