Resilient Shiddo reflects on record-setting career
Omar Shiddo was stabbed in July 2020. Surgery required 31 staples. He was bedridden for a month. Then he returned to Western, finishing what he started — breaking the Mustangs’ all-time scoring record.
(Photo: Brandon VandeCaveye / Western Mustangs).
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Omar Shiddo realizes he was making more memories than baskets – and Omar Shiddo knows how to make baskets.
“To think about this being my last week of university basketball, it’s crazy. As a team, we rolled with the punches all year. Through it all, I have tried to stay totally present and just soak it all in. All of it. But no matter how much I can soak in, how many memories I try to keep, I am going to miss it now that it’s over.”
This week, the popular 6-foot-1-inch guard wrapped up his record-setting Western Mustangs career. And while his on-the-court numbers will be written in bold for years to come, it might be his off-the-court character that teammates and fans will never erase.
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Western was perfect for Omar Shiddo – a landing spot close to home, academically strong, socially comfortable, a place (and a team) where he could contribute right away.
“Western was somewhere I could see myself building,” said the Brampton native. “It’s a big university experience with lots of opportunities. London is a place that’s not a small town, but not a big city either. It all feels like home here.”
Mustangs head coach Brad Campbell, who began recruiting Shiddo in Grade 11, said the shooter’s talents were obvious early on. He had “that shot,” great hands, and a constant motor on the court.
At the university level, Campbell explained, there would be times Shiddo might not be the best athlete on the floor. Others might be faster. Or jump higher.
But that never mattered to his coach.
“Nobody – nobody – will outsmart him,” Campbell said. “He’s super smart out there. He’s got a very high IQ. He’s got a tremendous mind for the game. He sees things. He understands things. He picks things up so quickly. He understands concepts, spacing, and what needs to be done at all times. He has got a great mind for the game.”
While that talent attracted Campbell to Shiddo initially, the coach’s interest was piqued when he started hearing about the person behind the player.
“We’re talking about a high-character guy. A great teammate. Here’s a guy at 19 years of age that had this incredible maturity you don’t see every day,” Campbell said. “As a coach, we see it all – all the varying levels of maturity in young men that age. To have what Omar had, and to have it at that age, was great.”
Shiddo didn’t disappoint when he arrived on campus, either. Almost from the start, he was seen as a campus leader among athletes.
“When he came in as a rookie, he had a little bit higher maturity level than some others. That meant he was going to be able to react and deal with teammates who could be four to five years older than him,” Campbell said. “That also meant he was more likely to be able to deal with situations and obstacles that come up a little bit better.”
And obstacles … well, they did come.
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He doesn’t shy away from the story.
On July 31, 2020, Shiddo was stabbed. The knife damaged his spleen, punctured his lung and diaphragm. After undergoing a laparotomy – a surgery where doctors repair wounds through the stomach – Shiddo spent five days in hospital (four in intensive care) and emerged with 31 staples across his chest. He was bedridden for a month.
The journey was more than physical for the elite athlete. His mind could not help but drift: Would he be the same? Be able to do the same things? Play ball at the same level?
That moment was the origin of TTBG – Time To Be Great – a mantra that rallied Shiddo to recovery. It is a message he still carries forward in his own life and one he delivers into the lives of others.
“It sounds so simple, but it is something I tell myself,” he explained. “If there is something you are worried about, just do it to the best of your ability. It is about you vs. you. It is about you being the best version of yourself. From that time on – that is what I have been living by.”
Shiddo has told his story countless time in recent months. It has been covered in media across the country. Even still, he isn’t sure people fully understand what it means.
“I don’t think I have really soaked that journey all in yet,” said the first-generation Somali Canadian, who credits his Muslim faith for everything. “Honestly, that journey is just a testament to God, a testament to the hard work it took to get back, a testament to my family, my loved ones, all of them for being there for me. It really takes a community. I’m nothing without my loved ones. I’m nothing without God blessing me with my ability and strength. I feel truly blessed.”
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How many times have you heard that this has been a weird year? Well, it’s true.
“This year has been – interesting,” Shiddo laughed. “Just from last summer, we went from being in a lockdown, to not knowing if we were going to have a season, to having a shortened season, to the league having no hiccups in the first half, to going into lockdown, to back playing again.”
