Printable Biography of Deborah Gardner

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Deborah has known (and loved) competition her entire life.  She was born to a military family who believed in keeping their children physically active year-round in a variety of sports.  In addition to the normal competitive sibling rivalry, the family’s frequent moves (her dad was a Major in the Marine Corps), meant that she and her siblings were often joining new cities, new schools, new friends, and new activities—sports and social.

As a competitive swimmer since the age of 7, she learned early on that your biggest competitor is YOU and that there IS an “I” in team.  She also learned that the all-out competitive approach rarely, if ever, works.  (Even a 104-degree temperature didn’t stop her from trying out for the cheerleading squad.)  While in high school, she was a West Virginia state tennis champion.

She continued to practice her primary sport (swimming) and it eventually brought her to the Arizona State University, which had the nation’s #1-ranked Women’s Swim Team and graduated a number of Olympic Swimming Athletes.   

After receiving her degree in Communications, Deborah the lifelong athlete began her speaking career with WHO Radio and CBS Sports as one of the first female sports commentators at a time when trailblazers like Jane Kennedy and Phyllis George had opened the doors for women to broadcast men’s sports.   She followed that with a successful 22-year career in hospitality sales for such brands as Hilton, Marriott, Renaissance, Sheraton, and Embassy Suites Hotels.  For the past ten years, she’s been sharing her learning and messages with clients internationally.

Deborah and her entire family are still very active in athletics.  Deborah is a US Master’s Swimmer.  Her dad, after completing his military career, became an international collegiate basketball coach.  His team won Wimbley—the UK-based equivalent of our NCAA competition.  Deborah’s mom, an avid life-long tennis player, has been an instructor and international head coach since 1978 while also being the tennis doubles partner with Billie Jean King. Deborah’s brother once played NBA basketball for the Houston Rockets and is now a professional agent for basketball, scouting talent from high school to the NBA.  Even Deborah’s sister, once a gymnastics team member at ASU, maintains sports involvement through her three active, sports-minded children