Ontario man living the dream hosting World Cup in Qatar
Most of the action at the World Cup is on the field, but for those in the stadium seats there's another show – this one features a Canadian talent.
"My job is to inject as much fun as possible and to leave them with a lasting experience. Whether they win or lose, my job is to make sure they can go home saying 'wow that was a great show.'"
He goes by Dancin' Wayne. The Oshawa, Ont. native has been working as an in-stadium host for the 2022 World Cup games. From dancing, to fan-interviews, Wayne does almost anything he can to entertain the fans at the games.
"It's been a marathon," he told CTV News, "I think I've had three days rest and that's just because of the grind of so many games."
The journey from the GTA to Qatar involved a move to British Columbia, and a decision to make a big life change.
"I quit my job," he said. "I felt like I wasn't, I shouldn't be sitting at a desk eight hours a day. I went full time on an app called TikTok, ended up becoming pretty popular on that app. A couple of companies slid into my DMs…one of them was FIFA."
After hosting a couple of trial events, Wayne was chosen to be one of the hosts for the World Cup.
His epiphany also followed a serious motor vehicle collision that he was involved in last year.
"A drunk driver ran me off the road and almost left me with very long lasting injuries where I couldn't even walk properly. And I went from that to where I'm at now because I didn't want to live the same life I was living."
Dancin' Wayne is seen at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Wayne says he spent three hours a day in the gym, every day during the 18 weeks leading up to the tournament to get himself into shape for his stadium performances.
"They're not small stadiums right? These are 50 thousand seat stadiums so to get from one end to the other end to see some fans you've gotta move, you've gotta hustle."
With the World Cup wrapping up in Qatar, Wayne has been having the time of his life. And he hopes others will be encouraged by his story to stop sitting on the sidelines of life and get in the game.
"My best message to people right now is find your best version of happiness. I was hosting and dancing and doing all this stuff as a kid in high school even up through college and even then I loved doing it,” he said.
“It wasn't about the money, it was just about what I wanted to do. And I did the millennial thing and got a corporate job and paid off debt which was great but it wasn't me so I had to go back and realize I wanted that version of happiness again."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
BREAKING 15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.
Mexican authorities say thieves killed 2 Australians and an American to steal their truck
Thieves killed two Australians and an American on a surfing trip to Mexico in order to steal their truck, particularly because they wanted the tires, authorities said Sunday.