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Why is Susan from “My 600-lb Life” Acting Like A Toddler?

Published

2 weeks ago

April 20, 2024

Born in 1986, into a troubled family in West Texas USA, Susan Farmer spent most of her life in the shadows of a home which she barely ever left, staying there with her mother who would constantly bring her food. Living without exercise for her entire childhood and adolescence on a rather unhealthy diet, her weight became a very worrying factor over many years of physical inactivity.

Susan began moving again somewhat, after reaching the limelight at the age of 37 in 2013, when she was discovered by the producers of TLC’s “My 600-lb Life”, and promptly invited into the show, as she weighed a staggering 607lbs (275kgs) at the time.

She was featured in the third season of the series, and like any other participants in the show, had to face the reality of her situation before anything was done to improve it. In Susan’s case, these moments of self-awareness would often come with great hostility towards the situation, which made her quite excitable throughout her time in the show.

Image source

Contents

1 An unconventional franchise
2 Susan’s 607-lb life
3 Why was she acting like a toddler?

An unconventional franchise

“My 600-lb Life” is a reality TV series that has been airing on the TLC network since 2012, following the lives of morbidly obese individuals, as they attempt to lose weight and achieve a healthier lifestyle. The show has become a popular hit among viewers, with its dramatic stories of weight loss struggles, both triumphs and failures. It was created by Jeff VanVonderen, a well-known interventionist, who previously worked on the hit show “Intervention.”

The series’ premise is simple: each episode focuses on a person who weighs at least 600lbs (272kgs) at the beginning of the episode, and follows their progress as they attempt to lose weight over the course of a year.

The show documents the individuals’ daily struggles, including their emotional and physical journeys, as they work towards their weight goal. It’s generally an emotional rollercoaster for both the audience and the participants, with both successes and setbacks along the way.

“My 600-lb Life” has been a successful series for TLC, with over 100 episodes to date, and has spawned several spin-off shows, including “Where Are They Now?” and “My 600-lb Life: Skin Tight.” The franchise has garnered a large following thanks to being praised for its portrayal of obesity, and the dangers and struggles that come with it.

Of course, the series has also had its share of criticism and controversy, as not everyone is so sure that they showcase morbidly obese people only with the purest of intentions. Some viewers have criticized the show for its perceived exploitation of the participants, and have accused it of sensationalizing obesity for the sake of ratings.

Others have raised concerns about the show’s approach to weight loss, arguing that it promotes unhealthy and unsustainable practices. There is also the fact that, more often than not, the participants simply end up undergoing rather costly medical procedures to finally solve a major part of their weight issue, which isn’t a luxury that most viewers with similar stories can afford.

Despite these issues, “My 600-lb Life” has remained a popular and influential show, inspiring many people to take control of their own health, and make positive changes in their lives throughout its 11 years of airing thus far. It has also helped to raise awareness about the dangers of obesity, and the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPdnI-6lbQL/

One of the most popular success stories from the show is Milla Clark, who starred in the fourth season from an unbelievable 750lbs (340kgs). Although not many viewers believed that much could be done for Milla, since it’s a miracle she even survived long enough to weigh that much, she managed to lose over 445lbs (200kgs).

Yet another is Sarah Neeley, who began her weight loss journey at a peak weight of over 640lbs (291kgs), and faced numerous obstacles along the way, including struggles with mental health and addiction. However, with the help of Dr. Younan ‘Now’ Nowzaradan, a bariatric surgeon who features prominently in the show, she was able to lose over 400lbs, and has since become an advocate for both weight loss and mental health.

At the end of the day, “My 600-lb Life” has become a cultural phenomenon that has definitely helped shed light on the difficulties faced by those who struggle with obesity. While it hasn’t been without its controversies, the show has inspired countless viewers to make positive changes in their lives, providing a platform for important discussions about health, wellness, and body positivity.

Susan’s 607-lb life

Susan Farmer’s episode starts with shots of her modest home in Eddy, Texas, in which she appears to not even be able to get out of bed without serious effort. Her opening statement is that ‘It’s a lot harder to change than you ever realize. You just have to hope it’s not too late, and try as hard as you can to do it.’

