To an outsider, it might seem that Sue Lees career just recently launched forward at high speed. Its easy, she thinks, to forget how much shes accomplished until she stops to think about it in retrospect. Video games and esports were a staple -- an escape -- in her life at one point. And the passion she exercised managed to translate into something more.Known to the gaming community as Smix, Lee spends a lot of her time as a stage personality. As a host and live translator for events like DreamHack, her role is to engage the audience and the pro gamers who are often standing in the spotlight beside her. And when she isnt hosting events, shes working at Twitch as a partnerships merchandise associate.Lee was born in Seoul, South Korea, but moved to New York when she was only 10 months old. I was born there, but I pretty much -- you know -- Im as American as they come, basically, she said with a laugh.She has an older brother. Raised in a traditional [South] Korean family, she spoke exclusively Korean at home. And living in a South Korean-saturated community in Queens, Lee said that it was a comfortable area for her mother to get by without knowing much English. My mom made me go to Korean school, which was like this makeshift class after church on Sundays, Lee said.As a child, Lee always played games alongside her brother. Growing up, I looked up to my brother a lot, she said.Noticing that her brother had been playing games on his computer, Lee immediately followed suit. There was a mouse and cheese game. All of them, like, Windows 98 games, she said.Lee fondly recalled the time her brother asked for her input about whether they should get a PlayStation or a Nintendo 64. (She picked PlayStation; her brother ignored her input and chose the N64 instead.) And the times her brother would trick her into a trap so he could snipe the kill on her avatar. I was easy to kill, she laughed.Eventually, Lee ended up in St. Louis for college, at Washington University. She was a double major in anthropology and psychology, with the idea that she wanted to understand people. I feel like psychology is a very close-up, microscopic study of people. You get a really good understanding of the way people think, why people think the way we do, Lee said. And then I liked anthropology because I thought [it] was kind of a macroscopic look at people.She also decided on a Korean literature and language minor, wanting to further her skills in the language. She had to take a placement test, and while she wasnt unfamiliar with the language, she wasnt super-fluent, either, so she ended up in Korean 2 instead of Korean 1.When she eventually made the climb to Korean 4, she realized the class was full of native South Korean international students who had taken the class for an easy grade. It was kind of like the final stage, she said. I remember it was full of -- basically to be blunt about it -- [South] Korean international students who wanted an easy A. So obviously, to them, it was an easy A. But to me, it was really difficult.She and her fellow students were tasked with finding a topic of their own choosing to talk about, in Korean, for the duration of the course. Lee chose StarCraft.I chose the topic of StarCraft, and how it evolved the way it did in [South] Korea, Lee said. The guys in particular knew about it. I think they raised an eyebrow at the fact that I cared so much about it, and then the girls were just really nice girls. So they were just like, oh, thats cool that youre so into it.College was also a dark time for Lee. During the autumn of 2009, Lee experienced a life event that exacerbated her depression. Losing motivation to attend classes, Lee found solace in watching pro StarCraft leagues, and a majority of her life revolved around it. I would wake up at 9 p.m., and then I would wait until South Korean StarCraft came on, which was usually at around 3 or 4 a.m., Lee recalled. I would watch the matches, and then as soon as the matches ended, I would wait until the postmatch interviews were posted on the South Korean forums, which was usually around, like, 7 or 8 a.m.Shed then immediately translate those interviews as soon as they would show up, post the translations on the Team Liquid forum, and finally head to bed. Lee discovered this site about a year prior, when visiting South Korea for the first time. After having seen professional games broadcast on some of the cable channels late at night, she had found this forum chock full of international fans who were just as excited about professional SC matches as she was.Still, it was a difficult time for her, as she deactivated from her sorority. I really did try to make the most of my college experience, she said.Lee explains that she had cultivated a variety of friend circles at that time in her college career. But I pretty much just dropped everything at this point, she said. The only productive thing I enjoyed doing was [translating]. After MLG Raleigh [2011], I was asked to live-translate at IPL 3.