8 minute read
Life & times of Caden Teneycke
BY GABRIELLE LEE
The public has long been fascinated by Caden Teneycke.
At twenty years old, the Ladysmith native stands at three-and-a-half feet tall. He’s often found roaming the city in his lifted truck or moving from place to place on his Segway, all while donning his signature backwards cap. “[People] always remember me,” he admits. “[People] always … [have] the questions.”
Indeed, Teneycke leaves an impression – one so significant that it’s been the catalyst for his career. The last few years have given rise to his social media presence, which continues to grow rapidly. As of today, he’s accumulated over 2.5 million followers across his platforms on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Teneycke is a little person. He has a rare form of dwarfism called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, which, in addition to his height, affects his physical health and mobility in a number of ways. His videos offer an authentic peek into his day-to-day life. “I pretty much show everything. … If it’s a part of me and a part of my life, it’s probably going to be featured in my videos,” Teneycke says. “I think it … cater[s] towards … a lot of people … because it is kind of raw and authentic.”
Though Teneycke’s online popularity has skyrocketed within the past couple of years, he’s been producing content and has been interested in the field since he was a boy. “I first got into social media …when I was 11. Growing up with my condition, I was … not the most physically able. So, after school, my friends would be at … hockey practice, [and] I would … find myself [watching] different YouTubers,” Teneycke explains. “My parents understood … [I had] limited physical ability, but I’m sure they would’ve loved for me to draw or to go throw the ball for the dog instead of always being on my iPod.” He laughs. “[Once], my dad came around the corner. I was watching … a vlog … and he [said], ‘You know, Caden, instead of watching all that stuff, why don’t you try and learn how to make it?’ And of course, 11-year-old me … not having the most entertaining lifestyle, I was like, ‘There’s no way people are going to watch this.’ … But that’s when I went to YouTube and searched up how to make YouTube videos, instead of just watching others. I got my first camera about … a month later and [made] my first video about a week after that.”
Teneycke’s interest in producing content waned in secondary school, but other involvements during his adolescent years helped to familiarize him with public-facing work. He secured a job as a Youth Contributor for CBC Kids News. He spent time hosting galas with BC Children’s Hospital – experiences he credits for helping him develop his public speaking skills as well as his ability to build a personal brand and manage the business aspects of video production. As Teneycke’s high school years came to a close, he was inspired by friends who he saw making an income on social media. He picked his camera back up and has been consistent with his output ever since.
Teneycke realized that he had a notable perspective – one that people were drawn to when shared. “[I] figured [my identity] was what would set me apart from everybody else that was in the space. … There’s not a lot of little people out there making the content that I do [and] … it allowed me to really stand out,” he expresses. “[The] first video that showed me on my TikTok was how I wash my Jeep at three-and-a-half feet tall. That was my first viral video. … Everybody was so interested, [wondering] how to drive the Jeep? Why do I drive a Jeep? … And then it just spiralled from there, [with] people being intrigued about how I live my life at [my height].”
Teneycke focuses on producing engaging, diverse content that’s shared through the lens of his unique outlook. While his videos do touch on his experience as a little person, they also highlight his time as a fourth-year business student at the University of Victoria, as well as his hobbies, travels, and friends.
“I post a variety of content. Some days, it’s cooking; some days, it’s taking the Jeep off-roading. Some days, it’s talking about my surgeries. I’ve really tried to cater my content to be specifically about me and how I do things. … People watch it because of how I tell the story and how I present things in [my] perspective.”
Naturally, his content also showcases his most memorable interests, lifted vehicles. Teneycke depicts all that comes along with owning the cars he does: the alterations that make the vehicles drivable for him, the places he’s able to access, why he chooses the cars he does, as well as the care and maintenance that comes along with it all. “My dad, who’s a little person ... my whole life, he had lifted Jeeps, lifted trucks, side-bysides. … I feel like a lot of young kids want to be like their dad … and I had a quad when I was really young, so I kind of fell in love with … riding and driving,” Teneycke says. “Being myself while getting out of a jacked-up truck is [also] just a gold mine for content, so that definitely helped foster my addiction to vehicles and anything with wheels. … Now that I’ve been able to incorporate it [in] my content ... I have some vehicles that I probably wouldn’t have if it weren’t for the videos.”
Though Teneycke crafts his content with engagement in mind, a core message remains throughout all his work – one that’s rooted in awareness. “I think this goes for anybody who’s living with a unique feature. … Maybe it takes me one or two extra steps to do something, but I can always do it. If I want to drive a jacked-up truck, I can modify it to do so. If I want to reach something on the top shelf, I can grab a hockey stick to fling it down. … There’s always a way. And I think I try to showcase … just that,” Teneycke explains. “A lot of the time … you might look at somebody with a difference and think, ‘Oh, it must suck to be them,’ or, ‘I can’t imagine what it’s like,’ and of course … there’s extra hurdles … but at the end of the day, I’m just Caden. I’m an average 20-year-old kid. I just happen to be half the size.”
The balance Teneycke manages with his work is fine, especially with his more lighthearted content like skits. He remains cognizant of educating and not exploiting, stating, “I like to spread awareness, I like to showcase what it’s like to live with my condition, but at the same time, I don’t want to exploit it. I don’t want to kind of take advantage of it to where it’s almost making fun of it [or presenting it] ... in a different light.”
This message from Teneycke has resonated with people; his career and business continue to rise. He has goals of eventually accumulating ten million followers and is interested in building a team and starting a media company. At the same time, he remains aware of the often fleeting nature of social media prominence and understands that his current role may not be enduring. “I think content has a bit of a shelf life,” he says. “My goal has always been to be in front of the camera for probably five, ten years and then eventually move behind [it and] work with other creators.”
Teneycke remains connected to the place where he was raised, and, like most people, hopes his work will one day allow him to purchase a house or an acreage in his hometown. He also speaks of bringing more opportunities to Vancouver Island. “There’s not a lot of creative opportunities [here], especially in Ladysmith and in the smaller towns. So I think bringing that into a community might have some benefit. … I think it’s a valuable skill … [and what] the world is going to slowly be moving towards,” he states.
Teneycke expresses that since childhood, he has always been paid attention to, stared at, and wondered about. With social media, he now has the chance to engage and express himself on his own terms, in a way that is creatively fulfilling, flexible and rewarding. “I can kind of live my life, and people somehow love to watch it,” he says. Indeed, it seems like more and more will continue to tune in to see just that – how Teneycke, like any other 20-year-old student, navigates the world.
Teneycke can be found at @officialcadenteneycke on TikTok and @CadenTeneycke on YouTube.
