On behalf of Martin Dvorak, I regret to report some terrible news.
Darryn van Vuuren, the first Pokémon World Champion, passed away this year
https://www.reddit.com/r/pokemon/search?q=flair_name:"Info"&restrict_sr=1
Darryn van Vuuren (born 1983-12-15) represented the United Kingdom at the Pokémon World Championships 2000, which was the first international Pokémon tournament in history. The Championships took place in Pokémon park on the grounds of Sydney University in Australia. Darryn van Vuuren won the title of the first Pokémon World Champion after defeating Edwin Krause from Germany in the final battle on 2000-09-22. He was recognized as the best Pokémon trainer in the world and became an inspiration for many of us, aspiring young people who wanted to enter the realms of competitive Pokémon play.
To our immeasurable disappointment, he was found dead on 2021-02-18, only a few days before the 25th anniversary of the initial Pokémon games’ release. According to the newspaper Islington Tribune, he committed suicide by falling from the 6th floor. People say he had been suffering from anxiety disorder and paranoia, living in a constant fear of getting poisoned. By the time he suicided, he was working at Camden Council in London as a data and governance officer, according to the newspaper Camden New Journal. His colleagues remember him as a dedicated council member and a friendly guy who was very intelligent, knew many fascinating facts, and had a great appreciation for dry British humor.
This is not only sad news for the international Pokémon community. This is, most of all, a major tragedy for van Vuuren’s family and those who were a part of van Vuuren’s life. Let me thereby express my deep condolences to them.
Pokémon online conference in memory of Darryn van Vuuren
2021-09-25 (Saturday), online (platform and time TBD)
This is not intended to be a virtual funeral. Instead, we are going to celebrate Darryn's great passion for Pokémon and pay respect to his legacy. The date was selected to make the conference happen on the weekend following the 21st anniversary of Darryn's victory.
Call For Contribution!
Contact: martin.dvorak( a t )matfyz.cz
Original Reddit post: Darryn van Vuuren, the first Pokémon World Champion, passed away this year : pokemon (reddit.com)
Article following the inquest: Security flaws allowed man to enter council HQ before falling to his death | Camden New Journal
Darryn van Vuuren, the first Pokémon World Champion, passed away this year
https://www.reddit.com/r/pokemon/search?q=flair_name:"Info"&restrict_sr=1
Darryn van Vuuren (born 1983-12-15) represented the United Kingdom at the Pokémon World Championships 2000, which was the first international Pokémon tournament in history. The Championships took place in Pokémon park on the grounds of Sydney University in Australia. Darryn van Vuuren won the title of the first Pokémon World Champion after defeating Edwin Krause from Germany in the final battle on 2000-09-22. He was recognized as the best Pokémon trainer in the world and became an inspiration for many of us, aspiring young people who wanted to enter the realms of competitive Pokémon play.
To our immeasurable disappointment, he was found dead on 2021-02-18, only a few days before the 25th anniversary of the initial Pokémon games’ release. According to the newspaper Islington Tribune, he committed suicide by falling from the 6th floor. People say he had been suffering from anxiety disorder and paranoia, living in a constant fear of getting poisoned. By the time he suicided, he was working at Camden Council in London as a data and governance officer, according to the newspaper Camden New Journal. His colleagues remember him as a dedicated council member and a friendly guy who was very intelligent, knew many fascinating facts, and had a great appreciation for dry British humor.
This is not only sad news for the international Pokémon community. This is, most of all, a major tragedy for van Vuuren’s family and those who were a part of van Vuuren’s life. Let me thereby express my deep condolences to them.
Pokémon online conference in memory of Darryn van Vuuren
2021-09-25 (Saturday), online (platform and time TBD)
This is not intended to be a virtual funeral. Instead, we are going to celebrate Darryn's great passion for Pokémon and pay respect to his legacy. The date was selected to make the conference happen on the weekend following the 21st anniversary of Darryn's victory.
Call For Contribution!
- 2 speakers on: History of Pokémon games
- 2 speakers on: Pokémon competitive play
- 1 speaker on: Mental health awareness
- Any number of people who knew Darryn van Vuuren personally and would be willing to share some memories of him
Contact: martin.dvorak( a t )matfyz.cz
Original Reddit post: Darryn van Vuuren, the first Pokémon World Champion, passed away this year : pokemon (reddit.com)
Article following the inquest: Security flaws allowed man to enter council HQ before falling to his death | Camden New Journal