V&P Special Edition September 2020
REMEMBER! All He Wanted To Do Was Remember Quest Knows Basketball
QUEST DELANEY: The Man Behind the Traumatic Brain Injury
VISION & PURPOSE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
CONTENTS V&P SPECIAL EDITION 2 Inspirational Moments You Are Your Dreams So Make Them A Reality
4 Authors Speak Remember! All He Wanted To Do Was Remember
16 All Things Fashion It's All About the Shoe
18 Performing Arts Visual Artist on Purpose
22 The Sports Report With Lady K Quest Knows Basketball
8 Quest Delaney The Man Behind the Traumatic Brain Injury
Contributing Writers:
Inspirational Moments Authors Speak All Things Fashion Performing Arts The Sports Report Feature
Quest Delaney Dr. Essie McKoy Quest Delaney Seth Washington Karen McConnell-Jones Karen McConnell-Jones Dr. Sharon H. Porter
Front Cover Photo by Dominique Massquoi
V&P Staff Editor In-Chief Dr. Sharon H. Porter Deputy Editor Karen McConnell-Jones Krystal Glenn Layout & Design Krystal Glenn Karen Clay VISION & PURPOSE MAGAZINE | 1
Inspirational
Moments
V&P Special Edition Quest Delaney
You Are Your Dreams So Make Them A Reality wise person once told me when you stop dreaming you stop living and that we are our dreams so go make them a reality. What is a visionary? You, we all are visionary. A visionary is someone who dreams, visualizes and has a clear idea of how their future should look. So what are your dreams telling you? Are you paying close attention to what your dreams are telling you? Dreams are visions and visions allow us to see what is possible. Our dreams give us purpose, and with purpose you now have hope. Even in the current state of the world today it is easy to feel hopeless at times, but I am here to inspire you and encourage you to never give up on yourself or your dreams. You have to find it in your heart to dig deeper within yourself. You are more than one dimensional. You are quite capable of becoming more than what you are. With hard work, dedication, belief, perseverance, and patience you can have the very thing that you have always been dreaming about. VISION&PURPOSEMAGAZINEÂ |Â 2
“When you stop dreaming, you stop living.” Everything you need to succeed is already in you. You just have to believe and keep the faith and then just stay the course. Staying the course means you have to stay focused, stay consistent, stay positive and keep moving forward every day, no matter what. Don’t stop dreaming until your dream becomes your reality. You can’t give up when it gets hard at times, remember, greatness takes time and you have greatness in you. Greatness is in all of us. Our greatness is in our purpose, when we are in our purpose that is when we are at our best. With that being said, if it happened for me it could happen for you. You see, I have been waiting for this moment my whole life. For 50 years, I dreamed of this moment right here. Talking to you and telling you my story. Like you, I had some good days and I had some bad days with setbacks, but I refused to give up and I want to inspire you to do the same. No matter how long it takes, NEVER and I mean NEVER give up on yourself or your dreams. Always remember no one can stop you but you and heaven is the limit. Much love to ya, Quest
V&P Special Edition Quest Delaney
Remember!
AUTHORSSPEAK
All He Wanted to do is REMEMBER! by Dr. Essie McCoy
In 2015, Quest Delaney suffered a traumatic brain injury. The very next morning when he awakened, he didn’t even recognize himself in the mirror and he began to realize that his entire memory was gone, except for one; his journey to heaven was the only thing that remained. It took five years of recovery for him to regain some of his physical abilities, as well as, his memory. It was horrifying not to recognize his loved ones, not knowing how to communicate, all of his verbal skills, all of his creativeness, and personality traits were gone. Everything that made him unique was gone. Remember’, the book, is based on real events that Quest recounts about his brain injury experience.
