Rynx K: The Figure Skater Who Secretly Played Games Until He Became a Pro Player 

The first time Rynx K felt the thrill of a perfect glide, he wasn’t holding a mouse or headset. He was barely nine years old, his tiny feet strapped into figure skates, his father pushing him gently across the rink. That quiet moment—etched into his earliest memories—would set the stage for a decade-long devotion to ice.

But dreams evolve. And sometimes, they respawn in an entirely different arena.

Now 23, Rynx is already past his figure skating prime. He is the country’s new esports hope, repping the MongolZ at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh. 

The Boy Who Loved the Ice

“I started at 8 or 9, until I was 19,” Rynx tells ALL-STAR. 

“My earliest core memory about ice skating is of my father gently pushing me on the skating rink.”

At the time, Mongolia’s skating scene was still nascent. But visiting foreign athletes and coaches brought glimpses of what was possible. Rynx soaked up every lesson. His Olympic dream—though quietly held—burned bright.

WATCH: Rynx K Featured Ice Skating in a Music Video

“I learned to ice skate from them and to perfect my techniques,” he says. “My dream was to perform on the Olympics stage,” said Rynx K.

That dream never came. But Rynx still finds joy in the ice.

 “I skate as a hobby sometimes. I still follow the figure skating scene,” he says. “But figure skating is a very age-sensitive sport, so even if I wanted to, I would not be able to compete.”

But there were obstacles that came with being a male on the ice rink. 

“People ask why I was in a ‘girly’ sport.”

“In Mongolia, being masculine was always associated with the notion that men always have to be muscular, men always have to exude strength,” he says. “When I was younger, it was an obstacle, especially since people ask why was I in a ‘girly’ sport.”

And then, something unexpected happened. 

A Little Girl’s Request

Rynx’s proudest moment as a skater didn’t come from a medal or a perfect score. It came from a girl.

“I was doing my usual training session on the rink,” he recalls. “Then, a father and his daughter approached me. She was around 11 or 12 years old. She saw me and asked her father to ask me to teach her because she thought I was really good.”

That little girl? She’s now one of Mongolia’s most promising female figure skaters.

“She asked me to coach her,” he says with quiet pride. “That’s my proudest moment.”

The Kid Who Secretly Played Games

While his days were spent on the rink, his nights were spent in secret.

“From a very young age, I not only used to ice skate but also played video games and PC games,” he shares. “At first, my parents did not like it. They would reprimand me, but I would still sneak into my room to play games. This went on for years, and eventually, they kind of gave up!”

From Rinks to Ranked Matches

“I started playing Mobile Legends because of my friends,” he says. “We took the opportunity to form a team and compete at local tournaments. Because of that, I realized I had the potential to compete in regional tournament and even the world stage.”

Now, he’s at the Esports World Cup playing not just for wins, but for country.

“Now that we’re here in the EWC, we think we’ve kind of made it, in a way, compared to how we were starting out playing just for fun,” he says. “Now, that little fire in us has grown into something bigger. We want to be the best of the best in the world. That means everything to us.”

Now, his parents are no longer reprimanding. “Now that I’ve made it in this career in a way, I think my family is proud of me.”

As for those who said gaming wasn’t a real career? “There were certain obstacles but I’d like to keep positive and look ahead,” he says. “If I ever doubt myself, I look into the future about where I should take my career.”

Facing the World

When MongolZ qualified for the M6 Wild Card, it was Mongolia’s first appearance on Mobile Legends’ world stage.

“That was a very nervous moment,” Rynx recalls. “We were all very nervous and we couldn’t perform our best. We learned from that and now we’re doing a better job than we did last time.”

They haven’t played against Filipino teams yet, but he knows what that battle could look like.

“Considering the fact the Philippines is a very strong region, I think we might struggle a little bit for the first time if we face them,” he says. “But we’d like to believe that we are really good at adapting to our opponents and learning their play style… eventually, we will beat them.”

If Rynx K Could Speak to His 14-Year-Old Self

Rynx knows what it’s like to start over.

He never got the recognition he dreamed of in figure skating. “I think I was not well-known enough as a figure skating athlete,” he admits. “But I really appreciate that people know me now as a Mobile Legends pro player,” Rynx told ALL-STAR. 

“And this time, I’m doing better,” he added. 

Asked what he’d say to the younger version of himself—the boy who trained endlessly on ice, the skater who quietly wondered if it would all be worth it—Rynx doesn’t hesitate.

“Don’t worry too much,” he says.