Lynne, who goes by @drDelta150 on Twitter, co-hosts a podcast called Protocol Unlocked (@protocolunlocked on Twitch!), where she and her co-hosts cover the women’s scene in VALORANT with updates about rosters, events, and so much more. However, this JBL Quantum Grant winner is also passionate about the intersection of gaming and medicine. “So many athletes give up promising careers due to avoidable injury and burnout,” she says. “However, with the proper preventative medical care, we can improve the health and wellbeing of these athletes for many years, thereby enhancing the growth of esports, as well.”

What is your dream in gaming and/or esports? 

My dream career is to combine my love for esports and medicine. I want to pursue a medical career and then use that expertise to the benefit of the esports industry as there are not many medical professionals with expertise in esports. I also want to continue supporting women in esports, helping to highlight the players and teams through different media.

How will this award from the 1,000 Dreams Fund help you reach your goals? 

It will help me to fund my investment in esports. Buying a PC and the basic streaming and gaming equipment is quite costly, and this award will help me repay the debt from these purchases.

What does being a 1,000 Dreams Fund – JBL Quantum Grant recipient mean to you? 

It means so much to me to be selected for this grant. It is incredibly motivating that someone else finds my dream worthwhile and wants to invest in me.

Women are underrepresented in gaming and esports. What can we do to change this? 

Colleges are adding esports management degrees, which is great, and high schools are also starting to add teams into their athletics, as well. So we can encourage women to get their names out there! There always other options, as well, like streaming or attending LANs [local area networks]!

What are some of the challenges you have faced along the way? 

Unfortunately, some gaming communities are quite toxic to women. We need to develop ways to make sure this problem is not perpetuated in future generations. If we could have more girls playing games at an earlier age, more players could learn how to play respectfully with women from the beginning. Included in this earlier exposure should be in-game trainings for younger audiences on how to be respectful, not toxic, and more welcoming to players of all genders.

What advice do you have for women who want to work in the gaming or esports industry? 

Networking is so helpful for gaining mentors and contacts for your career.

How do you stay motivated and focused on your goals? 

Remember the long-term goal as often as possible. It is easy to get lost in the weeds of day-to-day tasks and difficulties; however, I get rejuvenated when I remember my purpose and overall vision for my career.