After finally placing her feet on the ground in front of the bed, following numerous failed attempts at swinging her bottom half over towards the floor, Susan stated ‘Life is miserable. I hurt all the time, ‘cause I don’t get up much.’

She proceeded to explain that carrying all that weight around poses quite a few challenges, asserting ‘With me having this big stomach, it falls on me so bad, and it feels like my skin is on fire, and that it’s just gonna melt.’

While this certainly must be excruciating to handle on a day-to-day basis, it’s also factual that the average adult human’s skin and bones aren’t built for supporting weight seven times greater than the healthy average. As Susan’s skin was spreading to the point of almost bursting whenever she took a walk, performing even the most ordinary actions around her home proved to be a horrifying endeavor.

She also said ‘I have trouble breathing, especially when I’m walking. I have to take baby steps because I’m afraid of falling, ‘cause if I fell, there’s nothing anybody can do for me.’ This admission refers to the fact that it takes an incredible amount of strength to keep yourself up at that weight, while there are also other factors, such as weight-induced health conditions.

One of the better-known issues of overly large individuals is called obesity hypoventilation syndrome. It’s a breathing disorder that occurs in those who have difficulty breathing deeply and rapidly enough to supply sufficient oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from their bodies, potentially causing serious consequences when unattended.

It’s estimated that around 10% to 20% of obese adults will develop this condition, with its long-term effects having the capability for devastating results. Essentially, a person with breathing difficulties finds it hard to supplement the CO2 in their blood with oxygen, which over time poisons the internal organs. Eventually, this leads to heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, and ultimately death.

On top of that, even without particular health conditions, Susan’s muscles require an immense amount of blood supply just to keep her in motion, which in and of itself causes her to be out of breath most of the time. Lastly, proper blood flow is made a lot harder to maintain by the excess buildup of fat around her heart.

The camera crew follows her to the bathroom, in what can only be described as an act of great bravery by Susan herself, while the audience was simply left stumped. Farmer begins to fully undress herself in front of the camera and proceed to take a bath, with everything but her privates on full display for the world to see.

This sequence is followed by Susan saying ‘I don’t like looking at myself. So, I don’t look at myself in the mirror. To me, I’m fat and ugly.’ A shocking scene then takes place, in which Susan is seen entering a disproportionately small bathtub, with her belly fat hanging between her legs and bulging downwards from the pressure of her overgrown thighs, thus forming a ball right underneath her crotch.

It becomes evident upon witnessing this that even something as simple as washing oneself is a true ordeal for Susan, who with great fear and sorrow looked into the camera lens and said ‘All I see is a fat glob,’ as tears welled up in her eyes, and she began to sniffle.

That was the condition in which Susan entered the series, with not many believing that she could ever accomplish a significant change in weight, as most people would’ve given up on life by that point. However, this didn’t end up being the case for Susan, who was actually determined to show the world and herself that change is indeed possible.

As tends to be done in some of the most severe cases of obesity, Farmer had to skip any nutrition plans meant to gradually induce weight loss, as her health was already being severely impaired by her condition. Therefore, instead of counseling, she was immediately sent to the aforementioned bariatric professional, so as to undergo gastric bypass surgery.

Bariatric surgeons such as Dr. Now specialize in removing excess weight from a person, by either straight up cutting it out of them, or performing other gastrointestinal modifications that would encourage weight loss.

Gastric bypass surgery is one such procedure, in which the stomach and small intestine are modified so as to prevent massive calorie absorption. The stomach is split into two parts – the smaller pouch on top, and the larger one on the bottom, whereby the upper is connected to the rerouted small intestine, pretty much cutting off about 60% of the digestive system.

In this way, the patient is made to feel full much sooner than they normally would, which makes them want to eat a lot less. However, because this process causes initial damage to the gastrointestinal system, Susan had to follow a very specific diet, so as to avoid damaging her insides by stretching the stomach too far, which could reopen the surgery wound.

