In a series of short profiles, Capital Current introduces some of the people working hard to improve life in Ottawa.
Who is he?
Derick Fage is a television host, producer, actor and motivational speaker. Throughout his career he has covered, among other things, news, sports, entertainment, fashion and food.
What’s his background?
Fage is the host of Daytime Ottawa on Rogers TV, a show that gives viewers a look into events in the community, cooking tips from chefs and more.
“I grew up in theatre and did a lot of improv growing up, so I wanted to be an actor maybe in film and television but then this hosting opportunity came along looking for a new host for Daytime Ottawa and so I applied and got the job,” Fage told Capital Current. “I actually ended up liking it more because I got to be myself.”
What’s he known for in Ottawa?
Aside from Daytime Ottawa, Fage is a professional motivational speaker.
As an example of the kind of speaking he does, in 2017, Fage gave a TEDX talk on the Relentless Pursuit of Happiness. He has also spoken at such events as the DFK Canada Conference, the fifth annual Fraser Health Patient Experience Conference and the Rise Anxiety and Depression Clinic.
He often speaks about a medical condition he was diagnosed with at birth: he lives with chronic fecal incontinence, which has had complications throughout his life. Over the years, Fage has met many people who have experienced the same challenges and different forms of incontinence.
“I’ve pretty much overcome it; it doesn’t mean that I don’t have bad days like anyone else that lives with any type of illness but I have managed to manage the medical condition as best as I can,” says Fage.
Fage has become an ambassador for the Canadian Continence Foundation and was the first non-medical professional to speak at the International Continence Conference in the hopes of showing people with challenges that they can still live a full life.
What’s a lesser known fact about him?
In his TedX talk, Fage discusses his medical condition frankly and with humour, referring to himself as being “the face of feces” as a child in Canada.
