Jan 26, 2020
Evan Dunfee is a top name in the sport of elite race walking, but perhaps more importantly, he is an outspoken advocate for both clean sport and athlete rights.
Evan finished an agonizing 4th at the Rio Olympics in the 50K race walk and then came back to earn the coveted bronze medal at the World Championships in Doha in 2019.
Kara and Chris interview Evan, and they discuss both experiences including the one thing that made that 4th place finish in Rio particularly satisfying (hint: clean athletes), plus how he prepared for the extremely hot and humid conditions in Doha.
We discuss his beginnings in the sport of race walking, which actually started with him as a runner at an early age. Evan gives us a lesson in how race walking - "running with rules" - actually works and how he progressed from a national talent in Canada to an athlete who could compete with the best in the world.
Evan holds nothing back as he discusses doping in race walking, the Russian ban, and what can be done to elevate the athlete's voice through all of it. If you know nothing else about Evan Dunfee, then you will want to listen to hear his story about getting kicked out of a competitive venue for yelling doping accusations at an athlete who would later be banned.
Evan isn't afraid to tell it like it is, and we could certainly use more athletes like him in the fight for clean sport.