View source for Yanjaa

{{Short description|Swedish-Mongolian comedian and television personality}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Yanjaa
| image =
| alt =
| caption = Yanjaa in Chengdu, China 2015
| birth_place = [[Ulaanbaatar]], Mongolia
| alma_mater = [[Stockholm Business School]] {{small|(Bachelor of Economics)}}
| occupation = Comedian, television personality, [[Mnemonist|memory expert]]
| website = {{URL|yanjaa.com}}
}}
'''Yänjaa Westgate''', sometimes simply Yanjaa,<ref>{{Cite web |title=How to avoid losing your memory in the digital age {{!}} Memory {{!}} The Guardian |url=https://amp.theguardian.com/science/2018/nov/13/how-to-avoid-losing-your-memory-in-the-digital-age |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=amp.theguardian.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=5 Things I learned from Memory World Champion Yanjaa Westgate |url=https://jenshahade.substack.com/p/5-things-i-learned-from-memory-world |access-date=2024-11-19 |website=jenshahade.substack.com}}</ref> is a New York-based Swedish-Mongolian memory champion, [[Comedian|comedian]], and [[Television personality|television personality]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=What they're saying: Live arts in Brooklyn this week |url=http://brooklyneagle.com/articles/2024/08/13/what-theyre-saying-live-arts-in-brooklyn-this-week-aug-13/ |access-date=2024-11-19 |website=brooklyneagle.com}}</ref> She 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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=3253&artikel=6198685|title=Yanjaa är minnesvärldsmästare – Kossornas planet|last=Radio|first=Sveriges|newspaper=Sveriges Radio |date=August 14, 2015 |access-date=2017-04-18}}</ref>
== Early life and education ==
Born in [[Ulaanbaatar]], [[Mongolia]] with primarily [[Buryats|Indigenous Siberian Buryat]] descent, Yanjaa grew up across multiple cultures. Her international upbringing included time on the Mongolian steppe, [[Stockholm]], Tokyo, and [[Kenya]], where she attended the Swedish School of Nairobi.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/t5pwb/ama_african_living_in_africa_ask_me_anything_you/c4k3j3j/|title=AMA African living in Africa|website=reddit|access-date=2017-04-18}}</ref> She graduated from [[Stockholm Business School]] with a degree in [[Bachelor of Economics|Business and Economics]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://studentblogsusb.wordpress.com/bloggers/past-bloggers/yanjaa/|title=Yanjaa|date=September 6, 2013|work=The SBS Student Blog|access-date=2017-04-18|language=en-US}}</ref>
== Career ==
=== Memory championships ===
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.<ref>{{Citation|last=AE Mind Academy {{!}} Luis Angel|title=Yanjaa – Names and Faces World Record|date=December 18, 2016|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWEC6c-mtYs|access-date=2017-04-18}}</ref> Within her first year of memory training, she won team gold and first place in names and faces at the [[World Memory Championships]].<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=http://iam-stats.com/competition.php?id=WMC2017|title=World Memory Championships 2017 in Jakarta, Indonesia}}</ref> She achieved the title of [[Grand Master of Memory|International Grandmaster of Memory]], becoming one of only 22 people to hold this distinction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://iam-stats.com/master.php|title=Special Title|website=iam-stats.com|access-date=2017-04-18}}</ref> Her most notable achievements include breaking three world records: memorizing 212 names and faces in 15 minutes (2017), 360 random images in 5 minutes (2018), and 145 random words in 5 minutes (2018).<ref name=":6"/> Together with Mongolian teammate [[Munkhshur Narmandakh]], they became the first women in history to place at the world event, securing bronze and silver positions respectively out of over 130 contestants.<ref name=":6" /> In 2016, she was invited as one of the top 200 ''Leaders of Tomorrow'' at the [[St. Gallen Symposium|46th St. Gallen Symposium]] in [[St. Gallen]], [[Switzerland]] for her achievements in memory sports.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://issuu.com/st.gallensymposium/docs/st_gallen_symposium_magazine_46/70|title=St. Gallen Symposium Magazine 46|work=issuu|access-date=2017-04-18|language=en}}</ref>
=== Television and entertainment ===
Yanjaa gained mainstream attention in 2017 when she became the "[[IKEA]] Human Catalogue," memorizing the entire 328-page catalogue in one week. The campaign garnered international media attention with press conferences in Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore, won both the people's voice and jury's [[Webby Award]] for best social media campaign in 2018.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.webbyawards.com/winners/2018/advertising-media-pr/advertising-campaigns/social-media-campaigns/the-ikea-human-catalogue/|title=The IKEA Human Catalogue {{!}} The Webby Awards|access-date=2018-06-05|language=en-US}}</ref>
