Andre De Grasse celebrates after winning the senior men’s 100-metre final during the Canadian Track and Field Championships in Ottawa on June 19.illustration by The Globe and Mail/THE CANADIAN PRESS/Patrick Doyle
For someone consistently called the fastest man in Canada, Andre De Grasse likes to take it easy on his days off, enjoying what he calls “premium chill and recharge time.”
These days, however, there’s little of it to go around. With his eyes on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, De Grasse is chasing another podium finish – and aiming to break the tie he shares with swimmer Penny Oleksiak as Canada’s most decorated Olympian (each have seven medals).
The Scarborough-born, Markham, Ont.-raised sprinter carved out a rare moment away from training in Florida to come back home to stand alongside fellow Canadian athletes. Recently named one of 11 ambassadors for FIFA’s Iconic XI World Cup initiative – which involves supporting the Canadian men’s national team as well as various youth soccer programs – De Grasse hit pause on his routine to champion the next generation of sporting talent and answer a few rapid-fire questions about life in the slow lane, at least by his standards.
Which athlete has impressed you most in the past year, either on or off the field?
I saw [three-time Olympic soccer medalist] Christine Sinclair the other day, and she’s definitely one of the most inspiring athletes in Canada. What inspires me most about Christine is her work as an advocate for women’s sports … including the launch of the Canadian women’s soccer league [the Northern Super League]. I have a daughter [with wife, Olympic medalist Nia Ali] and I want her to grow up with strong role models and opportunities if she decides sports are part of her future. People like Christine are helping create that path.
Do you get anxiety over watching fellow athletes perform – because you have first-hand experience on how high the stakes are?
Absolutely. Especially Canadian athletes – I want them to represent themselves and the country to the best of their ability. When I’m watching events, I feel so invested, like I’m part of the team. It gets very real after you start taking photos with Team Canada – you get the sense that everyone is working toward something bigger with you.
You’re currently training for the Olympics. How is the cycle different then when you started?
Training at 31 is definitely different than training at 21.
When you’re younger, everything feels new. You’re learning, improving and enjoying every moment. The excitement comes naturally. I’m still motivated, but now there are days when I wake up feeling a little more sore and achy than I used to. Sometimes you even have moments where you think about retirement.
What is the biggest red flag when picking a coach?
Bad communication. A coach-athlete relationship needs to be built on trust and honesty. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to your coach, that’s a problem. If a coach is constantly blaming athletes, refusing to take responsibility or creating a negative environment, that’s not someone you want to work with. Coaching should be a two-way street. Athletes need to be coachable, but coaches also need to listen, adapt and be accountable.
How does your recovery differ compared to during past Olympic training?
When I was first coming up, it was simple. You saw the physiotherapist, got massages and visited the chiropractor. Today, there are AI-powered systems, timing technologies, sensors built into spikes and machines designed to increase blood flow and improve recovery. I do red light therapy and use an infrared sauna and electromagnetic recovery devices. Ten years ago, massage guns weren’t part of the conversation.
After getting an $11-million paycheque from your Puma endorsement, what was the first expensive thing you bought?
A BMW for my mom. Shortly after that, I bought a house in Pickering, Ont. It felt good to be able to give back to my family.
What is the cheat-day meal you often dream about having after your race?
I’m not someone who goes out to fancy restaurants, but when I’m back home to visit my mom [in Pickering], I love getting spicy beef patties from Allwyn’s Bakery and I like getting poutine. My mom’s cooking is probably my biggest indulgence, though. She makes saltfish and dumplings, curry chicken and oxtail – special meals for me.
What music do you listen to after hitting the gym or the track?
A lot of hip-hop lately. I’ve been to a Drake concert and was hooked and have listened to all three of his new albums. Right now, my favourite track of his is Janice STFU.
You’re currently working on a biopic of your life. What real-life scenes do you hope will end up making it into the film?
Winning at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto – it was a true breakthrough moment. Competing at York University, where I trained growing up, and winning in front of my family and friends was incredible. I won three events there. Winning Olympic gold during COVID-19 was important but unique because there were no fans in the stadium. I’m not sure how that would translate on screen.
Last good movies you saw?
The Michael Jackson movie – I really enjoyed it. The ending felt a little abrupt, but overall it was great.
If I had to create a soundtrack that represented my life, Billie Jean and Beat It would definitely be on it.
Which places make you take your mind off the track?
Growing up, my mom used to take me to Trinidad, and I would also visit my dad in Barbados. Those islands have always felt special to me, and I’ve gone back many times.
More recently, I’ve travelled to Turks and Caicos and the Cayman Islands. The Caribbean is my favourite place to reset. Everything moves at a slower pace, and it’s easier to disconnect from the noise of everyday life.
Universities such as McGill and Simon Fraser have recently cut funding for track and field programs. What advice do you have to next-gen runners who require financial support to train and compete?
We created the Future Champions Scholarship Program to address this lack of resources and support high school athletes with opportunities that can help them earn scholarships and continue their development.
I was fortunate to have people who believed in me – my first coach, Tony Sharpe – connected me with people who provided the resources I needed, whether it was equipment, spikes or financial support. I didn’t always have access to those things, so now I’m trying to pay it forward. My advice to young athletes is to keep working hard, lean on your support system and find people who genuinely want to help you succeed.
What’s your take on the Las Vegas Enhanced Games, where doping was allowed, given your own drug-free career?
I still don’t know exactly where I stand on the Enhanced Games. There seem to be two perspectives. Some are fascinated by the idea of seeing what the human body can do with performance-enhancing drugs – it’s almost like watching a superhero movie and wondering how far human performance could go.
Others believe sports should be about discovering the limits of the natural human body through hard work and training. Personally, I’m somewhere in the middle. I’m not strongly for or against it. From what I saw in track and field, the performances weren’t particularly impressive. Looking at the results, there were enhanced performances that high school athletes could match – it was an embarrassing moment and certainly wasn’t the breakthrough many people expected.
