Atiki Ally Atiki

When asked who he plays basketball for, Atiki responds without hesitation: “I play for my family.” While living with a host family in Canada, Atiki lost his father, who passed away in Atiki’s home country of Tanzania. This loss was made even harder due to COVID-19 travel restrictions: Atiki couldn’t go home to attend the funeral services. Host family mother Judy Provenzano says, “We did the best that we could. We embraced him, we hugged him, we cried with him; we tried to reminisce and help him remember [his father].”

Atiki remembering his father, says, “He always told me to work hard, do your stuff, respect each other. So, I always miss those things he told me. I want to make sure I do them. I have to do them because my dad told me to do them. I just miss him a lot.” We embrace Atiki as a member of the BYU family and are inspired by the lessons he teaches us through his strength of character.

Watch Atiki’s Deep Blue video here.