About The Author
About Author
Stephen Young
British-born (in Brighton, Sussex) now a Canadian citizen.
Studied Physics at the University of London, worked as an R&D Engineer and then progressed into sales. Moved to Canada in 1989 with the same employer.
First involvement with x-ray and metal detector systems was in security, but then took that knowledge into the food-processing industry. Based on his experience in this field, established a business to provide food processors a service with x-ray inspection of contaminated food products.
Retired in 2020.
Stephen Young
I had a nice life growing up. My parents were from a working-class background, but hard-working and ambitious. As described in my memoir, they climbed the housing ladder from a small home to a large, custom-designed bungalow, which we built ourselves in the evenings and weekends.
Our family had moved around southern England before emigrating to Australia, which I loved. Sadly, my parents had misgivings, particularly about the education system, so we returned to England and settled in Melton Mowbray, a small market town with a history dating back a thousand years.
Upon return, I found that in High School, I was two years behind (due to the lost years in Australia) and went from being the top of a very formal school to being mediocre in a sloppy ‘modern’ school. Still, with hard work (and lots of fun!) I then went on to study Physics at the University of London. After my first year, I decided to take a year off to earn some money, but this was cut short by a serious motorcycle accident. That is where this memoir begins.
After many months of recovery and therapy, I returned to London to finish my degree (while also having a great time, enjoying its rich culture, and more than a few pubs! For the love of my then-fiancée, I returned to Melton Mowbray to start my career. I steadily grew, not only in positions but in experience, and then I emigrated to Canada, another step up in business and a new way of life.
The North American way of doing many things is very different from what I had experienced before, and I was keen to learn and develop new skills, especially around home construction and repairs. For recreation, I found a passion for sailing, winning races and becoming an instructor. Another occasional hobby is dabbling (modestly) in art. Away from concerned parents, motorcycles came back into my life, and I have enjoyed restoring several older machines. My 1977 Yamaha still brings back memories of my hooligan days of the 70s. It is a keeper.
In the 35 years since I moved to Canada, I have faced many medical issues, some very serious. With the help of some marvellous Doctors and Surgeons, I now have a body full of artificial parts, however, the main thing is I have overcome each challenge as it arose, and I live a healthy life today.
‘The boy who LIVED!’ is my story, not only about a miraculous survival, but a story of ambition. After the details slowly emerged about what had happened and how I was still alive, I became determined to live the rest of my life as fully and worthwhile as possible. I certainly did that!
As my memoir describes, I have been fortunate to travel around the world, play with racing cars, climb the career ladder (and fall off a few times), and run my own business. I have owned a dream house with many toys, and then lost them all. After all the ups and downs in my life, I have finally retired to a modest life with my loving wife and two adorable dogs.
It is my sincere hope that this memoir will inspire and motivate others facing life-altering challenges to look beyond their immediate problems and to dream of a future life full of hope and possibilities. I wish you all the best and hope that you can really LIVE!
