Andre De Grasse shares his secret to running better

In December of 2020, I took up a virtual challenge to run two kilometres per day for a month. Was I already a runner? Nope. I'd say I was a sporadic jogger at best. Was it hard? Absolutely — but not as hard as I'd anticipated. I managed to get outside nearly every day, and the feeling of accomplishment was incredible. My favourite thing to do was end my run on a downhill to enjoy the truly unbeatable thrill of speed. I chased that runner's high pretty consistently throughout 2021. But this year's routine has been marred by starts and stops. 

I was in search of inspiration to help me get back on track when I got the chance to chat with Andre De Grasse. The Scarborough-born sprinter and coauthor of the motivational children's book Race with Me! recently touched down in Toronto to launch his new partnership with Tre Stelle and the company's new product, Cheezmade, a meat alternative made with 100 per cent Canadian cheese. He was fresh off his Team Canada gold-medal win in the men's 4x100-metre relay at the World Athletics Championships, where he ran the final leg in a swift 8.79 seconds. And yes, I asked the most decorated male Olympian in Canadian history how I could become a better jogger. 

During the interview, which has been edited for length and clarity, we also talked about what it was like to battle COVID-19 on his road to victory and the charitable endeavours that keep him moving forward. 

Congratulations on your gold medal! What's been the sweetest part of experiencing the win?

Just knowing that we made history … it's been [more than] 25 years since we've done anything like that. So it was good to get some congratulations from the guys that have been there before — Donovan [Bailey], Bruny [Surin] and Robert [Esmie]