Dr. John Byl, professor emeritus of physical education, chooses life each and every day. While speaking at conferences, writing and spending time with his wife and family, he takes no heartbeat for granted.

In 1986, Byl joined Redeemer University as its first physical education professor. He shaped the department’s early history and served in this role for 27 years, retiring in 2014. He also taught physical education to teacher candidates in the department of education. Byl was highly involved in Redeemer athletics, coaching men’s volleyball for 10 years, women’s volleyball for one year and badminton for one year. Catherine Byl, John’s wife, also worked at Redeemer for 16 years in the department of education. Annually, they provide a monetary award to an education student through the Catherine and John Byl Education Award. All four of their children graduated from Redeemer, and one of their grandsons is a current student.

From 2003 onward, Byl faced unexpected hardship. One of Byl’s regular bicycle rides was interrupted by a drunk driver. This collision led to a long road of recovery, including memory loss, headaches and clinical depression. One of the ways he rediscovered joy was through running, from half marathons to full marathons, and once, even a 50-kilometre run. 17 years later, while filming a video with students on campus, Byl collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. He was then diagnosed with an aggressive stage IV cancer, learning shortly after that about half of those who have this type of cancer do not survive past four years. Five years later, he spends his days continuing to pursue his lifelong passion: helping children live healthy and active lives.

An Esteemed Educator

The world’s largest sport and fitness publishing company, Human Kinetics, recently featured Byl in their series highlighting notable Canadian contributors to the study of human kinetics. The feature recognizes that Byl is a “leading figure in Canadian physical education,” noting that he has authored six books and co-authored five more with Human Kinetics—four of these with subsequent editions—that have sold 110,000 copies worldwide. Some of these publications were translated into Chinese, German, Spanish and French. In total, he has published over 30 books and numerous articles that can be roughly sorted into three major topic areas: children’s physical and emotional well-being, sports management and organization, and the Christian philosophy of athletics and physical education. His current online presence also receives about 100,000 views per month by educators. “One of my big emphases is providing resources that help teachers help their students,” says Byl.

One of my big emphases is providing resources that help teachers help their students.

Byl’s path through higher education was atypical: he enrolled in a college program for recreational leadership, finished his degree at a university, attended teacher’s college, taught high school, earned a master’s degree and completed his PhD in 1992 while teaching at Redeemer. As part of his dissertation, he archived more than 17,000 materials from Margaret Eaton School, a women’s post-secondary institution in Toronto that focused on physical education. These materials are preserved in Redeemer’s Peter Turkstra Library.

His leadership and advocacy have been recognized by a number of influential organizations, resulting in honors such as a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, induction into the City of Hamilton’s Sports Hero Banner series, the 2004 Ontario Volunteer Service Award, induction into Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Hall of Fame and three awards from the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sport Studies (CSKLS). He also served as President of the Canadian Intramural Recreation Association (CIRA) of Ontario from 2003 to 2018.

The Power of Play

For Byl, play is the most transformative when it has a clear purpose, in particular, developing positive values, healthy relationships and physical literacy, such as learning to jump, gallop and run. He believes there is great benefit when children “just get lost in the joy of the experience.”

“When I’m doing active workshops, participants are just laughing and running and sweating and, you know, they don’t remember any problems. So, for a little period of time, they get to experience joy and emotional well-being.”

I try to make a positive difference in the world, and that’s why I keep writing and leading workshops, and maybe people see Christ in me as I see Christ in them.

On competition, he shares that “[t]o compete is to try and outdo someone,” and when done in a positive way, can act as a form of encouragement that helps people be smart, deliberate and focused—putting forward their best.

“Sometimes people will say we should make athletics more Christian by making it more playful. However, I think that’s a flawed argument because I think the structure of athletics, highly focused on winning, can be done in a godly way and in an ungodly way.”

Moving Forward

As the years have passed, Byl has come to treasure the strong bonds he’s developed with former Redeemer students. He’s attended their weddings, been a guest in their homes and even accompanied them to their own children’s sports games—forming true friendships.

“When I began my cancer journey in 2020, about a year in when it wasn’t looking good, [former members of the men’s volleyball team] organized a lunch and about a dozen guys came out and just shared stories. They’re super precious to me, and I feel precious to them.”

Reflecting on his difficult health journey, he shares that Psalm 88 has felt increasingly relatable, especially when the Psalmist writes, “Darkness is my closest friend” (Psalm 88:18b). Yet, he has found hope, “especially through the wonderful community of friends and others, a family who are God’s hands and feet,” shares Byl. “But even in the darkest times, I always felt God walking with me,” he says.

Byl continues to present at more than two dozen conferences a year, mostly across Canada, and keeps a blog on his health journey. He also acts as the Canadian Gopher Sport educational consultant and an Omnikin educational consultant. In addition, Byl is in the midst of writing a new book on how physical activity brings healing to significant emotional and physical trauma, sharing research and personal experience.

For Byl, choosing life means living out the first line of a poem by Saint Teresa of Avila: “Christ has no body but yours.” Byl says, “I try to make a positive difference in the world, and that’s why I keep writing and leading workshops, and maybe people see Christ in me as I see Christ in them.”