Some of you may know my story about how I almost died on the football field when I was in high school after breaking my C4, 5 and 6 vertebrae.

While all those aspects of life have given me a platform for who I am today, it’s not my full story.

It’s pretty crazy how the whole season worked out and hoisting the Stanley Cup was a dream come true. To win a Cup for a city that's never won was pretty special.

The FIVB World Continental Cup in 2016 was the most pressure-filled event that Grant O’Gorman and I had played together. After playing on the FIVB tour week-after-week, this one was different. It was a black and white finish. Win — and qualify a second Canadian team (Chaim Schalk and Ben Saxton were already in) for Rio. Lose — and the dream is over.

The success of Letterkenny is lightning in a bottle, a perfect storm of friends making phenomenal content, the chemistry you see on screen is real.

“If what you did yesterday still seems big, then you haven’t done much today.”

Games like this against the mega's of world rugby is what we play for. It is during these games where I can compare myself to the best and learn from their decisions, but of course with the ultimate intention of beating them.

I experienced what would be the first feeling of many; I felt like I didn’t belong. I felt uncomfortable with everyone joyfully chanting the name “Clan.”

Every journey is bound to face some challenges and we must understand biases are everywhere.

While Canada is not perfect, I’m certain that had I been raised as a Black boy in America, my life would have been quite different.

I wasn’t dreading retirement. Like I said, football was my job. At my age, if it isn’t paying you back anymore, you get another job.

I’ve felt as though I had to surpass expectations in my sport and classroom to consistently make sure that no doubt could be placed upon me when it came to my coaches and playing time.

There will always be a chip on my shoulder no matter what stage of life I’m in.