Doreen And The Purpose Of Discipline

Doreen Garner, 71, throws the shot put on the way to a gold medal at The World Masters Athletics championships on March 29. Discipline in rehab, she said, helped her get back to form after two knee replacements in 2024. Photo by Morgan Tahvonen.

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By Ray Glier

ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla.___In the last two weeks we have seen the emergence of the “Torpedo Bat”, a “thing” that might significantly impact Major League Baseball. Economic strife could stem the flow of Nike shoes and young basketball players might feel less of a player without their brand, which is another “thing”. Supplements and gear___things__ are being marketed as a way to get hopefuls on a big stage, like the Olympics.

Canada's Doreen Garner, 71, is simply a reminder of one of the fundamentals of sport, which does not involve things. 

Discipline takes an athlete to another depth. It can stabilize and act as a navigator against turbulence, which can be injury, or nervousness leading to sub-par performance.

Discipline is warm-blooded emotional capacity___not a thing___ and it is what I thought about after I talked to Garner, who won gold medals in discus and shot put at The World Masters Athletics championships.

Discipline conquered injury. Discipline conquered nerves. 

Geezer Jocks of all abilities have figured this out, some earlier than others. This is a reminder that you got this.

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Doreen, a Canadian star decades ago, said nervousness cost her what slim chance she had for a medal in the weight throw (W70-74). She finished fourth. That was Thursday.

“I couldn’t do my footwork in the weight throw because of nervousness,” Garner said. “Mind you, I might not have medaled even if I had thrown my best, but I didn’t throw my best.”

The disappointment teed her up for a dominant performance in the shot put on Saturday, which she basically won with her first heave (9.65 meters, 31 feet, 8 inches).

Garner was nervous for the shot put, she said, but she didn’t let it ruin her technique on the way to the gold. Once again, a fundamental of discipline she acquired decades ago paid off.

On the pad, Doreen raised then lowered the shot straight down until it was under her jaw. Her elbow was high. She had immense leg drive and then glide in the follow-through. Nerves didn't interrupt a thing.

“It's funny, you know, we're so much older and still get just as nervous.,” she said after crushing the field in the shot. “The nerves never leave, but I was determined not to let that affect me in the shot.”

Doreen also managed the anxiety that comes with competing after two knee replacements in 2024, as major a surgery as you can have as an active Geezer Jock.

“I didn’t know if I would ever throw or ski again,” said Garner, who was among Canada's best in the discus 50 years ago.

But the knees held up and Doreen said she is starting to use her legs again for push behind the shot, instead of trying to strong-arm it. Garner said she is throwing as far as she did three years ago when she was 68.

Once again, discipline was in play.

“It was weight training that got me back, lots of weight training, and mobility exercises to get the knees back, the same things everybody does,” Doreen said. “I just probably did those things to a little bit further extent because of discipline.

“I think if you're more disciplined than sort of the average person in trying to get back, that helps.”

We know this, right? Most of us do know, as we have gotten older.

Garner showed what I call “animal spirit”, which is not a gnashing of teeth or fierce fighting. It is what all animals have: drive, determination, discipline wits, savvy.

Listen, I don’t want to mythologize every Masters athlete who won a gold medal, or two, at the WMA in Florida. I want to point out Doreen’s priors, which are things in reach of all of us: discipline and drive and determination.

George, her husband, told me Doreen is “flat out one of the best athletes I’ve known, male or female.” She wasn’t just a thrower when she was younger, George said, she was a runner and jumper, too. That talent got her extra coaching and more repetitions as a pentathlete.

What earned Doreen gold at the world championships was drawing on that discipline she developed 50 years ago. It's another lesson for Geezer Jocks put into action by a Geezer Jock. Do not lie flat when the turbulence comes. Meet it. Deal with it. Use your years of experience to get through it.

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Doreen (center) and Peggy Peck of the U.S. share a laugh at the Women's 70-74 shot put at the world championships in Florida last month. Photo by Morgan Tahvonen.