Robert Gagno (born September 9, 1988) is a Canadian pinball player. Diagnosed with Autism at the age of three, he won the world pinball championship at the age of 27.[1]
Robert Gagno | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1988 (age 35–36) |
| Occupation | Pinball player |
| Years active | 2008-present |
| Notable work | Winner of World Pinball Championship in 2016 |
Early life
editGagno was born in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1988. His mother, Kathy, was once a top female player in Canada. He was diagnosed with autism when he was three.[2][3]
Career
editGagno began showing interest in pinball at the age of five. When he was ten, he started playing on a pinball machine, Whirlwind. At the age of 19, he contested his first tournament in Toronto. In 2011, his father, Maurizio, took him to Pittsburgh to participate in the world's largest pinball competition where he succeeded to stand among the four finalists. Later, he made it into the top ten in the IFPA's ranking and after winning the U.S. National Pinball Championship in 2015, he moved into the top five. He made an entry in the Professional and Amateur Pinball Association (PAPA) World Pinball Championship in Pennsylvania in 2016 and won the trophy.[2][4][1][5]
Personal life
editApart from pinball, Gagno works in a bank office and takes a computer programming class in the evening.[2] In 2016, two film directors Nathan Drillot and Jeff Petry featured him in their documentary, Wizard Mode, which was premiered at Toronto’s Hot Docs Festival.[6][7][8][9]
References
edit- ^ a b Yeung, Lien (April 17, 2016). "B.C.'s Robert Gagno wins world pinball championship". CBC News.
- ^ a b c Bates, Claire (30 May 2017). "How an autistic child became world pinball champion". BBC.
- ^ Köhler, Nicholas (May 1, 2016). "The passions and possibilities of autism". Maclean's.
- ^ Koentges, Chris (November 13, 2016). "The Charmer". ESPN Magazine.
- ^ McIntyre, Gordon (April 20, 2016). "Burnaby's Robert Gagno is the best pinball player in the world". Vancouver Sun.
- ^ "Wizard Mode Filmmakers on Why They Went the Digital Distribution Route". Filmmaker Magazine. October 21, 2016.
- ^ "Pinball Player Overcomes Autism Stigma in 'Wizard Mode' Documentary". Indiewire. October 6, 2015.
- ^ Burt, Preston (August 19, 2015). "Autism No Match For Canada's Top Pinballer in 'Wizard Mode' Documentary". GeekDad.
- ^ Collis, Clark (October 18, 2016). "Wizard Mode documentary: A boy with autism discovers pinball in exclusive clip". Entertainment Weekly.