OPINION | Joy Drop: Balancing worship and sport during Ramadan | CBC Sports

But last year, I successfully grew a gorgeous basil plant (my 17th attempt) and she was an emerald goddess. We enjoyed fresh pesto (please roast the pine nuts!) and some amazing desserts — including my all-time favourite dessert recipe for Catalan chocolate, and olive oil cream with strawberry, raspberry and basil salad. I may be getting ahead of myself seeing as I am still wearing my Manotibah Mukluks inside. But the extra hour and glimpses of spring make me hopeful and happy.

The season calls for gardening blogs and for good news from successful growers — including this dad in the U.K. who harvested 1,269 cherry tomatoes from a single stem. That’s a lot of precious little red gems but Douglas Smith, an IT worker, wants to break more records. He spends hours a week tending to his plants. I love cherry tomatoes. And I appreciate the motivation. 

Motivation is what pushes people during the month of Ramadan and I thought I might share some information about Muslim athletes who are fasting and how they manage. Earlier this week we saw a video of Kyrie Irving go viral. He was breaking his fast during a game.

Different sports clubs, teams and companies recognize Ramadan and advocate for their athletes. I have written on athletes and how they balance worship and athletic competition during this holy month. 

This cool spot from Under Armour in the U.K. shows how teams and athletes can support a Muslim teammate. I love all of it.

Another thing I love is young athletes with barriers to crash or swim through. Josh Liendo is the first Black Canadian swimmer to earn an international medal when he won two bronze and a gold at the short-course championships in December. The 19-year-old from Markham, Ont., was part of Canada’s Olympic team in Tokyo that placed fourth in the 4x100m freestyle relay (they just missed the bronze medal)  and also swam the butterfly leg of the 4×100 medley relay.

Of his career with Canadian men’s swimming Liendo said: “We’re coming. We’re coming and working on it. And there’s momentum.”

That momentum tracks in the ways in which he is intentional about inspiring more young Black swimmers and drawing new ones to the sport. For that, he is already a champion. 

Speaking of champions, goalkeeper Steph Labbé, otherwise known as the Minister of Defence, will play her final minutes this Friday at the next stop of the women’s national team’s Celebration Tour against Nigeria. 

Labbé has been with the national program for 20 years and wrote a very touching essay about what this moment means to her, and what soccer has given her as she gave everything to this sport. When she announced her retirement in January, she gave a beautiful history of her relationship with sport. She spoke about the pillars of “curiosity and connections” that kept her in the game. She speaks so passionately about her teammates and her friends.

At times tearful, Labbé spoke about the self-doubt, mental-health struggles and also the laughter and joy the game gave her. I can’t help but remember Labbé jumping and protecting the Canadian net from their Swedish opponents at the Tokyo Olympics with a cheeky grin. She is so proud to be a champion but also is proud of herself. This is an extraordinary message about self-love, hard work and connections. If you’ll excuse me, I will be sobbing into my hijab. 

Here is a reel of her prepping  for her last training session. Have a wonderful weekend, friends!