"Yes, God has allowed me to write this book and to share my experience with the world. I can only say this is my truth, believe it or not,..." He got an opportunity to relive and relearn everything about his life and his day to day activities. All he wanted to do was remember. Quest Delaney worked tirelessly to rebuild his relationship with God who he believes gave him the spiritual guidance necessary in his journey to restore and rebuild his mind, his body, and his emotions. It is a reflection of recovery, redemption, growth, and the pain of relearning everything about his life and who he was. His relationship with God allowed him to understand that he would need absolute power, strength, courage, and love to make it through this journey. Words From The Author “Yes, God has allowed me to write this book and to share my experience with the world. I can only say this is my truth, believe it or not, is what I was telling myself when I first thought about what happened to me. I knew going forward with writing this book, some people will question my truth but the bigger part of this equation lead me to JUST DO IT!!! God will allow my truth to be bigger than me, bigger than the non-believers, in order to reach the heart and soul of someone out there who just needed to believe again, to just have hope and to know you are not alone; we just need to speak and share our truth.” Vision & Purpose magazine | 4
His Traumatic Brain Injury Experience His candor will motivate you to realize that your story, your experience, and your journey sometimes are not just for you, but are meant to be shared so that you can be a source of inspiration, motivation, and rejuvenation for others! Quest brought to life his experience so that you could take the journey inside his experience and he hopes to convey a strong sense of, “I can do anything, with God on my side,” mentality! Again, his life changed in a manner of seconds. He lost his memory and could not remember some of the most basic aspects of life. It is funny how we can just take things for granted. It becomes so routine, just to know who you are and what you need to do to carry out your daily routine until you can’t. Until you can’t remember who you are and what your purpose is, in life. Having a ball of emotion until you feel like you are ready to explode and then you do, and then what?
"...God has sent Quest his lifeline, his one memory that he could remember, when he experienced going to heaven with his beloved sister Keisha."
Throughout his traumatic brain injury experience, he was constantly struggling with bouts of crying, depression, anxiety, the whole nine yards and until he hit rock bottom, wanting to take the life of the person he had become and to bring back the person that he used to be. This is when the moment came, while lying there in his hospital bed; God has sent Quest his lifeline, his one memory that he could remember, when he experienced going to heaven with his beloved sister Keisha. Prior to Quest Delaney’s brain injury experience, he had his first traumatic experience when he lost his beloved sister Keisha. She passed away suddenly and this took Quest into an immediate state of shock, as well as, total disbelief. This was his baby sister who he cared for ever since she was a little girl. He was the perfect oldest brother and he was very close to his sister. He took her to school each day, combed her hair, played house and baked with her. He, truly, did everything a big brother was supposed to do.
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Yet, the one thing they had in common was their curiosity, their strong ability to wanting to know and asking lots of questions. So, at the tender age of five, Keisha asked her brother Quest what is heaven and how do you get there and could we go together? The traumatic experience of losing his sister in such an unexpected way, left him so devastated that all he had were the memories of the love and joy they shared and of his five year old little sister that wanted them to go and experience heaven together. Their bond was so strong and deeply connected that God allowed Keisha’s spirit to come back and visit her brother. It also allowed Quest to have an outer body experience of their two spirits, reconnected and experiencing heaven together, just as promised when they were kids. No wonder that in Quest’s recounting of his own traumatic brain injury and loss of memory, he self-consciously mentioned several times how he felt like a five year old. This was the same age that he recalled his sister being the happiest. Just when he hit rock bottom, God provided a lifeline and allowed him to have one memory that brought Quest the most joy and the one memory that he will never forget, his experience of going to heaven with his sister Keisha. This was truly the one memory that brought Quest back. Quest never gave up on himself. He possessed the faith all along the way and dug deeper each day to remain steadfast during this process. He constantly prayed for on-going patience. In the end, he realized the need to activate one of the keys to self-fulfillment and happiness. That is forgiveness of self-inflicted ideas and thoughts, and the forgiveness of others. Today, that is a practice he utilizes to keep himself grounded in love, motivated in moving forward, and inspired to cultivate the minds and hearts of others in making an impact! Quest continues to uplift others through his speaking engagements, sharing his story, writing books, serving as a mentor, coaching others, and giving back. While he is still discovering and tapping into all his unknown talents and gifts, he is blessed and thankful for God’s amazing grace on his life!
