My Wheelhouse

I was an Olympic-track long jumper when I tried on my dad's old skates. I've been rolling through life ever since

- BY JARED KERR

I WAS BORN and raised in Brampton, one of seven siblings.

I started doing track and field when I was 10, and my dad was my coach. From the beginning, my goal was to earn a scholarship to an American university and compete in the Olympics. By the end of high school, I’d signed with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, a small historically Black school, on a full ride for hurdles. But, at my last high school meet, my friends and I made a bet: we'd all try a new event, and whoever did best would get $20. I chose long jump, and my lack of experience was apparent—you’re supposed to land on your butt, collapsing into the sand, but I landed on both feet. Then the official measured the jump and gave me a weird look. I'd broken two local records.

I went on to win the Canadian nationals for long jump in 2018. I wanted to pivot away from hurdles, but I had contractual obligations to my school. Stuck in non-compete limbo, I returned to my childhood home in Brampton. Months later, I was sitting in my bedroom when I got a call from an unknown number. It was Carl Lewis, a nine-time Olympic gold medallist—the Michael Jordan of jumpers. Lewis wanted me to train with him at the University of Houston, and he managed to get me released from my contract.