Christel Donley was inducted into the USATF Masters Hall of Fame in 1997 — the second class. That means she was THIS close to being a charter member, a very high honor given the candidates. By all rights, she should be inducted every five years. Just because. Now W75, she sets records in the short hurdles and multi-events at every turn. But if you ask her about her biggest thrill this season, it might not be the heptathlon WR she set in June or the 80-meter hurdles WR set at Kamloops last spring. The biggest buzz for Christel may have been her reunion with two of three teammates from the 4×100 relay teams that won gold in the second world masters championships in Goteberg, Sweden, in 1977 and again at 1979 Hannover, Gemany, when she was a W40. Here’s Christel with 1964 Olympian Cherrie Sherrard and Irene Obera (a 1996 Hall of Fame inductee, at right).

So a Q&A is long overdue for Christel. And this one is long delayed. Christel responded to my questions last spring, and I’ve been too lazy to put them up.

Slacker no more. Here it is:

Masterstrack.com: What’s your athletic history? What events, sports? Start in Germany?

Christel Donley: I started track and field in Germany at age 13 — just 75-meter dash, long jump and baseball throw. Other sports? You name it. Gymnastics (we had a competition — three events in gymnastics, three in track and field). That that was our multi-event.

Played team handball for many years, a team sport not known to many Americans. Almost all sports were club sports. Played many international handball tournaments and I think that sport gave me the stamina to run for an hour (two 30-minute halves). Throwing a ball, a bit smaller than a volleyball, with full force into a soccer size goal, was the beginning of my love for throwing.

Did diving from a 3-meter and 5-meter board (had many nosebleeds to show for it). No competitive sport in schools, just PE everyday, very boring — until we changed to running and jumping!

Later on joined a sports club and competed until I moved to the USA. It was the same club that Phil Raschker had joined. She was in the Youth division, I “graduated” to the women’s age group.

When did you move here?

First time in 1963, just to see “America” as we all called it. Went back to Germany and came back in 1968 to stay.

When did you get involved with officiating? Why do you like officiating and running the Pasadena (Senior Olympics) masters meet?

Started some officiating in Germany, same problem as here. Not enough officials. So we learned the rules and helped out. It’s called “Kampfrichter.”

Before the 1984 (Los Angeles) Olympics, we had some clinics in officiating, and for the Games I was working as an interpreter at a Hospitality Center. Great job and close to the track. From then on, it was officiating whenever I had time; there were enough meets that needed people.

Pasadena started the first so-called Senior Olympics 18 years ago. I was coaching at Occidental College, and was asked to be the meet director for the T&F portion. Over the years, we developed a great meet, gained a lot of support from Masters T&F. Only regret was athletes had to be 55 years old. This was changed to 50 some time later. Big advantage was, that I could use Occidental College for many meets, but we had the same problem: needed officials. Never really thought about whether I liked it. I must have, otherwise I would not have stayed with it.

Do you ever compete in meets that you direct?

Absolutely no running, since there is no time to warm up. Since the Senior Games are also qualifying meets for the National Senior Games, I normally try and get a few throws in, and maybe high-jump. But I cannot really concentrate on an event — which showed in my fall last year in the javelin. It is tempting to participate, since it is one of the early meets in the year, BUT…

How many masters records have you broken? A favorite record?

To be honest, I don’t know. I never recorded records, just some dates and places. But since you asked the question, I started to recall — quite a few. Note, that for many years we did not have the criteria of sanctioned meets, wind gauges, implement weigh-in, etc.

Yes, a favorite WR I recall, was in 1987 in the triple jump, and with that I also had my worst experience in the World Games in Melbourne. I was leading the TJ and thought I had won. One of my Australian competitors came late, we were done with the finals and she was in second place. She had one jump left and I was asked if she could jump out of order and still take her jump. What would you have done? I agreed and she took her jump. She clearly fouled, the red flag went up, and the second official started to measure.