She has since appeared in several notable productions, including Netflix's ''[[The Mind, Explained]]'' (2019), a limited series narrated by [[Emma Stone]], and HBO's ''[[How to with John Wilson]]'' (2020).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.netflix.com/title/81105525|title=Memory Games {{!}} Netflix|website=www.netflix.com|language=en|access-date=2019-07-02}}</ref> Her documentary ''Memory Games'' (2018) premiered to a sold-out audience in New York before being acquired by Netflix.<ref>{{Citation|last=Corporate Relations And Communications|title=Transforming the mind – Training a new generation of 21st century leaders|date=October 19, 2016|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWP_x3EwKNk|access-date=2017-04-18}}</ref> Her expertise in memory training and language learning has been featured in [[Today (U.S. TV program)|Today]], [[The Guardian]], and [[Wired (magazine)|Wired]], among other international publications.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dn.se/nyheter/sverige/svensk-21-aring-satte-varldsrekord-i-minnestavling/|title=Svensk 21-åring satte världsrekord i minnestävling|work=DN.SE|access-date=2017-04-18|language=sv-se}}</ref>
In 2020, Yanjaa hosted "Minnet", a Spotify-exclusive podcast exploring memory techniques with celebrity guests. She later transitioned into comedy, performing at venues across North America and Europe and winning several comedy competitions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What they're saying: Live arts in Brooklyn this week |url=http://brooklyneagle.com/articles/2024/08/13/what-theyre-saying-live-arts-in-brooklyn-this-week-aug-13/|access-date=2024-11-19 |website=brooklyneagle.com}}</ref> In 2024, she joined ''IFS - invandrare för svenskar'' (IFS - Immigrants for Swedes), a prominent comedy panel show on Sweden's national broadcaster SVT.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web |title=IFS - invandrare för svenskar |url=https://www.svtplay.se/video/jn4Eopq/ifs-invandrare-for-svenskar/avsnitt-7 |access-date=2024-11-19 |website=svtplay.se}}</ref>
== Selected filmography ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
|-
|2024||''IFS - invandrare för svenskar''||Self - Comedian||SVT, TV Series, Panelist<ref name="auto1"/>
|-
|2023||''Superihmiset - piilotettua kykyä etsimässä''||Self - Memory Coach||YLE, TV Series<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |title=Yanjaa Wintersoul - IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9660690/ |access-date=2024-11-19 |website=imdb.com}}</ref>
|-
|2020||''[[How to with John Wilson]]''||Self||HBO, TV Series<ref name="auto"/>
|-
|2019||''[[The Mind, Explained]]''||Self - Memory Champion||Netflix, TV Series<ref name="auto"/>
|-
|2019||''Smartare än en femteklassare''||Self - Contestant||TV Series<ref name="auto"/>
|-
|2018||''Memory Games''||Self||Netflix documentary<ref name="auto"/>
|-
|2017–2018||''[[Pickler & Ben]]''||Self||TV Series, 3 episodes<ref name="auto"/>
|-
|2017–2018||''[[Steve (talk show)|Steve]]''||Self - Memory Expert||TV Series, 2 episodes<ref name="auto"/>
|-
|2017||''[[The Brain (game show)|The Brain]]''||Self - Contestant||Chinese TV Series<ref>{{Citation|last=最强大脑 第四季 2017|title=《最强大脑 第四季 》20170331 妍佳VS余奕沛：挑战项目基因密码 – 2017.03.31|date=April 2, 2017|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL5IsIyGhgM|access-date=2017-04-02}}</ref>
|-
|2017||''[[Talang Sverige|Talang]]''||Self - Golden Buzzer Recipient, Finalist||TV Series, 3 episodes<ref name="auto"/>
|-
|2016||''How to Remember Everything''||Self||ITV documentary<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.worldmemorychampionships.com/remember-everything-new-itv-film/|title=How to Remember Everything! New ITV film – The World Memory Championships|date=December 1, 2016|work=The World Memory Championships|access-date=2017-04-18|language=en-GB}}</ref>
|-
|2015||''Masterminds''||Self||SVT documentary<ref>{{Citation|last=Linus Lindahl|title=Masterminds (Sveriges bästa minnen)|date=October 18, 2015|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlApuSd1Xz4|access-date=2017-04-18}}</ref>
|}
== Records and achievements ==
* World Memory Championships: 18th overall (2014), 8th place (2015), 3rd overall (2017)
* National Championships: Bronze medal (2014), Silver medal (2015)
* Highest World Ranking: No. 7 (September 2018)
As of 2018, Yanjaa holds three world records in memory sports:
* 15-minute Names & Faces: 212 names (2017)
* 5-minute Random Images: 360 images (2018)
* 5-minute Random Words: 145 words (2018)
== See also ==
* [[List of Swedish comedians]]
* [[Memory sport]]
== References ==
{{reflist|2}}
== External links ==
* [http://yanjaa.com/ Official website]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Swedish comedians]]
[[Category:Swedish television personalities]]
[[Category:Mnemonists]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]