SuperGirlKels: Difference between revisions

'''Kelsy Medeiros''' (born May 20, 1995),<ref name="Official DOB" /> known professionally as '''SuperGirlKels''', is a Canadian professional ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' player. Medeiros began her's competitive gaming career inspanned from 2014 until her retirement in 2023, andduring which hasshe competed in ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' tournaments using the character [[Sonic the Hedgehog (character)|Sonic the Hedgehog]].

== Early lifeBiography ==

Kelsy Medeiros was born on May 20, 1995.<ref name="Official DOB" /> From a young age, Medeiros played video games like ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. (video game)|Super Smash Bros.]]'' with her family.<ref name="ESPN 2016">{{cite news |last1=Stewart |first1=Sam |title=Smash 4's SuperGirlKels: 'I had a goal to be one of the best Sonics'|url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/16791870/had-goal-one-best-sonics |access-date=October 23, 2021 |publisher=[[ESPN]] |date=July 5, 2016}}</ref>{{r|This is esports|p=[{{Google books|3IXUDwAAQBAJ|page=196|plainurl=yes}} 196]}} When she was 16 years old, she decided to attend the [[Super Smash Bros. in esports|''Super Smash Bros.'' tournament]] [[Apex 2012]] while her family was taking a vacation in [[New York (state)|New York]]. As she was too young to travel to tournaments, she spent the nextfollowing three years training through the game's online [[multiplayer]] services.<ref name="ESPN 2016" />{{r|This is esports|p=[{{Google books|3IXUDwAAQBAJ|page=197|plainurl=yes}} 197]}}<ref name="RedBull 2017">{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Wynton |title=SuperGirlKels lights the way in Smash 4 |url=https://www.redbull.com/ca-en/blazing-trails-with-supergirlkels |access-date=October 23, 2021 |publisher=[[Red Bull]] |date=July 26, 2017}}</ref>

Medeiros formally began competing in tournaments in 2014.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rabinovitch |first1=David |title=Here's 6 Canadians destined to shake up esports in 2018 |url=https://www.redbull.com/ca-en/6-canadian-esports-underdogs-2018 |access-date=October 23, 2021 |publisher=[[Red Bull]] |date=January 23, 2018}}</ref> Competing atin the ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]'' event at [[Apex 2015]], she placed within the top 64 of competitors.<ref name="RedBull 2017" /> Returning to the same event at [[Apex 2016]], she defeated top professional Jason "[[Mew2King]]" Zimmerman in an [[Upset (competition)|upset]] victory and ultimately placed in 5th.<ref name="ESPN 2016" /><ref name="Meta 2016">{{cite magazine |last1=Groot |first1=Justin |title=SuperGirlKels is playing Smash 4 at the speed of sound |url=https://killscreen.com/themeta/supergirlkels-smash-speed-of-sound/ |access-date=October 23, 2021 |magazine=The Meta |date=July 17, 2016}}</ref> Later that year, she won the ''Super Smash Bros.'' event held at [[Lan ETS]]<ref name="Radio-Canada 2017">{{cite news |last1=Villeneuve |first1=Alix |title=Une étoile montante de Super Smash Bros. à Montréal |trans-title=A rising star of Super Smash Bros. in Montreal |url=https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1016641/super-smash-bros-kelsy-medeiros-lan-ets |access-date=October 24, 2021 |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|Société Radio-Canada]] |date=February 14, 2017 |language=fr-CA}}</ref> and placed 33rd at [[Super Smash Con]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shaw |first1=Marc |title=There's A Rising Star in Canada's Competitive Smash Bros. Scene |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/xdmyzw/kelsy-supergirlkels-medeiros-competitive-smash-bros-canada |access-date=October 23, 2021 |work=[[Waypoint (website)|Waypoint]] |publisher=[[Vice Media]] |date=August 25, 2016}}</ref>

