I WAS THE QUINTESSENTIAL NERDY KID. I WAS BULLIED QUITE A BIT. SPORT HELPED ME CHANGED WHO I WAS.

children at schools is I put up a picture of me when I was nine years old,” said Dunfee, who will compete in the 20-kilometre race walk through Gatineau Park on Sunday as part of the Canadian Track and Field Championships.

“I was the shortest kid in the class, had red curly hair, I had big thickrimmed glasses, I had short shorts and long socks. I was the quintessential nerdy kid. I was bullied quite a bit. Sport helped me change who I was.”

Dunfee joined a lunchtime running program at school in Richmond, B.C., and then stumbled into race walking. When his brother, Adam, was advised to take up race walking to stay active after having his appendix removed, Dunfee decided to follow suit.

“I won my first race and I haven’t looked back,” he said.

Dunfee, 26, has enjoyed his share of national and international success, including winning race walking gold at the Pan-Am Games at Toronto in 2015. won bronze, it would have just been another one of our medal winners from Rio and my event would probably fall by the wayside, (with people saying) ‘we got a bronze in that weird race walking event.’ The way things unfolded, race walking has gained way more respect than it would have otherwise. People say ‘yeah, they look funny,’ but they are working their butts off.”

Dunfee suggests his background will help give hope to others who were in his situation growing up.

“I’m very cognizant that I’m not going to be the role model for the kid that wants to play in the NHL,” he said.

“But if I can help be a role model for the kid that was like me, the runt of the class that doesn’t know where they can go — if I can move that kid in the right direction — that’s really cool.

“Andre De Grasse can be the role model for the other guys. I can be the role model for the little guy.”