4 Simon Van der Borght - Pokémon Video Game Competitor & Tournament Organiser

My guest this week is the wonderful Simon Van der Borght, and he's guaranteed to leave you with a smile! Simon is a figurehead of the competitive Pokémon world: though principally a Video Game player, he has also accrued Championship Points for the Trading Card Game and GO, as well as being a tournament judge and even organiser, making the Belgian scene go from strength to strength. Keen to give back to the community that has given him so much, discover Simon's inspiring life story as well as the 6 Pokémon on his Dream Team. It's an episode full of joie de vivre, laughter and heart - enjoy!

You can keep up with everything Simon is up to by following him on X - @Shmonstah https://twitter.com/Shmonstah

I am @Chazingdra on YouTube, X, Instagram & TikTok: https://www.youtube.com/@Chazingdra https://twitter.com/Chazingdra https://www.instagram.com/chazingdra/ https://www.tiktok.com/@chazingdra

And you can follow the podcast on X too @ChazingdraChats: https://twitter.com/ChazingdraChats 

If you enjoyed, do give the episode a rating and review - it really helps :) You can also watch the episode on YouTube (link above), where you can see pictures of the Pokémon Simon is talking about and share in the smiles! Drop a comment over there as I'd love to know your thoughts on what Simon's shared with us - and what your own Dream Team would be... Any feedback you have and any suggestions for guests, get in touch - aiming to expand beyond the competitive Pokémon community too! chazingdra@gmail.com

Consider joining my Patreon to hear Simon's Rapidash Round - 15 minutes or so of quickfire bonus questions he hasn't prepared for... Let the good times roll on! https://www.patreon.com/Chazingdra

You can also become a part of my Discord community here - it would be a pleasure to welcome you :) https://discord.gg/43P3F49s

(N.B. Music for the show coming soon!)

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

03:47 Simon's early childhood in the Congo

08:06 Simon's 1st Pokémon

10:15 Simon & Sporta Kampen

15:14 Simon's 2nd Pokémon

17:08 Simon & PokéPlay

26:07 Simon's 3rd Pokémon

28:57 Simon & Studying

36:07 Simon's 4th Pokémon

38:13 Simon & The First European International Championships

47:03 Simon's 5th Pokémon

48:53 Simon & Nurturing The Local Scene/Casting

1:02:36 Simon's 6th Pokémon

1:07:36 Simon's Partner Pokémon

1:09:31 If Simon Were A Pokémon, What Would He Be?

1:11:28 Questions From The Community For Simon

1:21:53 What's Next For Simon?

1:24:03 What Advice Would Simon Give To His Younger Self?

1:26:00 Outro

All images of Pokémon (c) Pokémon. Disclaimer: This podcast is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by The Pokémon Company or The Pokémon Company International.