In 2017, shesaw Medeiros placedplace 2nd at Lan ETS,<ref name="Radio-Canada 2017" /> 5th at Royal Flush,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Quénoi |first1=Alban |title=L'UdeM et SuperGirlKels s'illustrent cette fin de semaine |trans-title= |url=https://www.rds.ca/esports/l-udem-et-supergirlkels-s-illustrent-cette-fin-de-semaine-1.4508164 |access-date=October 24, 2021 |publisher=[[Réseau des sports]] |date=May 16, 2017 |language=fr-CA}}</ref> 65th at [[Evo 2017]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Quénoi |first1=Alban |title=Le marathon estival a commencé dans le monde du sport électronique (eSport) |trans-title=The summer marathon has started in the world of electronic sports (eSports) |url=https://www.rds.ca/esports/le-marathon-estival-a-commence-dans-le-monde-du-sport-electronique-esport-1.4581668 |access-date=October 24, 2021 |publisher=[[Réseau des sports]] |date=July 21, 2017 |language=fr-CA}}</ref> and 7th at [[DreamHack]] Montreal.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Quénoi |first1=Alban |title=DreamHack Montréal : du très haut niveau |url=https://www.rds.ca/esports/dreamhack-montreal-du-tres-haut-niveau-1.5715016 |access-date=October 24, 2021 |publisher=[[Réseau des sports]] |date=September 13, 2017 |language=fr-CA}}</ref> In 2018, she took 1st place at Lan ETS<ref>{{cite news |last1=Quénoi |first1=Alban |title=Lan ETS 2018 : les bons et les mauvais coups |trans-title=Lan ETS 2018: the good and the bad |url=https://www.rds.ca/esports/lan-ets-2018-les-bons-et-les-mauvais-coups-1.5951144 |access-date=October 24, 2021 |publisher=[[Réseau des sports]] |date=February 14, 2018 |language=fr-CA}}</ref> and placed 5th at DreamHack Montreal.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Quénoi |first1=Alban |title=La DreamHack Montréal sur le toit du monde esports |url=https://jeuxvideo.rds.ca/la-dreamhack-montreal-sur-le-toit-du-monde-esports/ |access-date=October 24, 2021 |work=[[Réseau des sports|RDS]] Jeux vidéo |date=September 13, 2018 |language=fr-CA}}</ref> 2018 [[power rankings]] presented by esports team [[Panda Global]]{{efn|The Panda Global Rankings are peer-administered [[power rankings]] of ''Super Smash Bros.'' players generally respected by the competitive gaming community.{{r|PGR explanation}}}} ranked Medeiros as the 100th best ''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U'' player of all time.{{r|This is esports|p=[{{Google books|3IXUDwAAQBAJ|page=197|plainurl=yes}} 197]}}<ref>{{cite tweet |number=1069763675043573760 |author=PGstats.com |user=pgstats |title=Congratulations to these twenty-five Smash Wii U competitors who made it onto the #PGR100 All Time! With 76-100 unveiled, who do you expect to see in the top 75? |access-date=October 23, 2021 |date=December 3, 2018}}</ref>

Medeiros signed with esports team Iceberg Competitive Esports in February 2018. After the organization dissolved later that year, Medeiros told [[CBC News]] in 2019 that it had failed to fulfill the terms of her contract, including salary payments.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Carter |first1=Adam |title=Man behind Toronto WNBA bid still owes money from failed esports venture |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/wnba-toronto-esports-1.5212388 |access-date=October 23, 2021 |publisher=[[CBC News]] |date=July 15, 2019 |location=[[Toronto]]}}</ref> In 2019, Medeiros provided [[Sports commentator|commentary]] for [[Nintendo]]'s ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' World Championship.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tate |first1=Dylan |title=Super Smash Bros. Ultimate World Championship commentary lineup set |url=https://www.upcomer.com/super-smash-bros-ultimate-world-championship-commentary-lineup-set/ |access-date=October 22, 2021 |work=Upcomer |date=May 22, 2019}}</ref> At the tournament Frostbite 2020, she placed 97th individually and teamed with her brother to place 13th in the doubles event.<ref name="Frostbite 2020">{{cite news |last1=Nolet |first1=Fred |title=Deux Québécois au Frostbite 2020 et MkLeo se rattrape pour 2019 |url=https://jeuxvideo.rds.ca/deux-quebecois-au-frostbite-2020-et-mkleo-se-rattrape-pour-2019/ |access-date=October 24, 2021 |work=[[Réseau des sports|RDS]] Jeux vidéo |date=February 26, 2020 |language=fr-CA}}</ref> When a wave of sexual abuse allegations emerged in the competitive community in 2020, Medeiros spoke to CBC News on the need for greater awareness of the issue of abuse within the community.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Weaver |first1=Jackson |title=How one video game community is trying to 'police itself' amid sexual assault allegations |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/super-smash-allegations-1.5640449 |access-date=October 23, 2021 |publisher=[[CBC News]] |date=July 9, 2020}}</ref> Medeiros announced her retirement from ''Super Smash Bros.'' competition in 2023.<ref>{{cite tweet |user=SuperGirlKels |number=1659752839537893376 |title=I am officially retiring from professional Super Smash Bros. esports. 2012-2023. Please Listen 💙 I love you forever Smash Bros. Thank You. |date=May 19, 2023 |access-date=May 20, 2023}}</ref>

Medeiros has primarily competed in ''Super Smash Bros.'' tournaments using the character [[Sonic the Hedgehog (character)|Sonic the Hedgehog]].<ref name="ESPN 2016" /><ref name="Meta 2016" /> A profile by esports publication ''The Meta'' described her play style as "always on the attack, probing her opponent's defenses and lunging for the [[carotid]] the moment she detects an opening." Medeiros cited professional ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' competitor Jeffrey "[[Axe (gamer)|Axe]]" Williamson, who plays the game with a similar "in-your-face" style, as an inspiration.<ref name="Meta 2016" />

<ref name="Official DOB">{{cite web |title=SuperGirlKels (@SuperGirlKels) |url=https://twitter.com/supergirlkels |website=[[Twitter]] |access-date=26 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730194349/https://twitter.com/SuperGirlKels |archive-date=2630 OctoberJuly 2021 |quote=Born May 20, 1995}}</ref>

<ref name="PGR explanation">{{cite news |last1=Van Allen |first1=Eric |title=The Competitive Smash 4 Scene Is Anxiously Awaiting Nintendo's Next Big Move |url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/01/the-competitivesmash-4-scene-is-anxiously-awaiting-nintendos-next-big-move/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180403161528/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/01/the-competitivesmash-4-scene-is-anxiously-awaiting-nintendos-next-big-move/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 3, 2018 |access-date=October 24, 2021 |work=[[Kotaku Australia]] |date=January 21, 2018 |language=en-AU}}</ref>