The power of faith and personal transformation took centre stage Saturday morning at the Metropolitan Entertainment Centre in downtown Winnipeg, as hundreds gathered for the annual Athletes in Action Grey Cup Breakfast.
Held each year in the host city the morning before the Grey Cup, the breakfast capped off a week of service and outreach led by CFL athletes and ministry leaders.
Guests lined up early to get their photo taken with the Grey Cup and then settled in to hear emotional and unfiltered testimonies from current and former football players who say their lives were changed by God.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive back Evan Holm took the stage with his wife Erica and their eight-month-old daughter. The young couple shared their journey from high school sweethearts, to a long-distance relationship marked by pain and personal failures, to what they described as a complete spiritual transformation.
They spoke honestly about a time in college when they were unfaithful to one another and felt far from the values they had once held. That changed, they said, when they attended a campus ministry event. Without discussing it beforehand, both felt compelled to respond to a call to follow Jesus.
“We realized we were living in sin, and we weren’t living according to God’s plan,” Erica shared, holding their baby as she spoke to the crowd. The couple shared how their decision to follow Jesus has brought them closer together, and since getting married, how they work hard to ensure that even in the pressure of a football season’s schedule, they stay grounded and connected.
She also described the difficulty of going through pregnancy while the couple lived apart, and the challenges of adjusting to life in a new city with a newborn in tow.
A young attendee was one of the winner’s of several autographed footballs during the event. (Mike Thom/PNN)
Also speaking at the event was B.C. Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke, who reflected on how his Christian faith has helped him handle the intense pressure and public scrutiny that comes with professional football.
The morning continued with a raw and emotional testimony from Winnipeg native and former B.C. Lion Chris Boyko.
Now a pastor, Boyko recounted a turbulent childhood in the North End, where his father abandoned the family at a young age and his mother battled addictions. He described growing up in biker clubhouses and surviving abuse and trauma.
It wasn’t until his time with the Lions that he encountered chaplain Dave Klassen and teammates who shared their faith. That, he said, marked a turning point.
Winnipeg native, former BC Lion, and now pastor, Chris Boyko shares how Jesus turned around his life after a traumatic childhood. He was one of many powerful testimonies at the Atheletes in Action Grey Cup Breakfast. #testimony #jesus
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Several commit their lives to Christ in alter call
The event was co-hosted by former CFL player DeQuin Evans, who also shared his story of growing up without a father, surrounded by gangs, and facing frequent trouble with the law.
He spoke candidly about what he called the biggest mistake of his career, when he used performance-enhancing drugs while trying to recover from an injury during his time in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals. That decision led to an eight-game suspension and significant financial and personal fallout, much of it captured on national television as HBO’s Hard Knocks followed the team that season.
He shared how when he surrendered his life to Christ, he truly began to find healing in his life. Evans ended the breakfast with a passionate altar call. Dozens could be heard responding with prayer and committing their lives to Christ.
Lorne Korol, chaplain for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, said the morning event was the culmination of an extraordinary week of service. CFL players visited prisons and youth detention centres, served at shelters, and hosted an evening for single mothers.
“It’s amazing to see players grow spiritually even in just a few days as they pour into the lives of others,” Korol said.
As Winnipeg hosts fans and festivities ahead of Sunday’s championship game, the Grey Cup Breakfast provided a different kind of celebration, one rooted in redemption, hope, and lives changed by faith.