Frank Meets Youppi !

Obese Recovery: Reason # 132 to Lose Weight: To Meet Youppi ! 

October 8, 2023. I did something today that has been on my bucket list since I was a kid, and was one of my reasons to get health and lose weight. I met Youppi the Mascot (Montreal Canadiens Hockey Team, formerly Montreal Expos Baseball Team).

I took my kid to a Sports Hobby Expo, and Youppi was there. At one point I approached Youppi and respectfully asked if we could take a photo together...Youppi being Youppi was playfully pretending not to understand I wanted a photo with him. So we eventually took the photo.

Then I told Youppi that I have been wanting to meet him for years and years and a bit of my story of how meeting him was one of the reasons I lost 200 lbs (showed him my before and after pic). Then Youppi did something unexpected.

Youppi signed a Youppi Baseball Card for me and gave it to me for free. I was really happy and surprised... those things sell for a lot of money. I hope to let my grandchildren inherit that card one day.

Another bucket list item ticked off.

​One of my future goals is to sing the national anthem at a Hockey game with a Barbershop Group (my own that I will create one day, or one of the groups I sing with now). When I do, I hope to stand with Youppi again. One day at a time...that is what I am working towards.

What makes this so significant for me, is that I rarely went to baseball games as a kid and young adults. When I would attend, I would always want to meet Youppi, but unless he came up to me in the area I was sitting at, I would not be able too.

I was too unhealthy to go up and down stairs and walk to find him.

Eventually, The Montreal Expos Baseball team was no more and I thought my chances of ever meeting Youppi was over. 

As an adult I would then see Youppi became the mascot of the Montreal Canadiens Hockey team.  However, my health had gotten worse, so same thing would happen. If I happen to attend a hockey game (very rarely get the chance), I would have to hope to be lucky enough that he would come to me...it never happened. 

I always wanted to meet him and get a photo with him. 

It was one of the reasons on my list to get health.

Now I did it. 

Thank you Youppi! 

I hope to sing the anthem on the ice one day, with you standing with us.