Name: Celeste Anderson
Age: 23
Online Alias: BiiTTERSWEET
Social Links:
Twitter – /itsbiittersweet
Facebook Page: /celestekotn
YouTube: /missceleste

Bio:
Celeste, also known as “BiiTTERSWEET”, is a sponsored hardcore competitive gamer who has competed in multiple game genres. She is well-known for her skills in FPS (Halo series). As a side hobby, Celeste also enjoys solving Rubik’s Cubes where she has attended several Speedcubing competitions. She averages just over 20 seconds in solving the Rubik’s Cube. Currently, Celeste is studying Computer Science (BCS Honors) at the University of Waterloo.

VIDEO GAME TOURNAMENTS:
Fan Expo 2006
MLG Chicago 2007
MLG Toronto 2007 (Canadian Open – MLG Canada)
MLG Toronto 2008
MLG Meadowlands 2009
MLG Columbus 2009
MLG Columbus 2010
MLG Orlando 2010
MLG Dallas 2010
MLG Columbus 2011
MLG Providence 2011
MLG Columbus 2012

GAMING WORK EVENTS:
AMP Your Game Video Game Tour 2008 – MLGCanada Correspondent
Rogers Ultimate Gaming Expo (Toronto, ON) – “Play a Pro”
E3 2010 (Los Angeles, CA) – Galaxy4Gamers “Play a Pro”
PAX Prime 2010 (Seattle, WA) – Galaxy4Gamers “Play a Pro”
PAX East 2011 (Boston, MA) – Galaxy4Gamers “Play a Pro”
E3 2011 (Los Angeles, CA) – NamcoBandaiGames Community Team
ReveLAtions 2011 (Los Angeles, CA)
PAX Prime 2012 (Seattle, WA) – PowerA “Play a Pro” & Controller Consultant

SPEEDCUBING COMPETITIONS:
(Official Average of 5)
Toronto Open Summer 2009 – 51.46 seconds
CandianCubing Classic 2009 – 45.65 seconds
Canadian Open 2009 – 30.04 seconds
Toronto Winter 2010 – 35.63 seconds
Toronto Spring 2010 – 27.11 seconds
CUBEcentric 2010 – 26.35 seconds
Toronto Summer 2010 – 22.27 seconds
Toronto Open Winter 2011 – 25.43 seconds

Best Official Single : 20.78 seconds

What makes you a Nerd / Geek?
Being a socially awkward and shy girl, I started finding comfort in the things that most would not expect a girl to do. I invested a lot of time into video games and it became more than just a hobby!

What did you think of your co-contestants and NERDVANA?
Nothing short of amazing! Although, we came from different walks of life, it was refreshing to meet and get to know everyone. When I first arrived at Nerdvana, I was extremely scared of the rest of the contestants!

Nerdvana… I want to go back. That place is unreal! I think a few more touch-ups such as adding a projector screen, multiple screens and systems for LAN parties and an arcade would help If that happened, I’d just live there for the rest of my life and permanently call Nerdvana my home.

How did you find out you were to be a contestant, and what did you do when you found out?
I was sitting in my hotel room shortly after I completed the interview process as a finalist. One of the producers knocked on my door and said, “I have some great news! You’re going to be on the show!”. I yelled, jumped up and down and gave the producer a hug, I couldn’t believe it! After she left the room, I silently celebrated and let out a quiet “Woo”, followed by a big sigh of relief.

What will you do if you win the $100,000?
I haven’t thought about it too much but what I do know is that if I win, a good chunk of the money will go towards my education. I’ve been wanting to continue school but with the lack of confidence and money, I think the money would be helpful to live my dream in going to University without worrying about not having the funds!

What got you into your niche?
I grew up playing video games with my cousins, so at most I was a casual gamer in my young years. It wasn’t until my Dad got me my own Xbox for Christmas that things started to change. One day, my Dad came into my room and said, “Do you want to play this game with me?”, he lifted the game up and on the box, it read “Halo”. I agreed to play and then something just clicked. My Dad allowed me to try “Xbox Live” for Halo 2 and I got hooked.

I was walking around at the Fan Expo in Toronto checking out the gaming and anime side of the convention and in the corner of the room was a setup for Halo 2. I found out a tournament was going on and I entered into it and placed 2nd that weekend. After that, I started going to LANs and local tournaments where I got heavily involved to competitive gaming and kept practicing. The rest is history.

Has the show increased your following? So far, it has. It’s been surreal to read everyone’s tweets, texts, comments and messages. I’ve received extremely supportive and kind messages from a lot of people. I think it’s a guilty pleasure that I love reading the positive feedback on the show, or even simply reading, “You kick ass Celeste!”. Those are awesome!

What do you want to come from being on the show?
Confidence! I was out of my comfort zone and usually if I am, I have no ability to fight my anxiety and worry! I want to take away the experience from the show as a rewarding one. It taught me a lot about what I can overcome. Also, I always wanted to be on a Reality Competition Show and I think after being on the show, I’ve accomplished a goal I’ve been chasing after for a really long time.

What would you like to tell our readers?
Don’t be afraid to like the things you like! Be proud, be happy! No matter how different you feel from others, the most important thing is to live your life with no regrets and love every bit of you! It took me a very long time to break out of my shell and accept myself for who I was – mistakes, flaws and all. You can do it too! Work hard, stay determined and be strong!