Canadian Olympic great Andre De Grasse changes lanes for a better future - Toronto Star

“On Track with Andre De Grasse” premieres next Saturday on CBC Gem.

Canadian Andre De Grasse, left, hits the finish line for gold in the 4x100-metre relay at the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Inside the gym at Toronto’s Market Lane public school, Andre De Grasse stands in front of hundreds of kids with their eyes glued to a TV screen. They let out a collective gasp of excitement and applaud as they watch the world-class sprinter anchor the Canadian men’s 4x100-metre relay team and win a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

De Grasse has rewatched it a million times, but this is different.

“It’s so great to see the kids laughing and enjoying it,” says the 31-year-old De Grasse, who was born in Scarborough and raised in Markham. “You never really know how people are going to react.”

You also never know who might be inspired by your journey, which is part of the reason why the seven-time Olympic medallist greenlit “On Track with Andre De Grasse,” which premieres next Saturday on CBC Gem.

In the series, De Grasse offers advice to his 10-year-old self based on childhood experiences in Scarborough and Markham and his career in sports.

“It’s great running and being able to inspire kids with my athletic performances, but I wanted to find another way to kind of resonate with them,” said the sprinter, whose children are eight and five. “Kids are great, they are talented, but sometimes they just need a little extra lift, a little bit of a push, a little extra hard work. They need to learn how to be resilient and to persevere.”

De Grasse, a recipient of the Order of Canada, recalls looking for a role model when he was young and not really knowing “where my life was going to go.” Late in high school he met Tony Sharpe, the former Canadian sprinter and track and field coach. Impressed by De Grasse’s speed, Sharpe advised him to quit basketball and focus on track.

“He kind of gave me a direction in life,” De Grasse said, adding that Sharpe also encouraged community volunteering.

With his sporting legacy secured (tied with swimmer Penny Oleksiak for the most Olympic medals in Canadian history) he’s spending more time giving back through his charitable organization. He wants to make a difference off the track.

“People see the medals, but they don’t see how hard it was for you to accomplish that,” he said. “Sometimes the road is going to be bumpy ... but you’re going to keep pushing yourself and trying to be your best every single day.”

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Gilbert Ngabo is a Toronto-based sports reporter for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @dugilbo.