Meet the Champion: Interview with 1UP's Rising Star, Phoenix

Phoenix joined 1UP through an open community tournament two seasons ago, having never played on a structured roster. Today they start for one of our strongest sides.

"The difference was having somebody tell me what to practise," Phoenix says. "Before the Academy I played a lot and improved slowly. Now I practise less and improve faster because every session has a point."

Phoenix credits the pathway structure — foundation, development, competitive — for making the step up feel manageable, along with an adaptive controller setup built with an access coach in their first week.

Their advice to new members is blunt: turn up to the scrims, take the feedback, and don't hide your access needs. "Everything I needed was available. I just had to ask."