[StarCraft] was literally the only good thing to come out of that time, she admitted.Her text translations became an important source of information for the Team Liquid forum she frequented at the time. It was a productive method of coping that ultimately enabled her to be involved in the esports scene.Stemming from a recommendation from one of the admins in the Team Liquid forum, James Lampkin, Lee was invited to translate for IPL 3. Because there were so many tournaments that had [South] Koreans at the time, because I did a decent, acceptable job, I started being asked by other tournament organizers, she said. Though it was the first time shed ever done live-translating, Lee made sure that she was well-prepped for whatever might come her way by utilizing an academic tactic: studying.I made, like, flashcards, she said with a laugh. I put, like, the unit names and then the Korean word for it on the back, and I really studied my butt off for it.Now that Lee is a little more experienced with live-translating, there are other tools of the trade that shes picked up. For example, players sometimes might use a phrase thats specifically a Korean phrase that sounds really bizarre translated literally, Lee explained. In that case, I do think that its better to just interpret and think of a similar-ish way to say it in English, without translating it word for word.Other than those instances, she adopts a more literal style even if it means things sound a bit more dry. Part of that is because Lee says it would be taking liberties to embellish the answers that are given. Theres also the possibility of adding banter to a comment, when the intention wasnt there to begin with.Transitioning to a host presented its own set of challenges. Live-translating definitely helped Lee for the stage presence needed to fulfill host duties, but there were so many other things in play that had to be worked on. Theres just a lot of skills of being a host that I just didnt have from the start, she admitted.Leading the crowd, hyping them up, and knowing when to transition smoothly are some of the many skills a host needs to balance. Being a bilingual host also presented its own challenges, partly because Lee didnt know which way of interviewing players would work better. Should she ask the English question directly, or announce to the viewers that she was going to ask (and subsequently, translate) the question? That sounds like its not a big difference, but it is, actually, said Lee.Stuck in this conundrum, Lee looked toward another Korean-speaking bilingual host as a role model. Chobra was doing similar work as me, where he would translate and host. I thought the way he did it was very smooth and fluid, she said.Despite all the hard work that has gotten Lee to where she is now, there were streams of comments that nitpicked her intentions. [Its] definitely a challenge. I feel like you have to work even harder to prove that you actually care about the game, she said. People will automatically be skeptical of your intent.Any mistakes are scrutinized, and any small error would suggest to others that she wasnt meant to be there to begin with. Its almost seen as proof you dont belong there, said Lee. Someone else should have gotten it. That you got it just because youre a girl. And theres the normal stuff I get on a daily basis, where [people] sexualize me, saying I s---ed someone to get where I got. Ridiculous stuff that just goes over my head.Lee has been branching out into newer game titles, stepping away from her beloved StarCraft. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is the newest esport that has captured her enthusiasm. When DreamHack needed a host for one of their CS:GO events, they eventually asked Lee, who already had experience working with them.The way I describe my relationship with StarCraft and CS:GO is StarCraft is my first love. I will always love StarCraft, I will always love working StarCraft, she said, enthusiastically. But CS:GO is new, exciting -- I guess the new game Im dating now.Whether the game is chock-full of action or theres always a cool-looking frag, there seems to be no other word other than exciting that she can use to describe CS:GO. Being South Korean and American -- and again, being able to command both languages -- has offered Lee opportunities to carve out a space for herself in the realm of esports.Lee admitted there were instances when she very much felt more American when interacting with the South Korean players. Its still a factor when she engages players on stage. Regarding the instances when players give seemingly blasé answers, Lee said, I understand why they do it, even though the host in me is, like, Please give better answers!Though Lee is transitioning away from a purely live-translating role into a more stage-present host, the South Korean aspect of her identity isnt at all forgotten.After all, thats what propelled her into what she is now. It was just a part of who I was that helped me get involved with esports somehow, she said.She also believes luck has played a