Yanjaa Westgate, sometimes simply Yanjaa, is a New York-based Swedish-Mongolian memory champion, comedian, and television personality.
10 Facts About Yanjaa
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Yanjaa first gained international recognition for her achievements in memory sports before expanding into entertainment, appearing on numerous television shows, documentaries and performing stand-up and sketch comedy.
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Yanjaa's international upbringing included time on the Mongolian steppe, Stockholm, Tokyo, and Kenya, where she attended the Swedish School of Nairobi.
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Yanjaa graduated from Stockholm Business School with a degree in Business and Economics.
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Yanjaa was originally inspired to compete after reading Moonwalking with Einstein by American author Joshua Foer, having discovered memory techniques while struggling with her university studies.
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Yanjaa achieved the title of International Grandmaster of Memory, becoming one of only 22 people to hold this distinction.
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Yanjaa gained mainstream attention in 2017 when she became the "IKEA Human Catalogue," memorizing the entire 328-page catalogue in one week.
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Yanjaa has since appeared in several notable productions, including Netflix's The Mind, Explained, a limited series narrated by Emma Stone, and HBO's How to with John Wilson.
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In 2020, Yanjaa hosted "Minnet", a Spotify-exclusive podcast exploring memory techniques with celebrity guests.
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Yanjaa later transitioned into comedy, performing at venues across North America and Europe and winning several comedy competitions.