Canada's Christopher takes hard road to Olympics

[STORYMENU]

Story content

• Short order cook
• Ready for Beijing
• Adrenaline sports
• Keen video gamer

[/STORYMENU]

Tyler Christopher, a world-class Canadian runner, won the 2008 International Association of Athletics Federations world indoor 400-metre title in March with a stunning come-from-behind performance at the Valencia Luis Puig Velodrome in Spain.

For this, the 24-year-old native of Chilliwack, B.C., earned $40,000 US prize money. He also makes appearance money and has a Nike contract, which helps fund his training for the Beijing Olympics. Seven years earlier, when he returned home from the 2001 Pan American junior championships in Sante Fe, Argentina, and decided to commit himself to running, it was a different story.

Christopher knew that if he wanted to be successful, hed have to move to Edmonton to train at the University of Alberta where the facilities and coaching are first rate. It wasnt an easy transition because he was broke, hungry and sleepless in Edmonton.

"There was a point when I was sleeping on my friends living room floor," he said. "I was going to the grocery store and picking food out of a bin that people had donated to the homeless because I had no money for food. At that point thats what I knew, I didnt really care. I had a certain goal."

Short order cook

He found a landscaping job working 7 a.m. until 4 p.m., then went straight to the University of Alberta for training until 7:00 p.m. After that, hed rush off to a nightclub job, often coming home at 2 a.m. He worked as a short order cook both for the money and to learn how to cook for himself.

"When you have to pay rent and bills and want to travel theres never enough," he said. "At that time I was a wreck and I had therapy bills. I never really had enough money."

Next came the 2005 International Association of Athletics Federations world championships in Helsinki, Finland, when he turned heads in the athletics world by capturing the 400m bronze medal, setting a Canadian record of 44.44 seconds. Then came his impressive win in the IAAF 400 metres in Spain last March.

In that race, Christopher prevailed over Swedens Johan Wissman (silver medal) andChris Brown of the Bahamas, who finished fourth the year before at the world championships in Osaka, Japan, Christopher finished sixth in that race.

"It just a nice boost to know that I can already beat two of the probable Olympic finalists," says Christopher. "Thats kind of a two down, five to go thing. Its a good confidence booster. Its not something I can let go to my head or anything."

Ready for Beijing

Now his concentration is focused on the podium at the Beijing Games. Its a refrain uttered by dozens of hopeful Canadian athletes but in Christophers case it is not wishful thinking, nor is he practising the power of positive thinking to convince himself hes capable.

Along with Kevin Tyler, his current coach, with whom he has worked since September 2004, he credits former coach Ron Thompson and Nancy Owens, manager of Edmonton International Track Club, a woman he calls his "Edmonton mom." He also credits the parents of a former girl friend with having supported him through some difficult situations.

"Hal and Barb Wright helped me so much and I never really had the chance to say how much their help meant to me," Christopher said. "They helped me out with food and bills and any personal issues, just basically allowed me to do what I do."

Given his early financial challenges one would expect him to come down squarely in favour of increased funding for up-and-coming Canadian athletes. Not so. He maintains that the hardship toughened him, made him resolve to overcome his situation.

"Shoot, I didnt like living like that. I wanted to get better. I wanted more," he recalls. "I think if I had been paid $50,000 or $60,000 a year by the government just to be a Canadian athlete I might have thought, Shoot, I am making 50, 60 grand and I dont have to do anything.But I am not like that at all."

Adrenaline sports

There have been other sacrifices that were perhaps as merciless to endure. Along with his brother Cory, Christopherwas a keen participant in adrenaline sports, everything from dirt biking to cliff jumping which, to the uninitiated, can involve doing backward somersaults off a 100-foot cliff just for the rush.

Now that he has put his trust in Kevin Tyler and his manager Paul Doyle, Christopher brims with confidence. Tyler and Doyle have carefully plotted Christophers path to Beijing to maximize his medal prospects. They shoulder outside stresses, though there have been times when he has let his temper get the better of him. At the 2007 Pan Am Games, he was furious when a false start wasnt recalled. Chris Brown won the gold that day.

Reigning Olympic and world champion Jeremy Wariner led a U.S. medal sweep of the 2007 world championships and is already off to some fine early-season performances this year including a victory over Christopher in the adidas track classic May 18. The Canadian ran 44.71 seconds, his fastest ever season opener, to finish within three-10ths of a second of Wariner.

LaShawn Merritt, the silver medalist in Osaka, leads the world rankings so far but Christopher isnt worried about his competition.

"Anybody can be beaten," he says. "With some people it takes a little more time to get up to the speed they're at. I would say I will race probably eight or nine times before Beijing."I am sure a few of them will be against [Wariner and Merritt] because there are not too many races. I am sure I will be matched up against them so it will be a good indication of where I am at."

Keen video gamer

With his dirt bike and snowboards in storage back in Chilliwack, Christopher has found other ways to fill his days. Between training sessions he cooks for himself and often goes out to dinner just to pass the time. And he has become a keen X-box gamer, often competing against athletes such as Maurice Greene(2000 Olympic 100m champion), Felix Sanchez (2004 Olympic 400m hurdles champion) and Darold Williamson (2004 Olympic 4x400m relay gold medal winner).

Remaining healthy until the Olympics is a major task for Christopher. A series of European meets are in the cards, all opportunities to test himself against the worlds best while earning some money. He reckons it will take a Canadian record time to win a medal. No matter what the outcome, Tyler Christopher remains one of Canadas best medal prospects at the 2008 Games.