Young love can be lasting love, and this couple is proof. Elementary school sweethearts Chad and Rena Owens found love in their hometown of Honolulu. Now settled in Toronto, the Argonauts all-star and his wife, an ambassador for the company Visalus, are parents of three beautiful children, Chad Jr., Areana and Sierra-Lyn. Together, they share the story of how they met:
The first impression
Rena: We first met during the summer before sixth grade, but we didn’t start dating right away. Chad was the new kid in town. He’d just moved with his family to the area of Pauoa Valley in Honolulu.
The first date
Rena: We started dating in seventh grade. For our first date, we went to the park together and played basketball. It was a double date, so to speak.
Chad: I brought Rena, my friend and his girlfriend. We played two-on-two basketball; girls vs. guys. Being a 13-year-old boy, I wanted to show off a little, so I tried to dunk the basketball. Rena was standing nearby, and I accidentally knocked her to the ground, and she scraped her knee.
Rena: Luckily, Chad had the wherewithal to help me up and apologize.
The proposal
Chad: It was Christmas Day, and I had just finished playing in the 2003 Hawaii Bowl. I had planted a series of clues in each gift to Rena, which led her to different parts of the house, almost like a scavenger hunt. In the fifth and final box, there was a Hawaiian bracelet, something that Rena had really wanted. Underneath was the final clue. As she turned around, she found a trail of rose petals that led upstairs, and at the top of the stairs, I was holding a rose and a ring.
The big day
Rena: We were married on June 6, 2004, at the Hawaii Okinawan Centre. We didn’t get to go on a honeymoon right away, but a few years later, we went to Las Vegas, just the two of us.
Secret to their success
Chad: There’s no secret to a successful relationship: it’s built on trust, faithfulness, God, open communication — and having a short-term memory.