role in her career. Its always humbling to work these events and see kind of the stories behind different players and teams that you meet, she said.Its clear that Sue Smix Lee has no intention of slowing down, at least for the foreseeable future. Thats the coolest thing about hosting, she said. You get this overarching view of all the players as they work their hardest to win. Working as a host provides that, like, really cool vantage point of just being able to witness that every time you work an event. Custom Edmonton Oilers Jerseys . -- Linebacker Myles Jack ran for four touchdowns, defensive end Cassius Marsh caught a scoring pass, and No. Wayne Gretzky Oilers Jersey . Each of Houstons starters scored in double figures as the Rockets improved to 2-0 against the Spurs this season, with both victories coming on the road. 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In the lead-up to Rio, Australia were forthright in their belief they could win an historic first Olympic mens basketball medal - even gold.The early signs were brilliant, with the Boomers beating France, Serbia, China and Venezuela and pushing Team USA all the way in the group stages.Confidence was high ahead of the semifinal against Serbia but the Boomers dreams were brutally crushed as they were busted open in an 87-61 thrashing.?They were never in the contest, suffering one of their most embarrassing defeats in Olympic competition.So, what went wrong for the Boomers?1. Did they choke? And if so, why?Its one thing to lose, but its another to get embarrassed on the big stage. After a spectacular campaign - including upset wins over France and Serbia as well as pushing the U.S. to the limit - the Boomers saved their worst performance for when it mattered most. A win over Serbia would have guaranteed an Olympic medal for the first time in Australian mens basketball history.But they were way off from the very start as Serbia exploded with an early 8-0 lead that the Boomers could never recover from. Theres no doubt Serbia were strong, especially on the defensive end in stifling the Boomers attack, but the Australians looked dazed and daunted in defence for the first time this tournament.The Serbians pick and roll offense was a thing of beauty that the Boomers had no answers for. They tried going over the screen at the start of the match which allowed Serbia to get inside and knock down the easy elbow jumper. ?They then switched and tried going under screens, leading to open looks from beyond the arc for Serbia.Every little run and adjustment the Boomers made was well and truly countered by Serbia.To make matters worse for the Boomers, talisman Andrew Bogut looked visibly hobbled with a knee concern.2. Why couldnt the Boomers score?The Boomers dont have a go-to player but they used that to their advantage in playing selfless team basketball in the group stages, making sure to move the ball and force the extra pass for easy baskets and open looks. However, that was non-existent against the Serbians.At halftime, Auustralia had just 14 points on the board and had coughed up 11 turnovers as Serbia led by 21 points to virtually put the result beyond doubt.ddddddddddddYes, Serbias defense was suffocating but the Boomers execution and ability to get to their sets was awful.Off the ball, Australia lacked the same cohesion and effort that posed such a threat in offence. Without that activity, the Serbians were able to focus all their pressure on the ball without having to make many difficult decisions in defence.On top of that, the Boomers dynamic backcourt Matthew Dellavedova and Patty Mills could never find their groove as they combined to score just 16 points (less than Mills average of 21.2 points per game) on 7-22 shooting.3. Would Ben Simmons make a difference?After one NBA general manager proclaimed if Simmons had played, Australia would have beaten Team USA, its hard not to imagine that Simmons would have made a difference against Serbia and Australia would be through to the gold medal match.This years No. 1 NBA draft pick is a dangerous threat with ball in hand and would certainly have given the Boomers many opportunities when there was seemingly little happening. His ability to drive to the basket and crash the offensive boards would give Australias three-point shooters such as Dellavedova and Mills even greater room to operate and cut to the lane.At the very least, he would have attracted extra attention and forced Serbia to adjust their defensive schemes.4. Where to from here?The Boomers Olympic campaign isnt over yet.While the result wasnt what the Boomers were hoping for, they still have a chance to make history with a bronze medal against Spain on Monday morning (12:30am AEST).The game against No. 2-ranked Spain wont be easy, but you can bet that after the game against Serbia, theyll have a point to prove.Australia is motivated to lay the platform for the next generation of superstars with Simmons, Thon Maker and Dante Exum set to feature prominently for the Boomers in years to come. ' ' '