Congratulations
The first thing I would want to say to Mr. Andre DeGrasse would be congratulations on an amazing season in track for 2015.
Grace and Maturity
Next I might tell him on all accounts he has handled himself remarkably well while achieving enviable results by anyone’s standards and he is only just at the start of his career.
Personal Records and Consistent Results on the World Stage
I would remind him of what a huge achievement it has been to win double gold with personal bests and world leading times at the NCAA championships in June 2015 . DeGrasse did not stop at the NCAA as one of the most competitive athletic environments in the world. Instead he bounced back by winning 2 more gold’s in his home country with more personal best times at the 2015 Toronto Pan American Games. For his age and his experience these results are once in a lifetime achievements. Just this week DeGrasse achieved another personal best time in the men’s 100 meter by tying for 3rd in the one of the most stacked finals of the World Championship finals in Beijing. He decided to not run the 200 meters showing maturity and patience and a rare understanding of the overall physical cost his season has taken on him.
Relaxed and Confident
I’ve been watching DeGrasse handle himself in the media and it’s pleasing to see a very talented young person who appears relaxed in the blocks yet confident with how he follows through with each run. I am not sure of what lane assignments he had at the NCAA but to win the men’s 100 meter from lane 8 in his home city and then place 3rd from lane 9 in Beijing is more impressive than having had one of the best lanes all sprinters wish for in the middle.
Life Lessons
The temptation for DeGrasse at this moment will be to stop going to school, collect as much money as possible and begin to prepare for what some consider the biggest prize coming up at the Rio Olympics in 2016. It’s a rare occasion that anyone regrets completing school especially when they are virtually finished and there is no real downside to it. It was impressive to hear him report to Toronto’s Globe and Mail that he will do what was best for him and his family and he would speak to his mother when it came to make any final decisions.
Final Thoughts
I am sure I am not the only person around that will be excited to watch DeGrasse’s progress. It’s been a fantastic year for track in Canada. It has been enjoyable to watch a new comer to the sport, a person with a great attitude , with loads of talent and a likeable quality. I wish the very best for Andre DeGrasse is what will be a bright future.
The best to you in sport,
Angela Coon