Russel VanDulken · @Twistzz
22nd Jan 2017 from TwitLonger
A parents story about her son becoming a pro csgo player. (by my mom)
Russel "TWISTZZ" my son from the age of 5 was always interested in computers and games, always wanting to do what the grown-ups were doing. His father and I played quake for a couple of years, and might I say I was pretty good at it back then. Lol. From there Russel would start playing together with us getting really into it and loving the fact we were doing it together as a family. Unfortunately I stopped playing and just let the boys play ( father and son), was good bonding for them. As the years passed so did the love of playing games and being more competitive grew for Russel. LANS were a monthly thing for him and his dad and something he looked forward too. As he got older I started working more and well the computer became like a babysitter, not something I am proud of. In 2012 his father and I went our separate ways ending a 14 year marriage, which left Russel very heart broken and lost. He lived with his father for a short time while I was trying to get my life in order. Eventually later that year he moved in with me and my boyfriend where I was hoping to give him a better life... Russel never had it easy with attending school, right from elementary to the end of middle school he was continously picked on and bullied. Every day when I would take him to school I would pray that he was going to be ok and that I didn't get the phone calls from the school letting me know there was an incident. So many times I would show up and he would have a dry blood on his lips from someone punching him in the face and the starting of a black eye. A parents worse fear coming true, the fear of sending him to school everyday became very overwhelming at times. But Russel wouldn't let it get to him, he would still attend and I know deep down he really didn't want to most days. It goes to show his strengths of being able to over come life's struggles and not giving up. So when he became more interested in playing cs, I just let him be. He would laugh and enjoy himself and I didn't see a problem with that. He had found his place where he finely fit, a world that understood him so to speak. Unfortunately my boyfriend at the time didn't see that, nor did he understand anything about Russel. After a couple years I was hoping things would get better and the verbal bullying at home would stop but things only seemed to get worse. Russel's father moved away and he had lost the one male in his life that knew and understood him. It really hit him and made him want to hide even more. My heart broke for him. I was slowly losing my son... Russel was becoming more and more unhappy and afraid for the both of us, that's not something any parent wants to put their child through. We eventually found an out and ran not knowing what or where we would end up. We were together and safe which was all that mattered, best decision I ever made. Russel could be himself again and continue to do what he loved, playing CS. As time went by the more he played and eventually started playing for a local team and was really getting excited to where this could take him. (A world I didn't know existed). A few months into playing for this team he got spotted up a bigger organization ( tsm) which wanted to sign him and move him to Las Vegas to live in a gaming house. As a parent what was I to do? I needed him to be happy and to let him grow. This was becoming a dream come true for him, any 16 year olds dream. So that's what we did, we went to Vegas together. I came home alone leaving my son to follow his dreams. Through all of this adventure we have become closer, not just as mom and son but friends too. I'am soo proud of the man he has become, he has followed his dreams without letting life's hurdles get in the way. I am proud to call him my son and will continue to be his biggest fan and supporter. It really is endless to what he can accomplish when he sets his mind to it, the future will only get bigger and brighter from here.
I haven't edited anything in here, everything in this post is hers. I'm not ashamed of any of the school incidents i have been in, the entire thing is true. I just didn't feel like putting it in my post because i felt like it was a irrelevant topic.