Her jump was a fraction better than mine and so the arguments started. She was given the jump and the official with the red flag just shook his head; he got overruled. I was kind of shocked and had to hold my youngest son back, who had been watching the competition, and jumped up and down to congratulate me. I was told that I could protest, and I did not choose to do it. We did not have a team manager. I had to agree if she had a better jump, she won, but it was a clear foul.

A day later we ran a world record in the 4×400. That made up for it.

By the way, what’s the saying? “Records are there to be broken”? Not much of a comfort at times!

How many world and national masters championships have you been to?

I missed 1975 — did not know about it — and did not go to Gateshead. That means, I have been to all but two. Nationals, I missed ONE!

How has masters track changed over the years? What still needs to be changed?

Changes have been huge — more and more competitors, mainly women. We started with a handful, so it seemed. We added events. Meets got more and more organized. Rules were established. Committees were formed. Big meets were organized. Clubs evolved. I belonged to the Corona Del Mar Track Club and did not even know where CDM was. And here is where all the friendships started! I could go on, listing things that have changed.

The question: What still needs to be changed? is very difficult to answer and to accomplish. Attitudes need to be changed and expectations need to be realistic! With all the talk going on about volunteers vs. participants, I came to a conclusion: One has to be involved with both sides. We wanted more meets, I was willing to organize, and I was lucky to find help and facilities.

As a meet director, legitimate complaints I can deal with — and try to solve the problem. I agree that things [can go] wrong, but just coming and complaining, I have a very hard time to manage. I will leave out the drug-testing. That’s done on a higher level.

How did you and Jerry [Donley, another Hall of Famer] meet? How long have you been married?

Jerry and I met during a convention in San Diego, He was our masters chairperson, and asked me if I could be the women’s coordinator. At that time, we had more and more women coming into the program, some totally new to track and field, but willing to try new things.

It was a very rewarding assignment; again, here friendships were formed, that are still lasting — and the reason for my memories of our relay team from 1977 and later. That’s were it all started. Jerry and I met and talked at conventions, or by phone, since he lived in Colorado. I cannot recall any big problems that needed to be addressed.

In 2001, we met again on our trip to the World Games in Brisbane. We both took that trip with very heavy hearts. Jerry’s wife had passed away, and I was at a very difficult time in my life. The rest is history, and became a wonderful — in the real sense of the word — future. We have been married for 8-plus years, and consider ourselves more than blessed.

We joined the ranks of Karen and Emil Pawlik and Jeannie and Bill Daprano! All of us met during masters track and field meets. Jerry and I support each other, and if something goes wrong, here is the rule: You have 20 minutes to be upset, whatever. Then it’s over. At times the 20 minutes last just a bit longer.

What’s it like to run track in your 70s?

What was it like to run track in the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70 and plus? Still the same butterflies before a race. Still the same thought: Why and how long will I do it? Still the same joy and disappointment. The hope for a good performance, the knowing: It did not work. The analyzing: How can I still improve? Or how can I maintain? The result cannot be ignored. Being healthy and being able to do things that I have done most of my life — just on a very smaller scale. So 75 years does not sound too bad.

And not to forget the many friends that have gone alongside. if I name one, I should name them all. They know who they are and they know my gratitude.

How do you manage all your injuries?

Not very well. It’s been a roller coaster, and I think and know, it is not only the biological age. It’s simply not working out smart enough to get a good base. There are always excuses — weather, no place to train, too tired, too many things going on. So I try to pull it “out of my reserve.” Some talent helps.

Coaching at Oxy for 20 years and doing double duty — coaching hurdlers at Arcadia High School at the same time — for five years took a lot of energy. So competing without being really prepared was a high risk and resulted in more injuries than necessary. It seemed that every time I thought I was really back in shape, something else happened. Running hurdles, which I coached as reckless running over obstacles, has become difficult!

And of late, the shoulder replacement on my non-throwing arm was the last thing I expected. Getting hurt in Lahti during the hurdles — on the next-to-last day — was totally out of the picture. I was so prepared and ready, I thought.

And then Kamloops, and then: Welcome to the new age group. That’s this year! I really had high hopes! Maybe I can just enjoy the fact that I am still with it, and not worry about the outcome. It could work!