He was born in Vineyard Town, to an unpaid pastor who was an exceptional athlete.

He pursued the family tradition when he attended Wolmer’s Boys’ School in 1964. His father, while at Wolmer’s, was outstanding at track and field and football, and went on to captain Jamaica in both sports.

He worked tirelessly preaching the gospel in church unpaid, but never ignored the importance of academics. One of the lessons his dad taught him was that unless he obtained a scholarship, a university education may not become a reality.

At Wolmer’s, where he was head boy, he played football and cricket at the house level and was a member of the winning school’s Henriques Shield Hockey team. He also played in the Senior League for Blackhawks Hockey Club.

From 1971 to 1977 he played inter-hall football on Mona Campus and represented the university team until 1974 when we was actually the vice captain, and while still a student he went on to represent August Town FC with whom he played for four seasons.

In 1981 while captaining the university workers football team he was invited by the legendary Leighton Duncan to join Cavalier Soccer Club in the National League, but he sustained a serious knee injury in a local fun game which eventually ended his hopes.

A series of injuries not related to football put paid to whatever hopes he may have had for more serious football.

After being told by doctors to give up the game, he played in the Masters League representing Christian Ambassadors, Cavalier, and Travellers FC (1994 Champs) at different times.

In 1982 he was banned from further participation in contact sports and this influenced him to turn to martial arts (you explain the logic). Dr Royes reasoned that two good arms and one and a half good legs gave him more than a 75 per cent chance of success.

He was awarded his first degree black belt in 1987, and by 2007 he was wearing a fifth degree black belt and a sixth degree by 2016. During this period he represented Seido Jamaica in tournaments far and wide, from the USA, the UK and South Africa.

Dr Royes’ series of injuries reads like a hospital’s inventory — two broken noses while competing in the UK; a fractured forearm,a cracked rib twice. Probably his most dangerous was not related to sports but once he was the victim of a motor vehicle accident while riding on the Norman Manley Highway and left for dead. He ended up with a fractured skull, bleeding from the brain through a ruptured eardrum.

As if unable to stay away from football, Dr Royes worked as an integral part of the management team for Wolmer’s Manning Cup squad for many years.

Rumour has it his days of serving the sport of football are not over.

In his spare time Dr Royes works diligently with some inner-city youth in the Swallowfield area as head of the Swallowfield Church Boys Club.

His idols are the great Pele (the greatest);Bobby Charlton (Manchester United and England), although he is a Hotspurs fan;and Sergio Ramos of Real Madrid.

He lists his greatest disappoints as never getting to represent Cavalier SC in the National League.

He lists some of his craziest moments as scuba diving with sharks, running from Mavis Bank to Blue Mountain and back to Gordon Town, and having a fellow martial artist use a Samurai Sword to slice a carrot that had been placed over his naked throat.

— Information taken from Marooned for Life by Dr John Royes.

Editor’s note: Robbie Robinson is an attorney-at-law, public speaker, sports journalist, sports enthusiast and singer.