Yohan Blake, who defeated legendary Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt in his prime – twice – is coming to Toronto to help raise money for children in need here in the city and in Jamaica.
Dubbed the “second fastest man in the world”, Blake defeated Bolt, his training partner and teammate, in both the 100-metre and 200-metre sprints at Jamaica’s Olympic trials in July 2012.
A month later at the London Olympics, Bolt responded by winning the gold medal in both races while Blake finished second.
Bolt nicknamed Blake ‘The Beast’
Blake was nicknamed “The Beast” by Bolt himself, who when asked in 2008 if there was any sprinter who could challenge him responded: “Watch out for Yohan Blake. He works like a beast. He’s there with me step for step in training.”
Despite those two Olympic losses to Bolt, Blake had a remarkable career in sprint racing.
He won gold medals at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and 2012 London Olympics in the 4 X 100 metre relay; two Olympic silver medals in the 100 and 200 metre sprints in London and two gold medals at the world championships in Daegu, South Korea in 2011 in the 100 metre sprint and 4 X 100 metre relay.
During his racing career, Blake won 26 medals in all at major track and field competitions, including 17 gold, four silver and five bronze.
In honour of his achievements, Blake, 35, was awarded Jamaica’s Order of Distinction (Commander Class) earlier this week for his contributions to track and field, philanthropy and youth mentorship.
Blake is also a gospel singer
He’s also a gospel singer, which is why he’ll be one of the performers at a charitable fundraising concert organized by Toronto saxophonist Dave McLaughlin, to be held on Saturday at the Rosewood Church of the Nazarene, 657 Milner Ave. in Scarborough, starting at 7 p.m.
VIP tickets cost $70 and regular admission is $30, and a jersey signed by both Bolt and Blake will be up for auction.
There will be a door prize of a complementary stay at the SeaGarden Beach Resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica, one of the sponsors of the concert, along with Ajax Royal LePage broker Heather Alexander.
For more information, McLaughlin can be reached at 647-655-7811. Tickets can also be purchased onTicketGateway.com(Google ‘Toronto Benefit Concert’ at TicketGateway.com.)
McLaughlin, leader of the Dave McLaughlin band, is a world-class saxophonist who donates a portion of his CD sales to charity.
He has been holding fundraising gospel concerts in and around Toronto for years to raise money to fund post-secondary scholarships for deserving students in financial need in the Greater Toronto Area as well as to combat poverty in Jamaica.
McLaughlin, who was born in Jamaica, became a Canadian citizen after emigrating here in 1991.
We met in 2007 while we were both doing volunteer work for the same charity.
What motivates him is his belief – learned at his parish church while growing up in his birthplace of Montego Bay – that good deeds are not something one does from time to time to make oneself feel good.
Rather, McLaughlin says, they are a commandment from God, expressly stated in Psalm 41:1 that for those who have the ability to give, “Blessed is the one who considers the poor.”
McLaughlin told me he does what he does “because every child can grow up to become anything – a doctor, a lawyer or a criminal. We have to help them make the right choices.”
I’ll be the guest speaker at McLaughlin’s concert on Saturday talking about the importance of charity.
