‘I belong here, and I deserve it as much as anyone else’

Living in a world that is predicated on speed, Tyrell Davis has seen just how fast life can change.

The Winnipeg sprinter is in the midst of a whirlwind start to the calendar year that no one, including him, could have predicted, especially when considering how it all started.

Davis sped to Canadian university gold in the men’s 60-metre event at the U Sports championship in March, then swapped his Manitoba Bisons singlet for one with the Maple Leaf, as he represented Canada in Poland and Louisiana for the World Athletics Indoor Championships and World Relay Camp, respectively, in the following weeks.

Now, the 21-year-old is back in Canadian colours as one of the youngest of 29 Canadians in Gaborone, Botswana, for the World Athletics Relays this weekend (May 2-3).

Davis, who is being considered to help Team Canada defend its gold medal in the 4x100m mixed relay event, has had to balance being an athlete and a fan as he finds himself practising daily with some of the best in the world.

Look one way, and it’s the men’s 4x100m gold-medal winning quartet of Andre De Grasse, Jerome Blake, Aaron Brown and Brendon Rodney passing the baton. Look the other way, and the likes of women’s 100 and 200m national record holder, Audrey Leduc, are perfecting their takeoff.

“It’s kind of hard not to fangirl,” said Davis. “I remember watching Andre in 2016 when he was at the Rio Olympics. I was in Grade 6 at the time he was doing that. So, from watching him to technically being teammates, honestly, feels very surreal.”

“It’s kind of hard not to fangirl.”

Davis said he is keeping expectations low and trying to be a sponge this week. Life has been moving so fast lately, he hasn’t had time to stop and smell the roses that have bloomed during his brilliant year.

“Right from the beginning of the year, in September, we kind of harped on the idea of consistency, and that was the big thing. We needed to train consistently. We need to take care of our bodies consistently. We need to do the little things consistently,” said Bisons coach Gee-ef Nkwonta.

“That was the plan, and he kind of bought into it in September, and so we were able to stack significantly more training days right from the beginning of the year, and I think that kind of helped his base and his fitness and his confidence in a big part, too.”

Nkwonta is in Botswana as a Team Canada alternate coach after flying with Davis to Poland in a supporting role, then going to Louisiana as an apprentice coach.

“I’m their support when needed, not when wanted, all the time. It’s been cool in that regard, to help him navigate the experience on his own, still letting him be independent and do all the things he needs to do, but still being someone… that brings the encouragement,” he said.

“It’s been a great experience for both of us, I think, on that part.”

The experience has been particularly enjoyable, given that it almost never happened.

“It’s been a great experience for both of us.”

Last summer, Davis — an ascending talent in Canadian university athletics — thought about calling it quits after tearing his hamstring. It was the latest in a long history of ailments that have continued to derail one season after another and made him doubt whether he would ever reach the potential that he knew was possible.

This one was Davis’ breaking point, and he spiralled into a dark place where he began to question his future in track.

“From being in that headspace — being like, ‘OK, let’s give this sport one last shot’ — to all of this stuff happening, is just wild,” said Davis, who later sought professional help on why he was often injured and how to better prevent them.

“‘Never give up,’ is definitely one thing, but I don’t know, once that injury happened, my mindset started to switch from, ‘I’m done with this, I don’t want to do this anymore,’ to kind of just taking a step back. I felt like I got too wrapped up into everything, and I almost just went into a spot where things are lighter. I kind of just felt like I went back to basics, back to my roots.”

The basics have potentially landed him a third opportunity to run for Canada. If Davis’ debut in Poland — where he finished the 60m event in 6.66 seconds (0.04 seconds away from a trip to the semifinals), good for 33rd in the world — was any indication, he will fit right in, if given the chance.

“I’m definitely starting to feel more comfortable. I remember going to Canadian outdoor nationals, and that used to be my biggest meet. When I would see those guys, the bigger guys, I would get super nervous, because I always thought they were way up there,” Davis said.

“Now, especially after Poland, just being around those athletes, and now being around these super-high(-level) athletes, I’m starting to almost feel a sense of belonging. I belong here, and I deserve it as much as anyone else.”

winnipegfreepress.com/joshuafreysam