1x Major and 1x Major MVP (ELEAGUE Major Atlanta) winner Markus “Kjaerbye” Kjærbye announces he has returned nine months after announcing his departure, in an interview with Dexerto.
According to Kjaerbye, he was burned out when he chose to quit, but he was able to rekindle his enthusiasm as time passed.
I had a lot of talks with other professional sports athletes, who advised me to move on with my life. They said, ‘It’s hard after doing something for so many years, but try to get a new identity or find out what you want to do next. I really tried to do that. I also did a really long interview about why I had quit playing and what I had been doing. But after I had it [the article] in my hands, it felt wrong to quit playing Counter-Strike. I could just feel in my gut that I was not done. I was just exhausted and I had not listened to my body. I had not respected my mental health. After I told them the article could not be released because I was not done playing, I transformed my life overnight.
Markus “Kjaerbye” Kjærbye
The key to Kjaerbye’s return, he said, was ongoing focus on his physical and emotional health. He worked as a barista in his father’s café in the second part of last year and also acquired a position as an intern at a business that provides psychological support. All of this was supplemented with frequent physical activity for the Dane.
Everyone had an opinion about me. ‘How can you leave your teammates without saying goodbye? And I totally agree. It took me four years to forgive myself. I always thought I needed people to forgive me for what I did, but what I realised is that I just needed to forgive myself. People ask me a lot if I regret my decision to leave. I just regret the way that it happened. It was really immature. I’ve learned a lot from it.
Markus “Kjaerbye” Kjærbye
Also, the Danish player did not elaborate on the particular goals he set for himself after returning to CS:GO in the interview. However, he has received no offers from any teams at this time.
I’m not here to make people happy. I have found a way where I can play Counter-Strike and be happy, where I can have goals, big ambitions, and dreams. If I end up not performing in a tournament, I will look positively on it. I’ll go back home and use the knowledge I gained to get in better shape. I’ll just get back to work because I love my life and I just want to play Counter-Strike.
Markus “Kjaerbye” Kjærbye
Kjaerbye’s name surfaced on the list for the forthcoming RMR event Heroic just before he announced his comeback. The 23-year-old has been called up as a last-minute replacement.KjaerbyeKjrby’s name surfaced on the list for the forthcoming RMR event Heroic just before he announced his comeback. The 23-year-old has been called up as a last-minute replacement.
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