Donna Lawrence beams after taking masters 200 at Trials.

Video cameras weren’t allowed at Hayward Field during the Olympic Trials, lest some aunt of a women’s hammer thrower shoot some footage that might show up on YouTube and cause NBC to lose all its money. Pity. We might be able to see W40 Donna Lawrence make up 2 meters in the last 20 and beat a very strong field in the masters exhibition 200-meter race in 25.79. The best we have of this July 5 event is this series of shots. Who is this come-from-behind phenom? All I knew is she was Jamaican-born and ran for a Texas club. So I sent her some questions, and she graciously responded. Here’s my quickie Q&A with the bright and lovely Donna, who runs for the Waterloo Track Club and lives in Austin, Texas.

Masterstrack.com: What do you do down in Austin?
Donna: I am a nightshift supervisor at a semiconductor company, Applied Materials. I also referee basketball on the weekends and officiate at USATF track meets.
Tell me about your immediate family. . . . Did they see you run in Eugene?
I went to Eugene alone. I have no family in Texas. My family is scattered throughout NY, MD and LA. My teammates and friends are like family though … very supportive.
How did you come to move to America from Jamaica?
I grew up in Jamaica with my grandparents till I was 17. I then migrated to the USA after high school to live with my mom. I joined the U.S Air Force shortly after so I could travel a bit.
When did you become a U.S. citizen?
I got my citizenship in 1990. Turns out I was already a citizen since my parents were naturalized and I entered the U.S. before my 18th birthday.
And some mostly Trials-specific questions: You made up a lot of ground in the last 20 meters. How did that happen? Find a new gear?
I can’t even remember the first 50 meters. I think I was still too nervous. I came alive after about 70 meters and saw Renee (Henderson) and Charmaine (Roberts) way ahead of me and thought: “Oh my gosh, they’re gone. I’m getting whooped.” At that point I kicked it (in) gear and began the chase. I was about to settle for third, but this little birdie whispered: “You can do this … relax and maintain your form and go for it … oh yeah, and lean at the tape.” So I did.
I dropped the shoulders and went for it. You can see the difference in the photos you took. I use that to show the young high school girls at the track what happens when you tighten up and lose your form. You just get stuck in a rut.
Have you ever run before so many people before — either here or in Jamaica?
No way. Eugenians are just the nicest group of people I have ever met. They cheered for us just like we were one of the elites. They have to be the coolest track and field fans out there. I ran high school track in Jamaica at our girls championships, but can’t recall the crowd being quite that big.
What are your all-time bests in the sprints? Did you ever meet or run against Merlene Ottey?
I have no clue what my times were in high school. We did not keep track. In the country, we had the grass track which was barely 200 meters. We ran the 150 barefooted. If we made it through regionals, then we ran the 100 and the 200 in Kingston where there was the one of only three real tracks in the country.
I was in an invitational race with Merlene once. She was so far ahead of us that we really couldn’t call it a race. It was her and then the rest of us.
Masters athletes have to overcome injury or other problems at some point. Did you have any challenges this year to meet?
I had so many injuries this year I was ready to quit. No one warned me that hitting the big 40 came with such a physical breakdown. I tore both my groins, my hip flexor and tore both left and right hamstrings. As if that was not enough, in my first race I slipped out of the blocks and twisted my ankle as the gun went off (there were no pins in the blocks). These 40-year-old women are fast, and I knew I had to step up the pace, but I pushed it too hard. Switching to night shift didn’t help either. I would show up at the track to meet the fellas at 10 a.m. with coffee in hand instead of water.
After that I learned to pay attention to my body, rest, eat right and drink Lots of water.
How long did you stay in Eugene? Did you see much of the meet from the athletes’ section of the stands?
I arrived in Eugene late Thursday night and went straight to the track. The view from our section was just great. It felt like I could reach out and touch the athletes. The stadium is just the right size — small and quaint.
Did you meet or chat with any of the elite athletes? If so, what did you learn?
No, I didn’t get to talk with any of the athletes. I am typically very shy when it comes to initiating conversation. I was in the warm- up area with Alyson Felix and Torri Edwards warming up right next to me. Just behind me was Tyson Gay and Shawn Crawford. I wanted to speak, but couldn’t.
Were masters entrants treated well at the Trials? Any difference in how officials handled you vs. the elite open athletes?
We were treated very well — as equals by the officials and the volunteers. They were very polite and prompt. Loved it! The only difference was of course the lack of coverage. I would have loved to see the race. Thank YOU for being there and capturing the moment for us. Oh yeah, and they handed us our medals in the back – cooldown area.
What was the best part of your Eugene experience, aside from winning the 200?
The best part was achieving my PR. I have been trying to get under 26 seconds, but hate the workout required to achieve it. I made the decision to do the work required to make it happen. Seeing athletes like Renee and Charmaine in action at other meets was an inspiration to me.
Apart from that I enjoyed being in an environment where so many people just love and appreciate track and field. I enjoyed signing autographs for kids and adults. I even got recognized at the airport!
Will you compete at Spokane nationals next month? If so, what events? Jumps, too?
I decided at the last minute to go to Spokane. It was not part of my plans for this year. I just got talked into it. I plan to compete in the 100, 200 and attempt the triple jump.
How have people at home, including friends and co-workers, reacted to your Trials victory?
My teammates were very excited and happy for me. The word got around rather quickly (I didn’t tell a lot of people that I was going.) Once the word got out, people wanted to know if this meant I was going to Beijing. I wish! The high school kids at the track were impressed and now motivated to work hard and excel at their own . . . Junior Olympics.
Anything else you’d like to mention about your Trials visit?
I consider the invitation to run at this event an honor and a memorable event. The best part is that although I am reserved (and) prefer to stay out of the limelight this has provided me the opportunity to share more about masters track and field with so many people who are now just curious or shocked that people our age still run and compete.
Around here we have distance runners, cyclists and triathletes. I know there are lots of retired high school tracksters who miss track and field, and I just want to see more of us fit, fine and fabulous forties out there showing the world that track and field in indeed “a sport for life.”

Donna edges Renee Henderson (in pink) and Charmaine Roberts at the Olympic Trials. — Ken Stone photo