Following a successful surgery, intertwined with strict obedience to the doctor’s advice in regards to what she can eat, and what kind of exercise she must engage in, Susan managed to drop a significant 200lbs (90kgs). However, she was only half-way done with her transformation at that time.

With her stomach feeling full a lot sooner, and seeing the impressive results of her previous efforts, Farmer managed to lose another full 200lbs (90kgs) throughout the remainder of the year during which she was filmed, eventually also having surgery to remove the excess skin and fatty tissue, dropping another 46lbs (21kgs).

Having lost 446lbs (202kgs), Susan went from weighing 607lbs (275kgs) to only 161lbs (73kgs) – a rather unexpected weight that no one thought achievable for her. She ultimately left the show a happy and satisfied woman, and reportedly also managed to keep her weight down throughout 2022.

Why was she acting like a toddler?

In spite of her awe-inspiring achievement in the series, fans were quick to notice that Susan was behaving in an unbecoming manner towards the series’ crew, her mother, and others who were trying to help her. These emotional outbursts seemingly came out of nowhere, especially in situations where she had to give up an old habit.

While it can’t be excused that a 37-year-old woman behaves like a spoiled child, it’s understandable that someone going through such extreme changes will do and say things they never have before.

My 600-lb Life's Susan Farmer Tries on Jeans for First Time in Decades After Losing 400… https://t.co/8diCTC38Gd pic.twitter.com/wCHC0xTAWt

— Actor Headshots NYC (@ActorHeadshot) April 20, 2016

More importantly, however, it’s much more likely that the reason for Farmer’s lack of appropriate behavior and respect for those around her simply comes from the fact that she had no respect for her own self for a very long time, and some of the reality pills were too hard to swallow early on.

Whatever the reason may be for how she acted, it’s undeniable that she’s now in a much better place, and along with a greatly improved life, it’s widely believed that her behavior is much more acceptable as well, at least in early 2023. Until some sort of media coverage is released to confirm or deny this assumption, series’ fans can only speculate as to whether Susan has improved in this field. Her significant increase in self-respect should really help this situation.

Lists

Weight Loss Journey of Vannessa Cross from 1000-Lb Best Friends

Published

12 mins ago

May 6, 2024

Daniel Wanburg

Contents

1 Vannessa Cross
2 Meghan Crumpler

Vannessa Cross

The incredible success of shows such as “My 600-lb Life” and “1000-lb Sisters”, coupled with the worrying obesity epidemic in the USA, have made Vannessa Cross and other reality TV participants minor celebrities. When viewers met Vannessa in Season 1 of “1000-lb Best Friends”, she weighed a staggering 442lbs, about 200kgs, but had rarely, if ever, considered her vast size an issue.

“I still drove, I still walked around, so my mentality was I’m fine, I’m perfect the way I am. I could still do things,” the 44-year-old explained in an interview. As her quality of life hadn’t drastically decreased yet, Vannessa never thought of slimming down until her best friend and costar, Meghan Crumpler, went on her own weight loss journey.

When Vannessa witnessed the health benefits in Meghan’s life, she was inspired to go down the same path, and began preparing for bariatric surgery by cutting bread, sugar and soda out of her diet. Next, she began going to therapy to work on her toxic relationship with food.

“I opened my mind to try to understand what in my brain is making me want to stay fat and stay helpless,” she admitted. “Why do I have to eat three cheeseburgers and two fries instead of one cheeseburger like a normal person?”

Prior to surgery, Vannessa had already lost almost 50lbs (23kgs) on her own. The day of her weight loss surgery, she weighed 398 lbs – and went on to lose 159 more, about 70kgs. Following her surgery, Vannessa has implemented plenty of changes into her diet and lifestyle, swapping fried food with fruits and vegan smoothies, and learning how to make healthy recipes with her children.

In the past, Vannessa ate for comfort and pleasure. Now, however, she goes to the gym or on long walks whenever she’s struck by a sudden craving. “I get my joy, my comfort, my anxiety levels down, everything, from pushing myself more and more in the gym,” she said.

