To say Ronald Wheeldon is an adrenaline junkie would not be an exaggeration.

When the Tuks law student is not sitting in lecture halls or studying, he is likely to be zipping through the air at 1000 kilometres per hour. But Wheeldon is also building a reputation as a formidable dualist in Varsity E-sports’ Valorant League.

In a profile article on the Varsity E-sports website, his virtues are extolled as follows: “Beyond raw mechanical skill, he serves as the team’s ‘In-Game Leader’. Orchestrating plays and making critical strategic calls. He takes on the responsibility of determining the approach. Leading the charge and adapting instantly when plans go awry. Quick and effective communication is his weapon”.

“I believe speed is the key to winning most gun fights. A stun or blind gives you those few seconds of opportunity and being aggressive takes the initiative in winning these fights,” he said during an interview with the website.

The strategy is undoubtedly working for Tuks. The team has won four of the six games they played, which means they have qualified for the Varsity semifinals. They will face off against Ikeys. The two teams of Maties are contesting each other in the other semifinal.

Wheeldon makes no secret of why he does what he does. He is an adrenaline junkie.

“During a Valorant game, when you are in a tense combat situation, the adrenaline is pumping. It is the same with flying. I am passionate about aerobatics. When you are flying a jet at 1000 kilometres per hour, it gets the adrenaline out of the box straight through the roof. You cannot replace it with anything. It is exhilarating,” he remarked.

To put things in perspective. Wheeldon’s father, Ron, has been doing air shows for over 30 years. His favourite plane is the Hawker Hunter, of which he has two. The younger Wheeldon is an accomplished pilot himself and has performed with his dad at airshows.

“It started when I was a kid playing Lego Star Wars. I don’t like losing. That’s never going to change,” he commented.

When asked what it takes to be competitive in Valorant, Wheeldon answers by saying that it helps to be fit. Then, he mentions that a strong head is crucial.

“The mental side in E-sports is a big part. If you enter a match thinking that things are going to go wrong, then they will. Being in good physical shape is essential because reaction time is key to winning games. If someone ‘swings’ at you, you must click as fast as possible. In about two milliseconds; otherwise, you will be losing,” he explained.

As to his role as dualist for the Tuks team, Wheeldon said his job is to get the first ‘peg’ to create space.

“Space is essential in attack. If you can’t create space, you usually end up stagnant. That is when things start to go wrong,” he said.

A definite highlight for Wheeldon was when he got the chance to play in the Apex Legends Global Series’ European competition.

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