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V&P Special Edition Quest Delaney
The Man Behind the Traumatic Brain Injury by The 2NCs Karen McConnell-Jones Dr. Sharon H. Porter
Walking In His Renewed Excellence Quest Delaney’s exclusive yet compelling interview with V&P Lifestyle Magazine will leave you speechless, with joy, as his story will simply steal your heart away, while taking you on a journey like never before. This is an inspiring story of one man’s life that changed in just one drop of an instant. Fighting to understand what has happened and how will he get back to being his old self. Nevertheless, at the end of it all, God has allowed Quest to embrace and accept what it means to walk in renewed excellence!
“Yes, I survived and made it through that night, yet I had a long uphill battle still to face." - Quest Delaney Vision & Purpose magazine | 8
Quest Family Remarks When we asked Quest’s family and friends, who is Quest Delaney, the responses was of admiration with warm expressions of approval. He was even called a Clairvoyant, a man of great honor, one who is a constant study of God’s word and a big heart for God’s people without passing judgment. “As a big brother growing up Quest was funny yet very smart, inquisitive, and protective. The two of us were inseparable. We were as close as twins could be without being twins. We did everything together. He was more than my big brother, he was my best friend. I mean we were so close my mom used to dress us alike. Our special bond is indescribable. We think a lot alike, we love the same music, we have a brother sister language that only we can understand, we both love animals, and we are extremely supportive of one another.
“Growing up with my dad, he was very strict” said Devin Delaney, Quest’s oldest son. “He always wanted me to be the best I could be. One of the things that I love most about my dad is how he can manifest his ideas and make them come to fruition! I would always say to him “Dad you won’t do this, or that” and he would tell me, “Son trust me it’s going to happen and soon”. He always kept his faith and his belief in the value of his hard work and it would always happen as planned. I really admire the man he has become now! He is so much more loving and open, also one of the funniest human beings on this planet.”
Until this day nothing has changed” said Ty Monnity, second oldest sibling of seven. “If I may add, one of my most proudest moments of my brother is when he obtained his beautiful home. We had talked for years about him purchasing his own
Dr. Alan Brody, a Psychiatrist in Potomac, MD shared, “When Quest started coming to me, after has traumatic brain injury, he was very emotional and had a long road ahead of him. But to be honest, I was very amazed by his faith and his willingness to do the work. It wasn’t easy but his determination and his will to stay the course got him through. As a white male psychiatrist, yes, I am about to say this, it is hard for men wanting to seek out help and go into therapy and definitely for black males even harder so yes, this was a major step for Quest. He allowed himself to be
home and turning it into something very special which he did just that. Now, we know his home as Questland, such a heavenly place of love, joy, peace, and inspiration. I am very happy to see his dream become his reality.”
very vulnerable with me, to be stripped all the way down in order to be built back up again. I know I’m his therapist but it was still something amazing to see and even I learned from seeing him go through the process. If nothing else, Quest truly reconfirmed what we already know is that you must trust the process and he did just that.” Vision & Purpose magazine | 9
Quest Delaney Up Close And Personal Quest Delaney was born and raised in Prince George's County, MD and now resides in Hanover, MD. He is the eldest of seven siblings. Being birthed into a leadership position shaped him into the man he is today. After graduating from high school he later joined the police academy and became a Police Officer, working in the community. Later he became a part of a special force program called (C.O.P.S.). Community Oriented Policing Services. Being a father has brought so much joy to Quest’s life. As a father raising a daughter and two young boys into men he believes that instilling a good foundation is the key to succeed in life. In 2015, three seconds changed Quest’s life. He suffered a traumatic brain injury and the next morning he lost his memory, smell, taste, emotions and all creativity. After five years of recovering from his injuries, God spoke to him and gave him a challenge. That challenge led him to write about what he had gone through and to share his story with the world. Quest is now living in his newly found purposes of being an author, shoe designer, abstract artist, and an art therapist. He is very grateful and blessed to be able to share his experience with others, in hoping that his story will be uplifting and encouraging to us all, especially to anyone who is going through their own personal traumatic experiences. He just wants you to know to keep the faith and allow God to carry you through.