However, it took Vannessa a while to get to where she is today. The first time she saw Dr. Procter, she weighed 446 lbs, then lost 20lbs between appointments. Encouraged by her progress, Dr. Procter set Vannessa a goal weight of under 400 lbs to qualify for surgery. Six months later, Vannessa weighed 442lbs at the follow-up appointment, and was discouraged by her weight gain.

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Nevertheless, the TV personality was inspired to try harder, and her efforts paid off. From celebrating being able to wear a seatbelt again, to regaining her confidence and spark, Vannessa has proved herself to be a positive role model with every step she takes in this challenging but rewarding journey.

Throughout her adult life, the Georgia native weighed around 350lbs. Her weight began fluctuating in 2016 after the death of her husband, as her life “spiraled out of control”. For the next few years, her weight often fluctuated up to 500lbs, as she used food to feel better about herself.

Viewers of “1000-lb Best Friends” are thrilled to see the positive change in Vannessa, and how she’s acting as a positive role model for her children. Meanwhile, Meghan Crumpler’s journey hasn’t been going so smoothly.

Meghan Crumpler

At the start of season one, Meghan weighed approximately 500lbs, about 230kgs, and had difficulty moving around and doing everyday tasks – so much so that she relied on her husband for almost everything, and required oxygen to breathe.

Although Vannessa has been giving interviews and keeping fans posted with her exact weight so they can see her progress, Meghan has shied away from doing the same. It’s undeniable that she’s lost weight since filming began, but her recent actions have led to netizens thinking that she’s not as committed to changing her life as her best friend is.

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“I started watching beginning of S1 and I had Megan’s number right away,” a Reddit user said on the show’s official forum. “She wants to benefit from all of the free and PREMIUM NICE medical treatment and rehab, while drinking and not dealing properly with her issues, while having already had the surgery and should be benefitting from it, the fact she has stayed this large is a medical miracle.”

In one of the latest episodes of Season 2, Meghan was also seen screaming at Vannessa and having one of her frequent meltdowns. The TV personality has recently been accused of disrespecting Dr. Procter by addressing him by his surname instead of his title – with some netizens even claiming that she is sexually suggestive towards him during their appointments.

Fans of the show are of the opinion that Meghan, who is going through financial hardship, is irresponsible with her money after spending her savings on a fancy wedding and having to move in with her friend Tina Arnold and her husband. Meghan has taken to selling her second-hand clothes, bodycare products, and other random objects in an attempt to scrape some extra cash together, which has led to speculations regarding how much she and Vannessa are paid per episode.

Not much is known about Meghan’s friend Tina, but the Reddit subforum /r/1000lbbestfriends refers to the latter as a “grifter” after she started a GoFundMe campaign for her disabled daughter’s apartment and allegedly turned said apartment into a gym for herself and Meghan. Tina, who is also trying to lose weight, often features in the show, and dramatically kicked Meghan out in one episode after a heated argument – however, the women are believed to be on good terms again, as Meghan is apparently still living with her and her husband.

Check out On the Road with Meghan and Tina by Tina Arnold on @Kickstarter https://t.co/Qxx270u1C6

— Tina1kBF (@Tina1kBf) April 29, 2023

There’s also the possibility that the show contains scripted screens, as viewers find it hard to believe that Meghan and her husband celebrated their honeymoon in Tina’s bedroom. Whatever the case, Meghan’s weight loss appears to have stalled dramatically in the last few months, and her living situation is clearly an unstable one.

For now, TLC has yet to confirm if there’ll be a third season of “1000-lb Best Friends”. The Season 2 premiere took place in early March 2023, and was viewed in around 500,000 households.

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Is Caroline Manzo Coming Back to ‘RHONJ’?

