Hi everyone,

My name is Richard (sometimes referred to as Luke, my second name, just a heads up in case there’s any confusion).

So, like many of the other wonderful individuals you can see here, gaming has always been a constant in my life. Ever since I first picked up a controller on the Amiga 1200 – I’m showing my age now. It’s forever been an escape and a way of switching off the brain. Alongside this, my other constant has been fitness, nutrition and health. I worked as a Personal Trainer for many years and finished two postgraduates in Sport Nutrition, coupled with previous experience in bodybuilding, rugby, competitive swimming, football, boxing and many many other sports – I guess you could call both of these my two comfort blankets!

Anyway, back to gaming. I stick to all the main platforms; PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox and PC. I have a previous life in competitive CoD2 where I played for Team CoolerMaster, which was an incredible experience. I’m also a shoutcaster/commentator for competitive CoD2 over on Twitch, so I’m still really active with a gaming community for a title that’s over 20 years old. My last recent event was the Nations Cup, and I’m also commentating for a tournament in Poland this year. In terms of my favourite game/console, it has to be Shenmue on the Dreamcast; I have such fond memories of this game and I still stream it at least once a year, usually around Christmas time – it has such a special place in my heart. As well as that, I generally love getting lost in story games, as well as playing strategy and multiplayer games that I can play with friends and get soaked up in. I’m also very fond of Fortnite, OverWatch and Minecraft.

I’ve had previous experience teaching in numerous schools; from health and nutrition right through to PE and Sport Science. I’ve also worked in referral schools, which was easily one of the most rewarding jobs in my life. Being able to chat with youngsters who may not have had the best start in life, give them positivity and an outlet with which to channel their energy, put a smile on my face daily. This is also where I found gaming to be a fantastic way of breaking down barriers and providing a medium with which to find common ground and communicate.

During Lockdown, I started streaming on Twitch. Due to having a fair bit more of free-time, I wanted to try and fill this gap with something creative and social at the same time. I can honestly say, Twitch pretty much saved my life. The community that we’ve built on there, through gaming, hobbying, music, sport and other interests, has been nothing short of incredible. I never thought it was possible to build such lasting and meaningful relationships via an online medium – but you know what, it is, and I’m honoured to call many in this community, friends.

Another hobby of mine is Warhammer, another way of me switching off and being creative. Ever since I rolled my first dice with friends back in 3rd or 4th edition (I think?) I’ve maintained an interest in the hobby. I’ve also been lucky enough to work for Games Workshop, so being on both sides has given me a great insight into how much love and time that truly goes into this hobby. This is also another outlet that allows me – and other friends – to switch off and come together for positive reasons. 

Through Twitch, I’ve met numerous other hobbyists and gamers from all across the world, and their positivity is something I want to share with others.

I’m truly chuffed to be a part of this team, and I can fully value how positive something like MindJam can be for people of various ages and backgrounds.

I’m looking forward to meeting everyone!