This Is My Truth “I must admit, this has been a horrific challenge that I’ve been through, yet an amazing journey all in the same breath. In these past five years, I have truly learned how to submit and surrender to God and to wholeheartedly allow His will to be done. I am totally committed to living out my new found purposes that God has planned for my life” said Quest.
“I am truly grateful to my parents for planting those seeds in me as a young child and allowing me to explore my curiosity, as I was very inquisitive about everything regarding life, God, and people. I grew up with a strong sense of who I was and determined within myself to be the best me at everything that I did whether it was my education, sports, or my work ethic. It has been stated along with my belief that hard work and diligence payoff, it has a moral benefit and an inherent ability, virtue, along with, value to strengthen character and individual abilities. Having an excellent work ethic for one’s self is like possessing a set of values centered on the importance of work which is manifested by the determination or desire to work hard. Again, with anything that I do, I must give it my all and do my best.”
all r be m e m e r d n a y tr to d "I ha ly r a e t h g u ta s a w I t a these things th t os m n r a le e r to d a h I s on in life a of them all over again." Vision & Purpose magazine | 10
V&P Special Edition Quest Delaney
“Now, allow me to share my truth about my traumatic brain injury that I suffered. I’m going to be real and transparent with you about my truth. Experiencing a traumatic brain injury was a very surreal moment in my life. To be totally honest I was afraid, scared, and embarrassed, feeling too ashamed to let anyone know how I was feeling or that I couldn’t remember who I
Thinking to myself, at least my girlfriend will find the letter and know what I was going through and what I was feeling at the time. She would be able to let my family know that I loved them very much.”
was. Recalling coming home that night from the hospital looking at the stairs leading to my apartment and feeling like a five year old or a little puppy, afraid to go up the stairs. I couldn’t even remember how to go up or down the stairs. I had to try and remember all these things that I was taught early on in life as I had to relearn most of them all over again. Here I was a grown man with a five year old mentality. Again, recalling getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and passing the mirror and being scared because I didn’t recognize the man in the mirror. Who was this person looking back at me? I wanted to punch the mirror, instead I started to cry as I realized something was seriously wrong with me. Now standing there looking around at the sink, the toilet and the bath tub not knowing, not remembering what to do next and wouldn’t you know, I had wet all over myself. At this point, I felt the need to write a letter because I was truly afraid that something was seriously wrong with me and I wasn’t going to make it through the night.
