Drawn to archery at the age of 13, Crispin Duenas has a favourite motto: “Practice does not make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect.”
The Ontario-born athlete has been perfecting his craft over the years, and it has paid off. Duenas is a two-time Olympian who competed in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012. When the XXXI Olympics is held in Rio de Janeiro this summer, Duenas will represent Canada again in archery.
Based in Scarborough, Ontario, the 30-year-old is the son of Filipino immigrants Rolando and Helena Duenas. According to the Canadian Olympic team’s website, Duenas works as a high school substitute teacher in math and physics. He has a degree in physics from the University of Toronto in 2011, and an education degree in 2013. Duenas also has formal training in music. He plays piano, drums, guitar, flute, and trumpet. He once played guitar with astronaut Chris Hadfield at the pre-Rio 2016 Olympic event.
According to team Canada’s website, Duenas also goes by nicknames Crispy, and Black Duck. Joan McDonald, his coach since he was 14, said in a media interview during the 2012 London Olympics that Duenas is “absolutely” proud of his Filipino heritage.
According to the Olympic team’s site, Duenas has also competed at three Pan American Games, winning team silver at Rio 2007 before capturing individual silver at Guadalajara 2011. The site recalled that Duenas had a major breakthrough at the 2013 World Archery Championships when he won bronze for Canada’s first world medal in the individual recurve event in 42 years.