Sometimes the moments that change your life don’t look dramatic at the time.
They look like a simple invitation.
One day, my friend Johan’s mom said to me, “Why don’t you come spend the weekend with us?”
I thought, sure. After school on Friday I would jump on Johan’s bus and ride it to his house.
What I didn’t realize was that bus ride would completely expand the way I saw the world.
Seeing a Different World
As the bus drove through town, I watched kids getting dropped off at their homes.
House after house.
Big yards. Beautiful houses.
I remember thinking to myself, I didn’t know houses like that even existed.
Eventually we arrived at Johan’s house.
I stepped off the bus, walked down the driveway, and stopped.
I looked around and thought:
Oh my goodness.
To me, it felt like a mansion.
Inside, everything felt different. The house smelled different. Every family member had their own room. There was a walkout basement overlooking a lake.
To many people, it was probably just a normal home.
But to me, in that moment, it represented something powerful.
Possibility.
My mind started expanding. I began to believe that maybe life could look different than the one I had always known.
The Role Model I Had Never Seen Before
That night Johan and I played Mario Kart until way too late.
The next morning something unexpected happened.
We were woken up early because Johan’s dad was working out in the basement.
It was around six in the morning, and I remember thinking, what is this guy doing?
He finished his workout and then went for a run around the lake.
Later that day he was reading textbooks.
Later still, he was spending time with his family—taking care of his wife and children.
I had never witnessed a male role model living with that kind of discipline, focus, and balance before.
And in that moment, I told myself something I would carry for years:
Whatever I decide to do with my life, I want to be driven like Johan’s dad.
Later I found out his name was also Johan—so it got confusing sometimes talking to both of them.
But Johan Senior became a role model to me.
Two Years of Opportunity
For the next two years, Johan’s family did something incredible.
They drove me to soccer practices and games.
They empowered me through the love of sport.
They opened their home to me on weekends.
And those experiences kept expanding my belief in what life could look like.
Sport became more than just a game.
It became a pathway.
The Moment Everything Changed
Then one day, right before Grade 7, Johan told me something difficult.
His family was moving away.
Back then there were no phones, no social media, no easy way to stay connected. When someone moved, it often meant you might never see them again.
I was devastated.
But right before they left, something incredible happened.
Johan’s parents met my mom.
Her name is Inas.
They saw the determination of a single mother doing everything she could to help her children succeed.
They saw something special in her.
A Gift That Changed My Future
Before they moved, they called my mom over and said:
“Inas, we know we’ve been giving Kendal rides to sports. We know your kids don’t have a vehicle to get to these activities.”
Then they handed her a set of car keys.
They told her the vehicle parked outside was hers.
That act of kindness changed everything.
That vehicle allowed me to continue playing sports.
It allowed me to stay involved in positive activities.
It kept me away from negative influences that could have easily pulled me in another direction.
I’m a big believer in keeping kids busy.
To this day, my own children—now 14 and 11—have packed schedules. Sometimes they complain about it, but I know how powerful those opportunities can be.
The Ripple Effect of One Act of Kindness
Because I was able to stay involved in sports, I graduated high school.
Then I went on to college in Alberta, where I played volleyball for two years.
Later I returned to Saskatoon and earned two degrees at the University of Saskatchewan.
During that time, I met the woman who would become my wife.
We were living in a small one-bedroom apartment when our son was born.
And it was during that chapter of my life that an idea came to me.
Paying It Forward
I wanted to create something that would help young people the way Johan and his family helped me.
That idea became a brand.
A brand built on giving back to youth.
Because one family’s kindness had created a ripple effect that shaped the course of my life.
And I wanted that ripple to continue.
Final Thought
Sometimes the smallest acts of generosity have the greatest impact.
An invitation to spend the weekend.
A ride to soccer practice.
A set of car keys handed to a struggling family.
You never know how far those moments will travel.
For me, they changed my life.
And they continue to shape the work I do today.
hiy hiy