learn how to deal with all of my emotional battles that I was going through. Having bouts of crying spells, fighting with depression, lots of anxiety, and feeling very frustrated because I was unable to REMEMBER!!! Before the brain injury I was happy go lucky, easy going, and content with my life. After the brain injury I had to go through a struggle before I came to a place of greater understanding and appreciation for life. Now I feel that I understand life better, realizing just
“Yes, I survived and made it through that night, yet I had a long uphill battle still to face. I had to
how precious life really is and I want to make sure I use all of the gifts and talents that God had bestowed on me, with the world. I also realize that I had become more patient, kind, loving, thoughtful and creative. I am now living in my renewed excellence and I am here to help change the world. ”
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The 2NCs (Karen & Sharon): Wow! What an amazing and sensational story you have shared and we really appreciate you for being so open and honest with us especially coming from a male perspective. Not only are you being real and transparent but you allowed yourself to be very vulnerable with us about your truth. The 2NCs: As we go into the Q&A portion of the interview please share with us what are some of the things that remained the same about you and what are some of the things that are different about you since your brain injury? QD (Quest Delaney): The things that have stayed the same are my humor, my love for people, my ambitions for success, my desire to be the best version of myself. The things that are different about me now, I have a heightened awareness of the spiritual world, I have less willingness for negativity, I am more determined to make a difference in this world, I value my life, more every day, I see the value in my family and friends. I understand just how precious life can be. The 2NCs: Through this whole traumatic brain injury experience, what can you say about the mental health of it all and do you understand it to be a part of mental health? QD: What I would say is mental health is a real condition. The best way to understand the mental health side of the brain injury is to educate oneself as much as possible. Mental health can be a very scary position to be in because you don’t want people to think you are crazy or not yourself. The stigma of mental health can make you feel very isolated and ashamed. Seeing your doctor on a regular basis and having a great support team can help you manage your condition and yes, I do understand that mental health is a part of a traumatic brain injury. The health of my mind is a constant battle and I am focused on winning this battle.
The 2NCs: What are some of the side effects that you are still living with from your brain injury? QD: Some of the side effects that I still live with today are headaches, nausea, fatigue, drowsiness, difficulty sleeping, sensitivity to light, blurred vision, ringing in ears, loss of smell and taste. The 2NCs: Okay, you shared with us in your story that once you came home from the hospital in fact you knew something was seriously wrong, even to the point of feeling a little frightened like you weren’t going to make it through the night and you felt the need to write down your thoughts. Looking back on it now, was it your instincts or was it your spiritual wisdom that allowed you to express your thoughts that you were having in that moment? QD: In that moment, I wasn’t sure what was happening so, out of instinct I thought I should write down my thoughts just in case something did happen to me. My family and friends would know exactly what I was going through in those final moments but, also spiritually praying to God to help me make it through this. The 2NCs: We know you are very much a spiritual person and very close to your family, so for the next couple of questions, we will say a word or a simple phrase and please give us your thoughts. What do these words mean to you? Absolute Power! Strength! Courage!
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QD: These four words were revealed to me through God during my morning meditation and this is what he told me: Absolute Power-You will need this gift to carry out my plan for you. Strength-You will need strength to obey me, to walk away from negative energy and things that are not good for you and to follow your dreams that I will place upon you. Courage-You will need to have courage to face everyday challenges that life may bring you as you go and make your dreams a reality. The 2NC’s: Heaven! What does that mean to you? QD: Heaven mean simply “HOME.” The 2NC’s: Keisha, your baby sister, share your thoughts, please? QD: With regards to Keisha, there isn’t enough paper for me to explain to you what she meant to me. She was my Heart and Soul! She was taken away from us so suddenly and all too soon. Her death was my first traumatic experience before my traumatic brain injury experience and it’s so clever how God allowed the two traumatic experiences to intertwine with one another which I share about all of it, in my book.
The 2NC’s: We are coming to our last question of the interview but before we ask, we would like to share with you a heartfelt message from your sister Ty and it says, “I wish nothing but the best for my brother. Nothing but great success, may everything that he put his hands to, turn to gold. I hope his book “Remember” becomes a New York Times Best Seller, I pray his Delaney Shoe line will be as successful and well known as “Nike”. I hope that he will expand his brand and eventually develop an active apparel line to match his shoes. As far as his artwork, I would love to see all the hospitals, hotels, furniture stores, art galleries, and every home adorned with his beautiful, uplifting, and God inspired artwork. The bottom line is, the world is about to find out what I always knew about my brother. I just want to see my brother WIN! I know in his heart he will, according to Proverbs: 18:16, which says, “A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.” The 2NC’s: Now, after hearing Ty’s heartfelt message about her big brother, how does that make you feel, what do you have to say to that and what is next for Quest Delaney? QD: Elated! Wow! Well, I guess my sister said it all. I better continue to work hard and seek God’s word for this big accomplishment that my sister foresees me to have. As for what is next for me, God has placed in my spirit to turn my book into a screenplay and have it to travel the world and hopefully to become a number one blockbuster movie in the near future. I am writing my children’s book series now. The first book will be released by the first of 2021 and the screenplay will be released by the end of 2021, going into the beginning of 2022. But for now, I will end with this. Proverbs: 21:2, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the heart.”
