Farmers in the Humboldt region got a pep talk from a football great last week.
Henry "Gizmo" Williams spoke at two customer appreciation events put on by Horizon Fertilizers in Cudworth and Humboldt on November 17 and 18.
The two events combined attracted over 550 people, despite the foul weather outside.
Williams, a 48-year-old former kick returner and wide receiver for the Edmonton Eskimos, is now a motivational speaker and personal trainer. He came to this area with a special message for farmers to go along with his life story.
Williams lost both of his parents when he was young - his mother to Multiple Sclerosis or MS and his father to a house fire. Since then, seven of his 10 siblings have died of MS.
In his speeches, Williams talks about the losses that he has faced, and gives the audience encouragement.
"I enjoy talking about my life and sharing with them... knowing what I went through and that I still carry on," he said.
"Live your life and (don't) worry about a lot of different things," is his basic message, he told the Journal.
For farmers in this area, who had to deal with a lot of moisture and flooding in 2010, his advice was not to worry about things they cannot control, like the weather.
"Why worry about things you can't control?" he asked. "You have to work with what you have."
Lynne Brecht, the office manager for Horizon Fertilizers in Humboldt, said they chose Williams to speak to their customers "because he's a motivational speaker.... Farmers have had a lousy year and we felt they could use a little motivation."
They also felt that his experiences with MS in his family would provide a good message for people afflicted with MS or supporting someone with the disease and "give them a little extra boost."
The crowd definitely enjoyed Williams, giving him a standing ovation at the end of the Humboldt event.
There were times in his speech that he became quite emotional and had to stop before he could go on. He did show a video of his early life and career, something that he says he can't watch often because he has to keep his attention on the future and looking forward.
While in Humboldt, Williams also visited area schools, including Humboldt Collegiate Institute (HCI).
"A lot of kids came out. That was pretty cool," he said of his visit to HCI. "They couldn't believe how many muscles I had for my age," he laughed.
Williams said he spoke to the students about work-out programs, urging them not to overwork themselves.
"It's about consistency," he said.
