In this special 17th episode of GENEs, I sit down with one of my closest friends, Andrew, whose influence helped shape this project from the start. Unlike past interviews with strangers I’ve met on the street, this one is deeply personal, tracing our shared history and Andrew’s own journey through sport, style, and fatherhood. We begin with a vintage FRC coaches jacket, passed down from his father, a long-time high school coach in Winnipeg, and unravel how clothing, community, and sport have defined his path.

We talk about Andrew’s upbringing, finding belonging through basketball, and the powerful mentorship from his dad. We also dig into his current efforts revitalizing Britannia’s basketball courts with Buckets & Borders, a community-driven project uniting sport, art, and East Van pride. This episode is about more than clothing. It’s about legacy, fatherhood, and building things that last.

Listen in for stories on style, sport, and grassroots change, and learn how a single jacket ties together decades of identity, memory, and community.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikecldi.substack.com