Ronny is flipping the script

A Pathways Ottawa alum reflects on challenging stereotypes, pursuing his passion for sports, and helping young people tap into their potential. 

 

Ronny understands the power of storytelling. Growing up in community housing in Ottawa’s west end, he saw how the stories people tell about a neighbourhood can shape—and often limit—what young people believe is possible for their future. He also learned that with the right support, they can begin to imagine a different path. 

In his first book, Not Yet: A Memoir of Redemption, Sports, and Chasing Dreams, Ronny writes about overcoming adversity and building a life rooted in purpose. Today, he is a sports professional with experience working with the Toronto Raptors, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, and Sport Canada on the 2026 FIFA file. He is also the founder of Skyline Sports Global and a high-performance culture coach and speaker, working with schools and youth across Canada to help young people build confidence, leadership, and direction for life beyond sport. His mission is to help young people realize that their stories, backgrounds, or differences are not limitations but their greatest strengths. 

We sat down with Ronny to hear about his journey and why he’s committed to helping young people take charge of their own stories.  

 

What part of your career are you most proud of? 

I always dreamed of working in sports, and I absolutely love it. But to be honest, what I enjoy most right now is going into schools and speaking to young people, because I’ve been in their shoes. I know how much I needed help at that age, how much I needed role models. Growing up, I didn’t see anyone who looked like me in successful positions.  

Now, I try to show students that success comes in different forms. I wear earrings, I have cornrows. When students see me, it’s a sign to them that, even though I’ve worked in professional sports environments, I’m still myself.  

Honestly, if I’m speaking to 300 students, and just one of them comes up to me afterwards and says, “Hey, your story inspired me,” then I feel like I’m fulfilling my purpose. 

 

When did you realize you could have a career in the sports industry? 

Growing up, I didn’t know what I wanted to do in the future, but I knew I wanted to work in sports. Then on my 12th birthday, I broke my knee. I knew then that I couldn’t be an athlete, but I still wanted to be part of that world. 

My Pathways mentor, Alexandra (Xan), connected me with someone who worked for the Ottawa Senators and encouraged me to reach out. I did, and he took the time to answer every question I had! 

A lot of young people think that if they don’t become professional athletes, that’s the end of it. But the sports world is huge. It’s not just the players—it’s coaches, managers, agents, marketing teams, broadcasters, physiotherapists.  

Pathways helped me see those possibilities. They gave me that early exposure and made it feel like working in sports wasn’t out of reach. 

 

Let’s rewind a bit. Tell me about where you grew up in Ottawa. What was your community like? 

It was every word possible. It was wonderful, it was special, it was crazy, it was sad, it was scary… all of that in one. 

When you’re young, you don’t think you live in a bad neighbourhood. We were kids. We had fun. But then once you hit 14 or 15, you start chilling in the neighborhood, and chances are you that you just get involved with bad stuff. 

There were gangs around, but because I had older brothers, I didn’t need validation from those older guys, whereas I noticed that for my friends who didn’t have older brothers, they would look for that validation. 

 

Did you ever feel pressure to get involved in what was happening around you? 

I was about 16. I remember it like it was yesterday. We were all in a group and one of my friends came up and said, “Alright guys, it’s time. Our name is established. People know us. People respect us.”  

He was already selling drugs and wanted to put me and the rest of my friends on. In that moment, I knew I had to make a choice: Was I going to go that route or not? 

I thought about my mom, about all the work she put in for me, all the sacrifices she made. My mom was Superwoman. We never missed a meal, I never lacked clothes, and I always had what I needed.   

So, I told my friends, “No, I’m not going to do it.” 

They respected my decision. They didn’t make fun of me. They were just like, “Alright bro, you go do your thing.” 

 

What was school like for you at that time?  

We were so used to being judged in school. Teachers just assumed we were all going to be gang members. I remember, in my first week of Grade 7, I was pulled out of my class and put into a smaller class with four or five other students. They told me it was because I “learned too slowly.” I carried that with me for a long time. 

So, when I started Pathways in Grade 9, I didn’t really take it seriously for the first two years. We didn’t trust that the staff had our best interests at heart. I was just there to chill with my friends and crack jokes and mark myself as present.  

But the staff just didn’t quit. They wanted us to see our potential. At a certain point, I realized Pathways was giving us everything we needed—bus tickets, homework support. At school, we were always looked down upon and told we were bad kids, but at Pathways, they were saying, “We really believe in you guys.”  

 

How did Pathways help you take steps toward your goals? 

The biggest thing Pathways did for me was in Grade 11. I had told my school guidance counsellor I wanted to go to university, because I knew that you needed a higher level of education to work in sports. She said, “It’s impossible for you to go to university.” I was like, “Impossible?” 

Luckily, I had great support, so I didn’t have to take her words at face value.  

Pathways told me about the Enrichment Support Program at Carleton University. This was a program where you could apply without the usual number of academic credits. My school hadn’t told me about that option. They just said, “No, you’re not going to university.” Pathways even took me to Carleton for an open house. For the first time, I felt like I could actually make it. 

So, I started showing up at Pathways regularly. I did my homework, asked my mentors to look over my assignments. And then my grades started getting better. 

At my high school graduation, when they announced the award for Best Progress, they called my name! I felt like I’d flipped the script from being labelled the dumb kid in class, to now, getting into university. When I graduated from the Pathways Program, I also received the Rising Star Award.  

 

What does Pathways mean to you? 

I feel like Pathways is like the bridge from who you are to who you could be. They really help you see your potential. And that’s huge, because the majority of young people at Pathways don’t come from privilege. It’s easy to feel that we’re not like other people.  

I always tell this to students: everybody has their superpower. You just have to find yours. And I think Pathways really helps you understand your superpower. Even if you come from a difficult background or a “bad” neighbourhood, that could be a blessing in a way, too. Because it can teach you resilience. It can teach you the importance of looking out for other people. It can teach you so many different life skills.  

So, for me, Pathways is hope. It’s love, it’s community, it’s understanding. It’s somebody holding your hand as you’re navigating high school to get to the other side. It’s just a wonderful place where you can grow. Where you don’t feel judged, you feel supported, and you can embrace who you are and where you’re from. 

 

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Not Yet: A Memoir of Redemption, Sports, and Chasing Dreams by Ronny Musikitele is available here.