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All Things N IO SH FA V&P Special Edition Quest Delaney
It’s All About The Shoes By Karen McConnell-Jones
Mr. Quest Delaney has taken on shoe fashion as he
QD: Having my shoes featured on Vogue was a dream
brings to you Delaney Shoes. Sitting with Quest in
come true. Honestly, I am truly grateful to God for
preparation for his Special Edition publication with V&P
blessing me with the purpose.
Magazine we ask him, “What is fashion to you?” Quest replied “Fashion is an art. It allows me to paint a picture
KMJ: How did you come up with your own line of shoes
and create a vision of unique beauty. For me, shoes truly
and what is the meaning behind it all?
make the outfit. If you have on the wrong pair of shoes it takes away from the outfit. It’s all about the shoes. Shoes
QD: My own line of shoe was inspired by a word from
are a key accessory that can make or break an outfit.”
God. Through his inspiration and direction, I was able to find a company who has given me full creative control
Quest’s shoe line is a unisex brand featuring hot designs
over my designs and the meaning of my shoe is Absolute
on men’s and women’s shoe fashion. Having such a
Power, Strength and Courage.
unique appeal and style, the new trendy designer has been featured on Vogue Magazine and Vogue
KMJ: I noticed you carry men’s and women’s shoes, what
newsletter. Quest has been blessed with many talents
style types do you carry?
and now he blesses us with Delaney Shoes. QD: The style types of shoes that I carry are unisex KMJ: Having your Delaney Shoes featured on Vogue
sneakers, boots, wedges, flats and high heels for the
Magazine and Vogue newsletter, how did that make you
ladies.
feel as a first timer at this?
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KMJ: Yes, with that being said, you know there are more
QD: In the near future, I plan to extend the brand to include
male designers than female designers and we women be
make-up and an assortment of accessories. Also, some of my
about to break our necks trying to wear these too high heels
new and upcoming fashions will be active apparel, athletic
that you male designers create. LOL! I thought I should go
wear and, of course, it will be unisex. So, for all the men and
on the record with that.
all the ladies out there, stay tuned because it’s coming!
KMJ: No seriously, I noticed that you have a unique yet
KMJ: Last question; please tell us how can we find the
distinctive red stripe on some of your shoe designs, what is the
Delaney Shoes?
“When you stop dreaming, you stop living.”
meaning behind the signature red stripe placed on your shoes? QD: All you have to do is go to the website and check out the
QD: The meaning behind the signature red stripe,
shoes. Happy shopping!
represents the BLOOD OF JESUS. God has blessed me with
https://www.aliveshoes.com/brand/delaney
renewed life, renewed creativity since my traumatic brain injury; I truly know that with His stripes I am healed. I have a chance to let the world walk in my shoes, thanks to my Heavenly Father.
KMJ: Quest, tell us, where do you go from here and what is new in your world of fashion?
“I am truly greatful to God for blessing me with the purpose.”
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V&P Special Edition Quest Delaney
The Performing Arts Visual Artist on Purpose By Seth Washington
In the beginning, a timeless and masterful work of art
Additionally, he offered clarity about the benefits that his
was produced called the universe. Later on, the author of
art can provide to other people. "The reason why it’s
that work issued a divine decree requiring that man be
important to share this energy is because everyone
fruitful. For visual artist Quest Delaney, bearing fruit is
needs something positive in their life. With the world
not optional; it is a spiritual and creative necessity.
being in the state that it is in we need something “POSITIVE” to bring us together."
