(Wise) Words from the Winners

1st Place winner PKC 2025 - Shogo nakaza -

Here is a testimony from the 1st place winner from the 2025 tournament. ~Belvedere, NY PKC awards ceremony 6/1/25~

2nd place winner PKC 2025 - Aiden Lee - (PKC 2023 1st place winner)

There’s something about the ocean that always pulls me in — it’s not just the sound of the waves or the salty breeze, but something deeper, something spiritual.

Every time I stand at the shoreline and watch the tide roll in, I feel a sense of peace I can’t quite explain. It’s in those moments, surrounded by the endless horizon and the power of the sea, that I feel closest to God.

The ocean reminds me of God’s presence - vast, constant, and powerful, yet gentle enough to calm my soul. There’s no pressure to perform, no expectations. Just peace. Space to be still, space to breathe, and space to feel. When I’m near the water, I feel like I can finally hear the voice of God without all the distractions. It’s like He’s always been speaking, but now I’m quiet enough to listen.

Life moves fast. Sometimes it feels like everything is flying by before you even have the chance to catch up — school, relationships, family, decisions you’re not ready to make.

You can’t always change what’s happening or slow it down, no matter how much you want to. That used to scare me. It still does somethings. But I’ve learned that even when I can’t control what’s happening around me, I can control how I move through it - with faith and with patience.

The ocean has taught me that you don’t always have to fight the current. Sometimes you just have to learn how to move with it - how to float, how to adjust, how to trust that there’s a shore somewhere ahead, even if you can’t see it yet. And that’s what God offers: not always a solution not always a clear answer, but the strength and peace to keep moving forward. To not give up, even when everything feels uncertain.

Recently, I was in a fishing tournament. As some of you might know, I ended up catching a fish that won me 2nd place. It wasn’t just about the competition or even the win - it was about what that moment represented. After waiting, trying, and praying silently out there on the water, I finally got a bite. And when I pulled that fish in, I couldn’t help but feel thankful. It felt like God was reminding me that He sees me. That He’s in the stillness, in the struggle, and in the breakthrough. That catch reminded me of how much grace can show up in the smallest, most personal ways.

So whenever life feels heavy, or I feel distant from myself, I go back to the water. Not because the ocean itself holds the answers, but because it quiets me enough to find peace. And every time, without fail, I leave with a little more clarity and a deeper sense that I’m not alone.