The United Nations Tells the Story of the Xhekaj Family

Sports aren't just about wins and losses.

Sports are often about inspiring stories. This is true for pros as well as for young people just starting out in a sport. It's true for boys as well as for girls. And it's true for individual sports as well as team sports.

The next time you're endlessly scrolling through your Netflix menu, look for the movie Les Nageuses and give it a watch. You'll thank me for it.

Yesterday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Canada—also known as the UN Refugee Agency in Canada—shared the story of the Xhekaj brothers.

 

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Through a short comic strip, UNHCR Canada told the story of how Jack Xhekaj, the father of Arber and Florian, fled Kosovo during the war in search of peace and safety. He had only a small suitcase, about the size of a carry-on bag, when he arrived in Canada.

He had to rely on the Salvation Army for a while before finding a job at an auto plant. He then met Simona, who became his wife, and they built a family.

Jack has always been committed to helping others, quickly becoming an interpreter for people arriving from Kosovo who knew neither English nor French.

They drove for miles, slept in the car, and invested every penny they had to enable their two sons to dream of the NHL and their two daughters to carve out lives of their own choosing.

Arber and Florian became professional hockey players, and the two sisters became a firefighter and a hairstylist, respectively.

Without Jack's courage and resilience—and Canada's welcoming arms—the Xhekaj family's story simply wouldn't exist. Sometimes, we need to take a moment to remember these beautiful stories.

And we can also say: Don't trade Arber, Kent! We love him in Montreal!