Delaney describes the urgency upon his life to share the gifts bestowed to him, "I would describe my art as a
The paintings themselves, deftly textured, multi-hued,
calling because when God is calling me to create a piece
swirling dreamscapes bathed in acrylics, metallic with a
of art it is not something I can ignore. I must obey the
touch of glitter, bare names such as, Touching Heaven,
pulling on my spirit to create that piece."
of bowls of fruit, candles, the old man and a picture of the palms tree and the sun with birds flying through it", says Delaney. The process of recovering from serious head injuries received from an untimely fall has intensified Delaney's faith and reliance upon spiritual insights. Within that expansion, he has experienced access to inner visions and creative abilities far beyond that which he perceived prior to his accident. "My paintings tell the stories of my life, my visions, my dreams, and life experiences. It is important to me to convey through my paintings a message of Hope, Happiness, Kindness, Inspiration, Love and Success no matter what people are facing in life, with God all things are possible," he said. Accustomed to handling a diversity of activity, he played basketball and he boxed in his youth. These days his, creative pursuits include home remodeling, shoe design and writing books in addition to painting. In all areas, he seeks to bring an elegant authenticity to the final product. A key aspect with all of Delaney's efforts is a sense of fulfillment derived from moving forward within his purpose. "Some of the feeling and thoughts I experience while painting are peace, happiness, joy, clarity of thought and inspiration." Jesus Is Love, Forgiveness, as well as, Sea of Love, Always With You and Serenity of Love. As a man who expresses great faith in God and the traditions of Christianity, Delaney characterizes his art this way, "I would describe my style as Spiritual and Healing Abstract inspired by God." He further added insight regarding his creative process. "Sometimes it is a combination...There are times when I can visualize a piece in my mind and then there are times when I just let the spirit lead me in creating that piece. I am an instrument that God is using to speak to his people through my paintings." Not only is the diligent painter fruitful, he indeed, did not fall far from the familial tree of artistic talents. "As an artist in my early days I use to imitate my father’s drawing
Similarly, these qualities resonate from the canvas of his art and have not gone unnoticed by those who admire and purchase Delaney's art. With gratitude he shares, "Some of Vision &Purpose magazine | 19
the things that customers have said to me about my artwork are, that it was unique, they feel a connection, it’s amazing, it's brilliantly done and it’s like nothing they have ever seen before. Some of the reactions I have received from people were utter amazement, tears of joy and disbelief." Ever the man of faith who believes that dreams come true, Delaney looks to the future in the fullness of joy and expectation having a ready heart to give, as well as, to receive. "Some of the things that are next for me concerning my artwork is having my work displayed in art galleries, hospitals, hotels, and businesses around the world and turning my artwork into active apparel one day. Maybe one day my artwork will be displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum." He likes the idea of, "Having my own art gallery." With that, he considers the experience he had with the sale of his first piece of art, "My first piece I sold was to a young lady named Ms. Danella and I felt extremely happy, honored, and privileged that she thought enough of my work to invest in me as an artist. What I love the most is that each person who purchases a piece of my artwork gets to have a piece of me with them forever." As such, he continues, in service to God and man.
V&P Special Edition Quest Delaney
The Sports Report with Lady K
By Karen McConnell-Jones As we give you, our readers, this bonus portion of Quest
he was proud to have his son’s first piece of artwork.
