'Hometown Star' Damian Warner celebrated with Walk of Fame honour

Damian Warner still hasn’t decided on a permanent home for his Canada’s Walk of Fame plaque.

“I’ve been so busy I hadn’t thought about it yet,” said Warner, the reigning Olympic gold medallist in decathlon.

Warner was given the honour in 2021 but COVID-19 prevented the Walk of Fame from attending each individual inductee’s home.

Friends, family, supporters and a few members of the public attended Thompson Arena at Western University on Monday as Warner’s achievements were recognized.

“What's so special and powerful about the hometown star is that these people that are here are his coaches, mentors, his friends, his family, the people that have been there from the beginning,” said Jeffrey Latimer, CEO of Canada’s Walk of Fame.

He added, “When we do the induction in Toronto, which is a wonderful event, we don't get the feel of your hometown.”

Warner was humbled to be inducted alongside some of his childhood heroes like WWE legend Brett Hart and actor Keanu Reaves. He said he felt out of place in the same class as Sir Frederick Banting and his team of researchers who invented insulin and have saved over 300 million lives.

Damian Warner supporters gather at Western University’s Thompson Arena to honour Warner’s 2021 induction into Canada’s Walk of Fame on Nov. 14, 2022. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

“You look at the list of people that have been inducted in the past and obviously people that will be inducted in the future and I feel like you can't help but think that you don't necessarily belong on that list,” said Warner.

“At Banting house, those are guys that have impacted people's lives you know, they've saved people's lives. I run around the track which is which is cool and it's been the joy of my life, but at the same time, I feel like there's a difference there…but nevertheless, I'm grateful,” he added.

Warner impacts lives in a different way. He’s a humanitarian who donates his time and is an advocate for such charities as Special Olympics, KidSport, and the Boys and Girls Club.

Each “Hometown Star” is given $10,000 to donate to a charity of choice. Warner split it between KidSport and the Boys and Girls Club.

“I remember every Wednesday, I used to go to the Boys and Girls Club,” recalled Warner.

He added, “We would get food and we play there, and I remember playing basketball for the first time at the Boys and Girls Club. And I jumped on the court with these older guys and I didn't know basketball at all. And I was just like, ‘What do I do?’”

Team Warner poses for a photo with Damian Warner’s Canada’s Walk of Fame plaque on Nov. 14, 2022 during a celebration at London, Ont.'s Thompson Arena. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

He credits his time there playing basketball which led him to the sport in high school where he met his current track Gar Leyshon and Dennis Neilson.

He often reflects on his improbable journey, which has required an entire team of local supporters.

“A lot of teachers were in the crowd today,” said Warner. “They've taught me certain lessons or introduced me to certain people or help pay for a certain trip, you know, and I think back to life, if that teacher wasn't there and telling me this thing, or if they were so persistent and getting me to go to the track and getting me to go to school, would all this have happened?”

He also credits his mother Brenda who told him “he could do anything if he set his mind to it.”

Latimer was in awe of Warner’s humility and humanity.

“Sometimes you forget that he's the world's greatest athlete when you hear about his stories as a humanitarian, it’s wonderful,” said Latimer.