At the age of 16, when I was excluded from the field hockey team to which I thought I was predestined to belong, my world collapsed.

This failure, coupled with the personal challenges I had faced, fuelled my poor academic results and profoundly shook my self-confidence.

Faced with my dismay, my parents had the brilliant idea of giving me the book “Les Secrets de la réussite des champions”, written by the famous field hockey coach François Allaire. Intrigued by the author, I decided to give the first few pages a try.

This book changed my life.

In just a few pages, I realized that my attitude was at the root of many of my problems. I also learned, in just a few lines, some good news and some bad news. The good news was that I had the potential to be a leader. The bad news was that I needed to change my way of thinking and approach things more positively.

I had been so limited by the school system, which reminded me every day of my challenges and limitations, making me believe that I would achieve nothing in my life. This experience, coupled with challenges I wasn’t sure how to handle at the time, had left me with a sense of injustice towards the system, authority and people who made fun of me.

But this book was a turning point. It opened my eyes to the power of my own attitude and my perception of the world around me. I realized that I could choose to be the hero of my own story, to face challenges with determination and turn my obstacles into opportunities.

Since then, I’ve committed myself to cultivating a positive mindset and persevering with passion and resilience. I discovered that success depended not only on my innate abilities, but above all on my willingness to grow, learn, help others and challenge myself along the way.

This book had just given me food for thought and the tools to undertake new actions, develop myself more fully and, who knows, maybe help me realize bold dreams. One thing was certain: this book had planted the seed within me that one of the keys to success lies in the way we perceive and react to the challenges we face.

Later that year, while I was staying with a host family (because when you play field hockey, you sometimes have to leave home), a sentence written by the lady I was staying with was to change the course of my life.

In my high school yearbook, you know, those photo books in which our friends and teachers write us lovely words, Anne-Marie wrote: “Martin, you have a real gift for words and speech, but you’ll only use this gift to the full when you stop hurting others with those same words and speech.” That hurt! That second angel was right.

I’d built a shell around myself and too often used words to hurt and belittle others. I wasn’t proud of it and it was my responsibility to change things… but how?

This reflection was another starting point for my transformation. I realized that words have the power to heal or hurt, and I decided to make a conscious choice. I embarked on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth to try and develop my ability to communicate with compassion, respect and kindness.

It wasn’t easy, but I learned to choose my words carefully, to listen actively to others, to express my thoughts constructively and to encourage rather than discourage. Little by little, I began to cultivate a way of speaking that inspired, supported and uplifted others.

And so, thanks to the awareness this lady had offered me and my determination to change, I discovered the true power of kind words. Even though it was far from perfect, this new posture became my tool for trying to create authentic connections, for encouraging others to flourish more, and for making a positive difference in people’s lives.

Two defining moments followed, forever transforming my destiny.

First, in my final year of university field hockey, I had the incredible opportunity to represent Canada at the Universiades as captain of the national team, selected with honor by coach Trevor Stienburg.

This nomination was a real catalyst for my self-confidence.

It was tangible validation that my leadership was being recognized, and proof that when you invest in yourself, you can transform yourself and achieve great things.

My participation in this competition is of particular importance in the story that follows, because it was during this field hockey championship that a key event took place: the ultimate meeting.

When I arrived in Poland for the World Hockey Championship, I already had my plan in mind. I knew that this competition would mark the end of my field hockey career, and then I would devote myself fully to my plan, to my dream.

However, a crucial moment during the tournament turned my life upside down and taught me that life had another purpose for me.

In the middle of a routine game, at center ice, a violent body check applied to an opposing player resulted in a collision with his skate blade, directly on my neck.

Within seconds, my jersey was soaked in blood and I could barely make out the Canada logo.

I didn’t know the severity of the cut at the time, but I did know that the neck was not the ideal place to be hit by a skate blade. Fortunately, the damage was less than I had feared, but it came down to a few millimetres.

This incident had a profound impact on me and my choice of mission.

I felt as if life was giving me a second chance, telling me: “Go for it, my friend… pursue your wildest dreams, you’ve only got one life to live.”

Returning from Poland with a silver medal around my neck, I went back to my two mentors to tell them that the original plan had changed. I no longer needed several years to work, because the time to start pursuing my dream was NOW.