Published

2 hours ago

May 6, 2024

Daniel Wanburg

Caroline Manzo

Reality TV star and entrepreneur Caroline Manzo, became the talk of the town after swearing that she would never return to the “Real Housewives” franchise. The 61-year-old mother of three, who helped launch “Real Housewives of New Jersey” (“RHONJ”) in 2009, and left in 2013, was part of the season four lineup for “Ultimate Girls Trip”, one of the iconic series’ many spin-offs.

However, Caroline left the show ahead of schedule after a run-in with Brandi Glanville. The TV personalities were filming in Morocco when Brandi allegedly began kissing Caroline multiple times without her consent. As a source told PEOPLE: “Caroline’s distress over the matter did not seem to stop Brandi. Things escalated and physical boundaries allegedly were crossed that Caroline felt were serious and uncomfortable.”

The production team decided to report the incident to higher ups in order to decide how to proceed with filming, which continued that night and into the next morning. Then, Brandi reportedly apologized to Caroline via text message after finding out how the latter felt. Despite Brandi’s attempt at damage control, she was asked to leave the trip early because of her inappropriate behavior; meanwhile, Caroline decided to return home and process what had happened, without having to deal with cameras or her fellow cast members.

The incident between Caroline and Brandi took place in January 2023, but the whole story has yet to come out. Other sources claim that Brandi inappropriately touched Caroline in a locked bathroom on set, which led to the show’s producers launching an investigation. However, Brandi’s lawyer states that the encounter was mutual and consensual and comprised of “some flirtatious conduct and kissing.”

Three months later, Caroline was asked if she would consider filming for another season of the spin-off with different cast members, to which she replied: “Never. No. Never, never, never.” Many people were eagerly looking forward to the Brooklyn native’s return to reality TV; unlike Brandi and other members of the franchise, Caroline has kept a relatively low profile from 2016 onwards, and her appearance in “Ultimate Girls’ Trip” had the potential to be a brilliant comeback.

Caroline Manzo Breaks Silence on Early RHUGT Exit: 'I Was Going Back with the Highest of Hopes' https://t.co/GRvKYApuct

— People (@people) March 20, 2023

Fans of the “Real Housewives” shows fondly remember Caroline from the first few seasons of “RHONJ”. When the show premiered, it was more of a family affair, as Caroline starred alongside her sister Dina and sister-in-law Jacqueline Laurita. The Brooklynite departed after five seasons, and began filming a spin-off series about her family, “Manzo’d with Children”. The spin-off first aired on Bravo in October 2014, and pulled in over 1.7 million viewers; however, a ratings slump caused the show to be cancelled after three seasons.

A few years later, Bravo got in touch with Caroline to offer her a part-time role in Season 10 of “RHONJ”, but she turned the offer down, reportedly due to the low salary the network was offering. In 2022, Caroline herself confirmed that she had been asked to return for Season 13, and once again declined the offer. Now, after the negative experience with Brandi, it seems more unlikely than ever that we’ll see her on screen again.

Moving on to Caroline’s personal life, she’s married to the successful businessman Albert Manzo, who is a co-owner of an upmarket event and catering facility in Peterson, New Jersey. Caroline and Albert share three children named Albert, Lauren Michele and Christopher Thomas, who were born in 1986, 1988 and 1989 respectively.

Albert and his brother Tommy Manzo inherited the event and catering facility The Brownstone from their father; if the building appears familiar, it’s probably because it was used as a location for “The Sopranos”. The Manzo family are said to live in an opulent $1.69 million house in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey; Caroline and Albert bought the property for $265,000 in 1996, and built the house six years later. With over 5,000 square feet and 1.56 acres of land, it’s clear that the Manzos aren’t hurting for cash, if their beautiful home is anything to go by.

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Ironically, Caroline and Albert were once considered the poor neighbors in Franklin Lakes; however, that didn’t bother the reality TV personality at all. “We had no landscaping for seven years,” Caroline explained in a 2009 interview. “The pool isn’t gunite. I’m not spending that kind of money… I don’t look to impress.”