Delaney’s Special Edition, we thought that the Sports Report would be a nice piece to leave you with. this is not
Now, it doesn’t stop there, Quest has two sons who play
because we know how men love their sports, but because
the game as well, and the most ironic thing is that all four
of the beautiful love and special bond that one family
of them played the same positions - shooting guard and
shares within their athletic talents passed down through
power forward. That’s truly genetics. It really is a family
the generations.
thing. Devin Delaney, Quest’s oldest son, shared with me that his father was always there at his games but the one
In sitting down with Quest and the men in his family it was
thing that his dad instilled in him was to be disciplined at
pretty obvious of the one thing that they all had in common
the game. Quest told his son that your mental discipline
and that is the admiration and the highest respect for one
will take you beyond the game of basketball. His mental
another, which was truly a delight to see. Okay, yes and let
discipline will help prepare him for life after the
me not forget to mention the MAD SKILLS that they have for
basketball courts.
the game of basketball. “It’s all genetic,” said Quest. “I’m sorry, it’s just in our DNA. We can’t help it but nonetheless
KMJ: Which brings me to the Q&A portion of our
we got the skills and we got the moves.” He said it with such
interview and my first question. Statistics say that playing
a proud look on his face, making the body language
sports and being an athlete is more than just being
gestures as to mimic some of the moves.
physically fit that it is the mental discipline, the mental toughness that lasts a lifetime. Do you find that to be true
Quest also shared with me that as a child he didn’t realize
and how so?
how popular his dad was. Mr. Louis Gallman, his pops, was a star in his own right. Quest said that he had a chance to
QD: Yes, this is very true! You have to have a mental
meet the one and only Mr. Julius Erving through his father.
toughness because with any sport in order to succeed, the
In speaking with Mr. Louis, he was very humble about his
success starts in your mind. What you learn as an athlete
talent and his days of playing basketball; however he was
can be transferable to every part of your life. Some of the
most proud to
share with me that not only does
he and in common
Quest have the basketball but they both have a
things you learn are discipline, focus, the competitive edge, and determination which goes way beyond the basketball court.
talent for painting, which Quest discovered after his brain injury. The last thing that Mr. Louis shared with me is that he treasures
KMJ: How old were you when you started playing sports?
the very first painting that Quest did and that
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QD: I was 8 years old when I started playing sports. I recall my first competition and we won. Mother still has the ribbons I won. KMJ: As most young boys following behind their father’s footsteps in sports, how much of an influence was your father on your basketball talent? Also, can you share with me how it runs in the family? QD: My father was very influential in my basketball talent. Seeing my father play ball and the way he played made me want to be like him, but develop my own style of playing. Yes, the basketball gene runs deep in our family. My father and I played ball and now my two sons play ball, as well. We all were on All-Star teams. KMJ: What position did you play? QD: In high school my position was shooting guard, power forward and center. One of the reasons I was able to play the center position was because I had a 43 inch vertical shooting ability and could jump high. After high school, I played shooting guard and power forward in Urban Leagues. KMJ: How many trophies did you earn while playing basketball and can you name a few?
QD: I have won over 30 trophies while playing basketball. Some of the trophies I have obtained are: (15) Most Valuable Player (MVP) Trophies, (8) Defensive Player Trophies (7) Trophies for Scoring over 50 points, (7) Trophies for Scoring 40 points or more and this is just to name a few. KMJ: Wow! Impressive! KMJ: Who is your favorite player or players and why? QD: My favorite three players are Len Bias, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. QD: Why Len Bias? He was an extremely physical player with incredible jumping and shooting abilities. He had a heart of a champion. Not to mention, he was my idol who I had the pleasure of meeting and playing ball with at the University of Maryland and he later became my shooting coach. He was the one who helped me to perfect my shooting style. QD: Why Michael Jordon? He had a mental toughness that I had never seen in any NBA player before, his competitive spirit led him to win 6 championships, and he was a leader on the court and off the court. I admired his WINNING SPIRIT. QD: Why Kobe Bryant? I admired his Mamba Mentality. At his will he could take over any game, inspire his teammates to believe and keep fighting. He was not afraid to fail in order to get better. He was a competitive player who was determined to be the best at the game of basketball. At the end of his career he was the best player that ever played the game. RIP Black Mamba! Thank you for being such a GREAT EXAMPLE. KMJ: Well said my friend and thanks for the breakdown. Definitely on point!
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