Well deserved, Dr Neil Gardner

Saturday, October 22, 2011

THIS newspaper joins all well-thinking Jamaicans in hailing Dr Neil Gardner, who was on Wednesday night named the seventh recipient of the Courtney Walsh Award for Excellence.

Dr Gardner is no ordinary Jamaican. He is among the country's finest 400m hurdlers, good enough to have reached the semi-final of the event — considered among the most physically and mentally exhausting in competitive sport — at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, USA.

As an athlete at the junior level in Jamaica and on the US college circuit he excelled. Equally, he excelled as a student, qualifying himself to practise in the highly specialised field of chiropractic neurology.

Dr Gardner is living testimony to all sportsmen and women of the heights which can be achieved by dint of hard work, not only on the track and on the field of play, but also in the classroom.

He embodies the advice given to students attending Wednesday night's function by Mr Courtney Walsh, that great Jamaican for whom the Award for Excellence is named.

"Play hard, enjoy what you do, play in the spirit of the game and remember there is life after the game," Mr Walsh, the former Jamaica and West Indies captain and legendary fast bowler, reportedly said.

The award to Dr Gardner meant that the esteemed selection panel believed he had also met the basic criteria of having consistently exhibited a high level of humility, integrity, discipline, and dignity.

It's a special thing for any person to embrace and consistently demonstrate not just excellence and rigorous discipline but also humility and integrity — the latter qualities being absolutely essential for healthy human relationships.

To Dr Gardner and the other nominees — netballer Ms Nadine Bryan, ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year 2011 Ms Stafanie Taylor, and Special Olympian Mr Nigel Davis — we think it appropriate to remind them of Mr Walsh's charge for them to return to their communities to serve.

"You should all go back and do some work in your communities and we will definitely have a better Jamaica," said Mr Walsh, an Ambassador-at-Large whose work in helping young cricketers is making a huge difference in Jamaica.

Mr Walsh and others like him have long recognised that mentorship is an extremely important ingredient in the development of young lives. He actually practices what he preaches.

In addition to heeding the advice from Mr Walsh, Dr Gardner and the nominees at Wednesday night's function should also take to heart the words of Wolmer's head boy Mr Chevar South: "We view their (nominees) positive example, both on and off the field, as a gift to us... and we remind them that we are waiting in the wings."

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Well deserved, Dr Neil Gardner