Caroline, who grew up in a homely Italian household where “the door was always open”, wanted to raise her children with the same traditions. Despite their privileges, the Manzo children had as normal an upbringing as possible, with Caroline and Albert’s home always being full of friends and family. These days, the Bravo alum shares a close bond with her offspring, especially Lauren, who welcomed her first daughter with Vito Scalia – her brother Albert’s best friend – in February 2017.

Despite not wanting anything to do with Bravo or the “Real Housewives” franchise, Caroline’s time on the series still follows her around wherever she goes. In 2015, co-star Teresa Giudice and her ex-husband Joe Giudice were convicted on several counts of fraud, since when Teresa and others have accused Caroline of being the one who informed the feds on the couple.

During Page Six’s “Reali-Tea” Live event in mid-May 2023, Caroline was once again asked about her involvement in Caroline and Joe’s conviction, and sensationally shared that she was present when the ‘phone call to the government took place. Her daughter Lauren then quickly added: “But we’ll never say who it was.”

“I miss the days of Season 1, Teresa,” Caroline reminisced. “We were there for each other. We were on this journey.” She then added that Teresa had let the fame go to her head, and had become a ‘monster’. Understandably, Teresa has yet to respond to Caroline’s comments, but a few irate netizens accused the latter of trying to keep herself relevant by any means.

Even if she never returns to reality TV again, Caroline has plenty on her plate for the time being. Be it an herb garden, a book club, or participating in fun activities with her granddaughter, the Brooklynite always keeps herself busy. In the past, Caroline also had a bath and body company named Friendly Monkey Soap Co. with a successful Etsy store; these days, she has her own podcast named “Food, Love, Chaos”, in which she shares cooking tips with her fans.

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Who is the new chess star, Anna Cramling?

Published

7 hours ago

May 6, 2024

Daniel Wanburg

Chess is becoming mainstream, primarily through players with charismatic personalities who stream the board game on platforms such as Twitch and YouTube. Anna Cramling has a similar story; only people intimately familiar with the board game knew her and her chess-playing family before 2020. She changed that by starting a Twitch channel, AnnaCramling, and amassing over 330,000 followers since, and a YouTube channel, @AnnaCramling, on 16 February that year, with over 520,000 subscribers in late May 2023. However, many of her followers have yet to learn about her history, which is where we come in.

Contents

1 Anna is branching out
2 Her parents are renowned chess players
3 She briefly played for Spain
4 Anna moved to Sweden in 2012
5 2018 was both great and disappointing for her
6 She started making changes in 2019
7 Anna combined her parents’ styles
8 She started streaming during the pandemic
9 Anna joined the Panda esports team
10 She had a boyfriend
11 She successfully transitioned
12 Anna will continue streaming

Anna is branching out

Anna gained prominence as an amateur chess player for Spain, then Sweden, and achieved a career peak in 2018 after becoming a Woman FIDE Master (WFM). Although she was successful the following year, her rating dropped, and the COVID-19 pandemic reduced her chances to play in person. Instead of sitting on her hands, Anna accepted the opportunity to comment on chess matches and started YouTube and Twitch channels which quickly took off. Although she competed a few times during the lockdowns, and played at the 2023 Reykjavik Open, Anna’s streaming career is at the forefront. Thankfully, she uses her engaging personality to bring attention to the board game in media, persuading more girls and women to start playing.

Her parents are renowned chess players

Anna Yolanda Cramling Bellón, born on 30 April 2002 in Málaga, Spain, started playing chess at three. Pia Cramling, her mother, is a Swedish Grandmaster (GM), while her father, Juan Manuel Bellón López, is a Grandmaster (GM) and a five-time Spanish chess champion. Her parents regularly competed in chess tournaments when she was a child. Her mother took a 10-month break during her pregnancy with Anna, which included three months after her birth, arguably her longest pause from playing.

21 today 🥳 pic.twitter.com/VvC6hL0gOg

— Anna Cramling (@AnnaCramling) April 30, 2023

Her mother was the top-rated female chess player in the FIDE International Chess Federation in 1984 and a few other times. Thus in 1992, Pia became the fifth woman to reach the rank of Grandmaster. Anna spent most of her childhood at tournaments, watching her parents play. Her maternal grandfather babysat her whenever that wasn’t possible, which was tricky because he’s from Sweden. However, her parents noted that Anna was unbelievably calm and quiet as a kid.

