Andre De Grasse has spent much of his life racing toward the next finish line, but his latest project takes him back to where it all began. In CBC’s new show On Track with Andre De Grasse, the Olympic champion plays his future self, helping his 10-year-old self navigate the doubts, challenges and big dreams of growing up.
What was it like seeing yourself as a 10-year-old again for your new CBC TV show? Only this time, you’re playing your future self, trying to get that kid on track.
It was a really cool experience for me. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be doing something like this. I always knew that coming back home I was a role model for kids. To be able to bring this to life and do something of this nature is really inspiring. Not just for the kids watching it, but for myself. It’s pretty cool that now I can actually teach them life lessons through the challenges that I’ve had in my childhood and through support as well.
What can you tell us about On Track with Andre De Grasse?
It’s just going to show them that Andre kind of went through this. He gets nervous sometimes too. He sometimes wants to quit, or he thinks he’s not good at something, or he doesn’t have the confidence to do something. All those things that they might have as they’re growing up just shows that it’s possible if they keep believing in themselves and continue to dream big and follow their dreams.
Was it fun to play a version of yourself for the show that gets to be a bit more goofy and lighthearted?
I’m always a goofy person. I’m always laughing and joking around with family and friends, and I don’t get a chance to do that on the track or show that side of me. I try to show it a little bit, smiling, of course. Back in the day with Usain Bolt [and the smiling duel at the 2016 Rio Olympics] and those types of things, people saw a little bit of it.
And what did you discover about yourself as a performer that surprised you?
I think I work well under pressure. You’re competing in front of people, but now you’re actually trying to act in front of people. You have everybody watching: the camera crew, the writers, producers. Everyone’s watching you, and you gotta nail these lines.
Toronto has always been an important part of your story. What does the city mean to you now?
I love being in the city. The city has grown so much. They’re doing so many different things with infrastructure. Every time I come back, I feel like they’re building something or doing something. It just looks different every time. New restaurants, new foods, new culture. I just love the city and how diverse it is, and there’s always some little pocket where you can go do something and kind of just experience a new adventure.
How is the current track season?
We had our first annual Ultimate Championships this year, which was an amazing, great experience. I’ve been kind of injured the last couple of years, so it just felt good to be back competing, back in the final, back being healthy and just using that championship to build momentum toward Worlds in 2027 and, of course, the L.A. Olympics in 2028.
Between Olympic champion, dad, role model, now TV star, what’s the next thing you’d like to try that people might not expect from you?
Well, this was the thing. So now I have to think of something new. I always have check mark stuff that I want to do. Of course, in the beginning it was, like, can I start a foundation, give back, start modelling, do some acting? So we’ll see. The next big thing right now, I’m just trying to work on having a movie about my life, a biopic. I think that’s kind of the next step that I’m looking forward to trying to work on now.