A quarterback and a cheerleader, 10 years later

Ricky and Allyson Ray’s story of young love mimics the storyline of any teenager’s idea of falling in love with his or her high school sweetheart. He was on the basketball team, she was a cheerleader, and something between them sparked. Now with 10 years of marriage under their belts and a new life as parents, they reflect on having spent over half of their lives together. They currently live dual lives between Canada and the U.S. During the Toronto Argonauts’ season, which kicked off on June 26 and continues July 5 versus the Saskatechewan Roughriders at home in Toronto, they live in the GTA, and afterwards, they return home to California to see family and friends.

How they met
Allyson and I met our freshman year in high school. She was dating one of my friends, and I would walk with them to class. We didn’t start dating until a year later.

The first date
We never officially went on a first date. We were young and in high school, so we just hung out at different school events and parties.

The beginning
We officially started dating at the beginning of basketball season of our sophomore year. She was a cheerleader, and we would hang out before and after the games.

The courtship
We were the typical high school couple. We spent a lot of time together between classes and hanging out with friends on the weekends. One of the best parts of meeting so young is that we have a lot of the same friends, and we have a lot of great memories together.

The proposal
We were in Oahu, Hawaii, together on our first real vacation. The night before we were going to leave we walked out on a pier to throw our leis back into the water because we were told that, when they returned to shore, then we would return to Hawaii. After we tossed them in, I got on one knee and asked her to marry me. Thankfully she said yes.

“We have experienced over half of our lives together.”

The wedding
We were married in Redding, Calif., where we both grew up, on Jan. 17, 2004.

The honeymoon
For our honeymoon, we went to the Riviera Maya south of Cancun. We stayed at an all-inclusive resort and had a great time. We even met a couple from Edmonton who we are still friends with today.

Their daughter
Our daughter, Chloe, turned three in March. She loves all the Disney princesses.

Their lives now
We feel very lucky. We spend half the year in Toronto and the other half in California. It is like we get to live two different lives. We love going to all the great parks in the GTA with our daughter as well as just exploring the amazing city. We also like to go on vacation somewhere tropical every winter. The high points have been that we have experienced over half of our lives together. We have grown up together and now we are blessed to be parents together.

Shared goals
Our main goal is to have a happy family.

Their secret for success
We really just try to be open and honest with each other, and we don’t shy away from telling each other if something is bothering one of us.

Article exclusive to STREETS OF TORONTO