Interestingly, Anna later stated that her parents never pressured her to play chess. Instead, she said that she felt pressure from herself and the community to live up to being the daughter of two Grandmasters.

She briefly played for Spain

Anna started competing early but only participated in a small number of chess tournaments under the Spanish flag. However, that’s when she earned her first FIDE rating of 1519, competing in the Amateur A contest at the Gibraltar Chess Festival in February 2013 aged 10. Anna returned the next year and won the women’s prize, which earned her considerable praise and publicity. That was unsurprising; her parents actively competed there many times, and she had watched them for nearly a decade. Anna crossed the 1600 FIDE rating mark at the event, and ended her chess career under the Spanish flag.

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Anna moved to Sweden in 2012

Anna and her parents relocated to Sweden when she was 11, but she only officially switched to a Swedish chess federation in 2014. In hindsight, that was the right move, as her rating increased by 300 in early 2015. Towards the year’s end, she had a chance to compete in the girl’s U-14 division of the World Cadets Chess Championship, where she finished 58th out of 125 competitors.

Anna wasn’t discouraged and crossed the 2000 FIDE rating mark in mid-2016, at 14, during the Hasselbacken Chess Open event held in Stockholm. Although she didn’t win the event, she beat her fellow Swede, Michael Backman, with a FIDE rating of 2161.

Her success was noticed, and she got to represent Sweden in Azerbaijan during the 2016 Chess Olympiad and helped her country win 23rd place. Furthermore, Anna played for Sweden in 2017 during the Master’s competition in Gibraltar, at the European Youth Chess Championships in the girls under-16 category, and the World Junior Chess Championships in the under-20 girls division. She praised Sweden’s government programs for cultural projects, chess included, for children under 20. However, she disliked that newspapers with a chess column were far more common when she was growing up.

2018 was both great and disappointing for her

Anna had her most successful year in 2018, when she performed well in four tournaments, earning her peak FIDE rating of 2175 and the title of the Woman FIDE Master (WFM). Moreover, she beat the Spanish International Master (IM) Renier Castellanos Rodriguez, who held a rating of 2498, at the Open Internacional Villa de Benasque event in Spain in July. Unfortunately, she underperformed towards the end of 2018, and her rating fell below 2000.

She started making changes in 2019

Anna didn’t rest on her laurels, and participated in several tournaments in 2019. She ended up in 13th place at the European Youth Championships, and beat a fellow WFM with a rating of 2307, Govhar Beydullayeva. Consequently, Anna’s rating rose to 2164 by October of that year, shy of her highest.

Anna combined her parents’ styles

When asked to describe her playstyle, Anna replied that she plays aggressively, particularly online for practice, as she finds it more fun. She got that part from her father, who is very aggressive and tactical. In contrast, her openings are calculated and calm; her mother taught her many of them, and like her, Anna prefers the 1.d4 opening with white pieces, the second most popular chess opening after 1.e4, also called the Queen’s Pawn Game. Therefore, Anna stated that she ‘plays her mother’s openings with her dad’s style.’

Her parents, who still compete, have frequently been by her side – for instance, during two European Team Chess Championships and the 2016 Chess Olympiad, her mother was on her team while her father organized their efforts as the team captain. Her mother’s absence from the team was also why Anna didn’t participate in the Chess Olympiad two years later.

She started streaming during the pandemic

As a successful chess player, Anna has much experience deliberating and voicing moves to her peers. The number of chess tournaments dwindled when the COVID-19 outbreak grew in severity in late 2019. Thus, she decided to comment on one of the rare ongoing competitions, the 2020 Women’s World Chess Championship, held in Russia and China. Anna created her Twitch channel, and alongside her mother, commented on the match between the title defender, world champion Ju Wenjun, rated at 2584, and the challenger, Aleksandra Goryachkina, who won the new Candidates Tournament the year before, and was rated 2578.

