Korean Olympian Kim Ye-ji inspires players at VALORANT Game Changers Collective gathering in Seoul

On November 24, amidst the 2025 VALORANT Game Changers Championship, Riot Games and VALORANT hosted the Game Changers Collective: Pro Gathering in Seoul. This was the second iteration of the event focusing on bringing together the world’s top women competitors. The goal of the gathering, organized by Raidiant, was to provide a moment of reflection, support, and community during one of the most competitive periods of the season. But the highlight of the gathering was the appearance of Kim Ye-ji, South Korea’s national pistol shooting athlete and a silver medalist at the Paris Olympics, whose candid discussion about discipline, identity, and resilience left a profound impact on the players in attendance.

A Meeting of Worlds in the Birthplace of Esports

The Game Changers Collective represents Riot’s global initiative to build a supportive network for women in VALORANT, spanning pro players, creators, broadcast talent, community organizers, and more. Seoul, often referred to as the birthplace of modern esports, made a fitting location for this year’s gathering. With the 2025 Game Changers Championship marking the first time the event is held in Asia, the collective meeting served as an opportunity for competitors to share knowledge and bond before returning to the intensity of tournament play.

Against this backdrop, Kim Ye-ji’s appearance created a bridge between two competitive worlds: traditional athletics and esports, showing that elite discipline transcends any one domain.

Kim Ye-ji’s Discipline and Motivation

Kim described a routine that astonished even the most hardened esports professionals. Her days begin at 5 am, followed by a two-hour bike ride to her training centre, where she practices shooting throughout the morning. Afterwards, she bikes home in time to pick up her daughter from school, then continues training in the evening by dry-firing an empty pistol against the wall to refine her mechanics. Only then does her day slow down long enough for her to reflect on what she accomplished, and what she needs to improve the next day.

Her discipline extends far beyond long training blocks. Kim revealed that during intense preparation for major events, she allowed herself only one day off in an entire year. When asked how she avoids burnout, her answer was blunt and deeply revealing: “You just have to push through. You can’t let yourself rest. Once you start moving and get into it day by day, you have to keep going.”

Despite her fierce discipline, Kim’s motivation is rooted in something profoundly human: she wants to be someone her daughter can be proud of. She shared a charming, almost comedic anecdote: after returning home with an Olympic silver medal from Paris, her daughter simply said, “Oh, silver? Not gold?”

At the heart of her drive is a mindset she embraces fully: she always believes she is the best, but she stressed that belief alone is meaningless without matching effort. “It isn’t enough to say you’re the greatest,” she said. “You have to work at that level every single day.”

Falling Behind, Starting Over, and Choosing to Struggle

Kim also spoke openly about the early years of her career. After entering her first professional team following her success as a top high school pupil, she realized after a year or two that she wasn’t improving; in fact, she felt she was getting worse. She attributed this stagnation to the pressure of being paid to perform, a weight that dulled her growth. Instead of accepting it, she made the difficult choice to quit the team and train alone, taking on several part-time jobs to support herself.

She believes that period of struggle was the turning point that shaped the champion she would later become. She also said many people had told her she couldn’t do it, that when she mentioned she wanted to go to the Olympics, she was even laughed at. But she never felt like quitting or giving up, because her eyes were always on her goals, and her faith in herself never faltered.

Given the nature of both esports and athletics, Kim was asked how she handles online hate, a reality every pro eventually faces. She admitted she used to reply to every negative comment, but soon realized the futility of that path. Now, she simply doesn’t let it affect her. “The people who support and cheer for me, they see me better,” she said.

The Game Changers Collective gathering was designed to be a moment of unity, but Kim Ye-ji turned it into something more: a lesson in relentless discipline, belief, and effort. Her presence created a shared moment of reflection for aspiring champions from around the world. As the tournament heads toward its grand finals on November 30, her words serve as a reminder of the mindset that carries competitors from talented to world-class: excellence is not an act, but a daily choice.