Today I'm chatting with Joey Payeur, the sports reporter who covered my high school rugby team in Fort Saskatchewan 25 years ago, and a friend I'm so grateful to have back in my life.

Joey's story starts before he was even born: a great-grandfather found as a baby on the side of a road in Belgium, and a dad who arrived in Canada with $300 and met Joey's mom at Expo 67 while running a carnival ride. From there, Joey takes us through growing up on a farm near New Sarepta, skipping ahead in school and being the youngest, easiest target in the room, and the college years where he finally found his people and almost lost his footing. He shares the mentor who stood in his corner when it counted, the years of moving across the country for newspaper jobs, and the school tour that pointed him toward teaching.

Joey also opens up about the hard moments and the lessons that came with them. He gets candid about how alcohol gripped his life and the difficult lessons that came from that. He also shares what's bringing him joy right now, plus an important final reminder for all of us.

Content note: This episode includes discussion of suicidal thoughts, impaired driving and a serious car accident. If you're struggling, you can call or text 988 anytime in Canada.

Connect with Joey:
Instagram: @jp9997
X/Twitter: @jrpayeur

Connect with Darrel-Lynne:
Instagram: @dee_ogsoul
Website: ogsoul.ca