Race walker is a ‘role model for the little guy’
Dunfee keeps walking his own path and hopes to inspire others to do the same
KEN WARREN
Evan Dunfee has taken a rather bizarre route to his position as a compelling role model, making a loud point by repeatedly laughing at himself.
Dunfee, who became a household name in Canada last summer following his courageous and controversial fourth-place finish in the 50-kilometre race walking event at the Rio Olympics — he was essentially hip-checked out of a bronze medal — hopes his story can provide an inspiration to scores of children unsure where exactly they fit in.
“The thing I do when speaking to 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, thick-rimmed 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., 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 in Toronto in 2015.
Yet he gained national — and international — attention for what happened en route to finishing fourth at the Rio Games.
In the final stages of the highly competitive race, Japan’s Hirooki Arai bumped Dunfee aside in the battle for third.
The finish is also remembered for the racers collapsing across the finish line, having pushed their bodies to the limit, giving some respect to a sport often ridiculed.
Arai was disqualified, granting Dunfee the bronze. After an appeal, however, Arai earned his medal back. Dunfee opted not to file his own appeal, content with the result.
“It has been very strange, surreal,” Dunfee said when asked about how his life has changed. “If I had 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 growing up in a similar situation.
“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.” kwarren@postmedia.com twitter.com/ Citizenkwarren
I was the quintessential nerdy kid. I was bullied quite a bit. Sport helped me change who I was.