The gamer grandmother of Scotland has emerged as the gaming star at 76. What used to be a harmless activity with her grandchildren became a full-fledged passion after discovering Fortnite.
Cath Bowie's gaming career was never more acute than with what the world knows as "Grumpygran1948" in gaming video games such as Mario Kart and Minecraft but an absolute fan of Fortnite.
Gamer Grandma's 'Love at First Sight' For Fortnite
According to The Scottish Sun, it was Lewis, Cath's 24-year-old grandson who introduced Fortnite to her. The old gamer said she was absolutely fascinated with it, recalling the days she first fell in love with Fortnite.
In an interview, Cath said that she saw the game in her grandson's room. And from then on, she played Fortnite every single chance she got on her grandson's PlayStation 4 before buying her own console and account.
From Casual Gamer to Twitch Sensation
What began as a hobby in gaming turned out to be much more. Cath decided that the time had come to put her passion for Fortnite up a notch by live streaming on Twitch.
Her gamertag, Grumpygran1948, has almost 20,000 followers and her community is growing.
"The thing that I really like is, some folk have really very bad days in their life. Some folk are not very well, maybe have got some issues, and there is always somebody there to support them," she said.
Building a Global Community
She's not playing for just fun. Cath has managed to craft a global community of gamers, and many log in daily to watch her stream and engage with her.
Cath added: "My community is absolutely fantastic. It really is constant chat and everybody being so friendly with each other. Many have found safety and emotional support in gaming and Cath's streams.
"Some people have bad days or health issues, and there's always someone there to help them," she noted.
Dealing with Toxicity on the Internet
Though Cath's Twitch experience has been broadly positive, the pains brought about by the negative sides of the same platform could not spare her.
For example, when she joined, she was quite shocked to discover just how toxic her streams were; although a group of moderators helped protect her streams, she has made a safe space as well for her viewers.
Motivating Older Gamers to Participate
Cath has a message to the older potential gamers: don't let your age stop you. According to Sky News, the gamer grandma told the aspiring gamers to just forget their age and enjoy playing.
Her advice is simple, but it's all powerful—age should never be a barrier to trying new things or, more importantly, embracing a fun hobby like gaming.
Is She the Oldest Living Gamer?
For sure, 76 years old is considered too old for a gamer. However, Cath is not the oldest gamer to date. Hamako Mori from Japan, 94, is the oldest gaming sensation. On her YouTube channel, she has 550,000 subscribers. Her recent videos feature Pokemon Violet, Resident Evil 4, and Shadows of Rose.
Partnering With Ikea
Cath is a huge influence on the gaming world. She just recently partnered with Ikea to collaborate on its Brannboll collection, a series of furniture sets for a gaming room.
Her collaboration with Ikea further affirms her position as a leading character in the gaming world because, at the end of the day, being young or old never matters when it comes to loving technology and building a brand.