Additionally, Anna competed in the “Femme Batale” Twitch event alongside IM Anna Rudolf, WFM Alexandra Botez, and WGM (Woman Grandmaster) Jennifer Shahade in March of that year. All proceeds from the event were donated to the World Health Organization’s Solidarity Response Fund during COVID-19. Anna also did live commentary during the first portion of the 2020 Women’s Speed Chess Championship alongside GM Robert Hess.

Anna joined the Panda esports team

Anna liked what she was doing on Twitch, and the audience tuned in to listen to her expertise and fun personality. Her mother and father periodically voiced their opinion, making things more interesting. For instance, they discussed the chess opening that Anna invented, “the COW opening,” and played against chess hustlers in Union Square Park in New York City. Anna realized that combining chess with entertainment was a career worth exploring, and she started posting on social media, Twitter and Instagram. The esports company Panda spotted her in late 2020, and signed her the following year, making her their first chess streamer.

Anna credits the mini-series “The Queen’s Gambit,” which premiered a few months after she became active online, for her sudden surge of followers. Moreover, Anna’s prominence grew after she signed up with a renowned talent agency, Evolved Talent or Evolved.GG. It represents well-known streamers such as xQc, Kitboga, Alinity, and Jerma985, and esports gamers Gorgc, Elevate, Babybay, and GarrettG. She mentioned that one reason for getting into esports is that chess was neither a sport nor a part of the culture, making it harder to earn money and get government assistance. She felt that chess becoming an esport would motivate more people to join clubs and play online. Moreover, she wanted to inspire girls to play and thought that the more girls started, the more they would join her as streamers or competitors. Her mother also said that chess needs better marketing, higher prizes, better playing conditions, and more women.

She had a boyfriend

Anna prefers to keep many things a secret, and separates her private and public life. Fans mostly know about her love for coffee, home workouts, and the beige color. However, observant fans noticed a minor mention of a previous relationship in a CNN article from March 2023, that revealed the most about her as a person, Anna mentioning that she used her ex-boyfriend’s laptop to start her first stream. That means that the relationship is over, and her followers have yet to discover whom she dated, and whether she has a new partner.

Sadly, in the same interview, Anna described her experience as a woman during chess tournaments as ‘lonely and sometimes uncomfortable.’ She said that adult men had complimented her since she was a kid. Moreover, some of her chess opponents admitted that they couldn’t stop looking at her. It’s important to note that chess bouts can last to five hours. Even worse, Anna revealed that a chess official warned her not to wear shorts, to avoid distracting male players.

She successfully transitioned

Anna started playing chess at three and had a successful career, reaching the third-highest rank in 2019. However, she used an unfortunate situation, the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, to pursue her dream of making chess accessible and fun for everyone. She wanted more women to join the board game and eradicate the misconception that it was only for ‘old, intelligent men.’ Additionally, Anna claims that streaming helped her start playing chess ‘in a relaxed way, and not trying to be the best,’ which weirdly led to better results in the International Chess Federation matches.

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Anna will continue streaming

Anna was nominated in the Best Chess Streamer category at The Streamer Awards in 2023, suggesting that her popularity is rising. Plus, Anna has taken a gap year after matriculating from high school, and is expanding her reach by partnering with Chess.com and Menē, a jewelry company that ,presented a 24K gold and pure platinum chess collection during Paris Couture Week, with her help. Sadly, her official website, www.annacramling.com, doesn’t work in May 2023, although probably temporarily. Most importantly, her parents, neither of whom knew that streaming existed, supported her way of sharing her love of chess with the audience.

Anna competed in Reykjavik Open 2023, but stated that she would still upload or stream on YouTube or Twitch if she weren’t a chess player. However, she would post traveling live streams or vlogs instead. As proof, she explained that she talked to her camera about the video games that she played, or the things that she’s purchased since she was eight. Finally, Anna recently diversified her content by live-streaming video games such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) and Valorant and cooking.