All Paul Hunter truly desired to do was play snooker.
A competitive passion, caught at the very young age of three with the help of a tiny snooker set on his parents' coffee table in his Leeds home, would result in a pro playing days that saw him secure six significant titles in six years.
Now marks 20 years since the adored Hunter passed away from cancer, mere days prior to his 28th birthday.
But in spite of the tragic departure of a generational talent that transcended the sport he adored, his enduring mark on the sport and those who were close to him persist as powerful today.
'The game was his life': Early Beginnings
"We could not have predicted in a lifetime the boy would become a career sportsman," Hunter's mum recalls.
"But he just was passionate about it."
Hunter's father recalls how his son "cared little for anything else" except for snooker as a young boy.
"He was relentless," he adds. "He would play every night after school."
After successfully badgering his dad to take him to a local club to play on regulation tables at the age of eight, the budding player made the jump from table top snooker with aplomb.
His mercurial talent would be developed by the snooker legend Joe Johnson, from neighbouring Bradford, at a now defunct club in the area of Yeadon.
Metoric Ascent: From Teenager to Champion
With his parents' pleas to do his homework regularly going unheeded as the game dominated, his parents took the "chance" of taking Hunter out of school at the mid-teens to fully dedicate himself to forging a career in the game.
It paid off in spades. Within five years, their adolescent had won his first ranking title, the Welsh Open of 1998.
Considered one of snooker's toughest events to win because of the presence of exclusively the best, Hunter triumphed on three occasions, in the early 2000s.
'Paul was fun': His Enduring Personality
But for all his triumphs in the sport, away from the game Hunter's approachable nature never deserted him.
"He had a great temperament did Paul," Alan says. "He connected with everybody."
"If you met him you'd take to him," Kristina adds. "He was enjoyable. He'd make you relaxed."
Hunter's wife Lindsey, with whom he had a daughter, describes him as an "incredible, lively, and kind spirit" who was "humorous, caring" and "always the last to leave the party".
With his natural likability, handsome features and honest interview style, not to mention his immense skill, Hunter quickly became snooker's pin-up for the modern era.
No wonder then, that he was dubbed 'The Snooker World's Beckham'.
Facing Adversity: A Fight Against Cancer
In 2005, a year that should have marked the height of his career, Hunter was diagnosed with cancer and would later undergo aggressive treatment.
Multiple stories from across the sporting world speak of the man's extraordinary dedication to keep promises to public appearances and promotional work, all while undergoing treatment.
Despite harsh reactions, Hunter continued to compete through the illness and received a standing ovation at The Crucible Theatre when he turned out for the World Championships that year.
When he died in October 2006, snooker's tight community lost one of its most popular brothers.
"It is tragic," Kristina says. "No parent should experience any mum and dad to lose a child."
A Lasting Impact: Inspiring Youth
Hunter's true impact would be felt not in palaces and castles but in snooker halls and clubs across the UK.
The charity in his name, set up before his death, would provide accessible training to youths all over the country.
The initiative was so successful that, according to reports, local youth crime rates in some areas plummeted.
"The aim remained for a platform to help get kids off the street," one coach said.
The Foundation helped establish the basis for a significant coaching programme, which has opened up playing opportunities to children all over the world.
"It would have thrilled him what we've done with the sport and where it is today," a leading figure in the sport stated.
Forever in Memory: Two Decades On
Historic matches of their son's matches via the internet help his parents stay "connected to him".
"I can watch it and I can watch Paul whenever I wish," Kristina says. "It's marvellous!"
"We like to reminisce about Paul," she continues. "At first it was sad, but I'd rather somebody mention him than him not be mentioned at all."
Even though he never won the World Championship, the highly probable notion that Hunter would have secured snooker's greatest prize is ingrained in the sport's folklore.
The Masters, the competition with which he is forever linked, commences later this month. The winner will lift the trophy named in his honor.
But for all his successes, two decades after his death it is Paul Hunter's character, as much his spectacular skill with a cue, that will ensure he is always remembered.
