By: Jonathan Yue

“I’m always out there to prove myself, earn respect and showcase what I am capable of doing.”

Aaron Brown has learned a lot since the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London, England. A lane violation ended his World Championships pursuit that year, postponing what could have been a breakout event for the then 25-year-old. Since then, Brown has made it a priority to get back to the top, proving himself as one of the top sprinters in Canada and in the world. Now that the opportunity has come again for Brown, he’s prepared to show the world what he’s capable of.

The Motivation #London2017 || #doha2019 pic.twitter.com/3Al4486leZ

— Aaron Kingsley Brown (@KingsleySC) September 14, 2019

“It’s been something that I’ve been looking forward to ever since it happened,” said Brown. “I competed at the Commonwealth Games, NACAC Championships, but it is a completely different ball game when you’re talking about World Championships. I wanted to make sure the next opportunity I got to represent Canada at a World Championships, I would take advantage of it.”

Proving himself at every competition, this season has been a successful one for Brown. He set a new personal best of 19.95 at the Diamond League meet in Lausanne before defending his Canadian 100- and 200-metre titles in Montreal. It was surely a statement championship for the Toronto-native, one that saw him flirt with his personal best time of 9.95 in the semi-finals en route to inching out Canadian teammate, Andre De Grasse in the final.

In an extended season like this one, Brown had to play around with his schedule – as did many of his World Championships teammates. Even though there have been bumps along the way, he’s feeling healthy and ready for the expectation of peaking in Doha once it is time to step into the blocks.

“I’m in great shape,” said Brown, who will be competing in the men’s 100- and 200-metres in Doha, as well as the 100-metre relay. “I’ve been in the mix this year, raced in a lot of top races in the Diamond League circuit and nationals so I have a lot of confidence and never been more motivated going into the World Championships.”

His confidence is evident in his competitions too. Brown had a strong Diamond League season, which saw him win his first two Diamond League title in Shanghai and Sweden. He also hasn’t finished lower than fourth place.

If he is able to put on a strong showing in Doha, it would solidify him in the conversation as one of the top sprinters in the sport. Something that he’s prepared for and ready to do.

“It gives me a lot of confidence, being able to visualize something and then to make it happen,” said Brown. “I had several big goals at the beginning of the season, now it’s about continuing the momentum that I have, overcoming small setbacks and making sure that when the time comes, I’ll be able to maximize my potential.”

Canada will be sporting a level of depth in each event. Brown will be joined by De Grasse and Brendon Rodney in the 200-metre races, and that trio should give Canada opportunities for success.

They will be joined by Gavin Smellie, Jerome Blake, and Bismark Boateng in the men’s 4x100-metre relay, as they look to improve on their sixth place finish from the last World Championships in London. Brown is looking forward to training and competing with them in the following weeks, as it gives each of them something to work with and challenges each other to be better, as competitors and as teammates.

“It definitely helps having someone you are friendly with, but at the same time competitive around,” said Brown. “We try to push each other to be the best. On the start line, when I see another Canadian in the race, I’m in that mindset of wanting to be the top Canadian and I’m more motivated to be at my best because I know they will be at their best. At the end of the day, we all want many top Canadian performances.”

“Fierce competitors on the track but once the races are over, we’re back to being good friends. When we have the same goals on the same relay team, its back to having that comradery.”

Always learning and a student of the sport, the former University of Southern California Trojan believes he’s achieved his task of staying consistent, especially when it comes to the second half of races. This year offered up a new additional challenge for Brown, with the late season being an adjustment for many athletes. With a minor hip flexor injury during strength training following the Canadian Championships, Brown admits he had to run through some pain during the last competitions, but is ready to run his best in Doha.

This will be his 10th year since he first represented Canada at the international stage and his outlook hasn’t changed. He’s open to sharing his experiences with his teammates if he’s approached too. At 27 years-old, he understands what someone coming into their first World Championships may be feeling.

“It’s a huge blessing to be able to represent Canada so many times, travel the world and have success,” said Brown, who first represented Canada in 2009 at the World U20 Championships. “Don’t take anything for granted, even though you project to have a long career, you never know what’s going to happen, so go after it and take advantage of every opportunity you get to represent the country.”

He’ll be joining his teammates in Barcelona, Spain for the team training camp in the coming days. As the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar approach, Brown will be ready to perform, looking to prove himself, and turn some heads in the process.

“Once I get there, I’ll be using all my experiences as a reminder of why I worked so hard these past few years.”