It was a roller-coaster ride that, admittedly, was not easy at times.
In January, Ontario enacted restrictions to combat the pandemic that closed gyms and other indoor recreational sports facilities, except for athletes training for the Olympics and Paralympics and “certain professional and elite sports leagues.” Ontario University Athletics (OUA) was not designated as ‘elite’ and therefore sports weren’t allowed to return until Jan. 27.
The move prompted OUA officials to issue a statement condemning the omission. It read, in part: “The notion that the hard-working student-athletes, who have long strived toward the goal of competing at the postsecondary level and proudly representing one of the OUA’s 20 member institutions in the sport they love, aren't considered elite by the Government of Ontario is a disservice to the dedication, commitment, and talent that they continue to show on a day-to-day basis.”
Because of the stoppage, the Mustangs went 74 days without playing a game.
For Shiddo, however, it was just one more challenge to take in stride.
“My whole goal this year was to be present, enjoy every practice. Everything that you might be tired of, or be exhausted by during the season … I tried to have an open mentality about all of it,” he said. “There are a lot of younger guys on our team, so I wanted to be a good leader, help show them the way, be a good vet. I wanted to go out having no regrets, leaving nothing on the table.”
Through it all, Shiddo thrived on the court this season.
On Nov. 5, 2021, he became the university’s all-time scoring leader when he drove the lane in the third quarter against Algoma University to push his career OUA regular season point total to 1,852. That bested a mark set by Greg Morrow in 2016.
“When you hear ‘all-time leading scorer,’ I understand your mind goes to the fact I can score with the ball,” Shiddo laughed. “But honestly, it’s a lot more than just that to me. It’s about being loyal and sticking it out, about being one place for a long time. A lot of players in my generation know how easy it is to transfer schools if you hit rough times. But that record shows that I stuck it out, I stayed true, I stayed loyal, I was blessed to be healthy, and I was able to do what I do for the years I was here.”
Overall, the fifth-year senior cemented himself as one of Canada’s top university players. He led the nation in points per game (28.2) and was third in total points (367) while playing three fewer games than the leader.
His accomplishments might even be a bit more impressive (if possible) when you consider he largely slid over from his natural two guard spot to play the point, where he had to create opportunities for others, in addition to scoring.
“Omar is a scorer. No question. He has done that since he came in,” Campbell said. “But where Omar has evolved most is as a playmaker. He was pretty incredible this year: He led the country in scoring this year, but also dished out more than 5 assists per game – which is no easy task.”
A talented Mustang squad was plagued with injuries, only playing a handful of games with a full roster. The team ended its season with a 103-72 loss to Laurier on Wednesday in the OUA playoffs. Shiddo scored 31 in his final Western game.
While his points will be missed, Campbell knows there will be a larger void left by Shiddo beyond all those bold numbers.
“We’re going to miss his leadership by example,” the coach said. “Omar is a vocal leader who puts forward this incredible example and work ethic. We’ve been lucky to have him set a culture of hard work and preparation. He’s a worker. He’s a gym rat. He’s going to put in the time on his craft. For his teammates to experience that and see that, hopefully it has been rubbing off.
“His journey has been incredible. He’s overcome so much and is just such a positive dude.”
(Photo: Brandon VandeCaveye / Western Mustangs).
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Shiddo, 25, hopes his future remains on the court. International? G-League? It’s hard not to dream about the possibilities.
“I am looking forward to challenges of the next step and all the different things that come with it. I am excited about getting better and just honing my craft,” he said.
“I want to play professional basketball at the highest level I’m able to. I love this game. I want to play basketball for as long as I can. I believe I have the talent. If it’s God’s will, I will hopefully just play basketball for as long as possible – doing what I love to do.”
As he leaves Western, he is proud of the fact he has no regrets.
“I feel fulfilled. You have a lot of aspirations when you come to school or a new program. The main thing for me has been winning, having relationships that will last a lifetime,” said Shiddo, who graduates this summer with a Criminology degree from King’s University College. “Other than a championship, which we were very close to, I feel blessed to have had a strong career. I am leaving with a degree and some strong friendships. I feel I have left my mark.”
The defending champion London Lightning begin their title defense Nov. 23 on the road vs. Sudbury, the first of a 34-game schedule that runs thru March. Home opener happens Nov. 28 vs. Newfoundland.