29/04/2026
May gives us ( debatably ) the greatest northern double billing in all of debate history. Sheffield on the 2nd of May ( this weekend! ) and Liverpool on the 9th of May 😳🤯 If you're interested in either of these comps, the deadlines are today, and the incredible Olivia Mackender will be playing a key part in both!
Being on the wrong side of her 20’s, Liv is what we in the circuit lovingly call a dino - a mythical creature who has quite literally seen it all, judged it all, and somehow managed to keep her vibes completely intact. She has an insane capability of someone who could chair an outround on two hours of sleep and still be able to show up for the social afterwards. With almost eighty judge breaks (yes, eight-zero - singlehandedly carrying the Northern circuit (well until at least until I learn how to extend), Liv’s judging credentials stretch across the continent. She’s broken to judge the Open Quarterfinals of Glasgow and Copenhagen EUDCs, along with multiple Glasgow Ancients, an LSE Open and an Oxford IV. She even somehow managed to obtain the prestigious bronze final chair of Sheffield Novices 2023 (knocking her out-round chairs at tournaments such as Vienna Pre-EUDC, Uhuru Worlds and Nijmegen Open out of the waters). Of course, those who mutter that she’s a “career judge” clearly haven’t been paying attention. Liv is also a formidable speaker. She’s broken tournaments including Princeton IV, Copenhagen Open and Inner Temple IV, and picked up multiple wins, including at her very last minute trip to Porto Open; living proof that she’s as brilliant at convincing judges whilst being both on and off the panel. Luckily I have been graced with having Liv be the other co-convener for Liverpool competitions this year. Rumor has it she’s actually at her most productive while at her actual day job, showing that true multitasking isn’t about time management, it’s about commitment to the bit. If there’s an extensive email or a spreadsheet fixed in record time, odds are she did it somewhere between whatever people with jobs do. Outside the debate bubble, Liv brings the same strategic energy to her other great passion of board games. From absolutely making me nearly lose it in Magic Maze to potentially killing me in Deep Sea Adventure for taking every token I could and killing everyone. Liv definitely has the crazy ability to make any board game 10x more fun. When she turns her attention to CAing, Liv’s taste is, of course, immaculate. Her work on tournaments including Rotterdam Pre-EUDC, Aberdeen Open, and the GLORIOUS Lancaster Schools has shown her ability to blend difficulty, intenseness and just the right dose of chaos to keep things lively. She’s the kind of CA who makes you both want to work harder and have more fun doing it. So overall, she is the perfect CA for Sheffield Pro-Am and I can't wait to see the motions she's got in store!!!
- bio by Callum Smith
