The Backyard Where It Began

26 years ago I wrote a story for a magazine about the Hockeyroos titled, The Hockeyroos – Australia's Greatest Team. At the time they were Olympic Champions and undefeated in major tournaments for six years.

I spoke to Renita Garard briefly on the phone for the article and came away thinking that I had just spoken to a lovely lady. After the article was published I saw her at a tournament and personally thanked her for taking the time.

It was a small interaction but, again, I came away feeling as though I had just spoken to a warm, genuine human being — the kind that leaves you feeling good about yourself.

The Hockeyroos went on to defend their Olympic Gold Medal in Sydney with Renita captaining the side. She was a rock that a team could be built around and her ability to remain calm and perform at the highest level was a constant her team could rely on.

She retired from International Hockey after Sydney but her name recently came up and I was immediately interested in what she had been doing. When I spoke to her way back then she was studying a Bachelor of Business.

The commitment and dedication she put into her study and career was obviously the same as her Hockey career because she has moved from success to succes. She completed a Bachelor of Business, became a Chartered Accountant and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Playing for Australia was not on her radar but her career path was set early on.

"I'm quite a logical thinker and when I was at secondary school I had the most amazing accounting teacher and I pretty much fell in love with accounting."

Born and raised in Townsville she began playing hockey with her cousins when she was seven. They enjoyed playing together in the backyard but even as she improved and represented her city she never dreamed about playing for Australia.

"I never really dreamed of going to the Olympics," Renita recalled. "I actually just dreamed of being exceptionally good. I loved getting better and better and better at something."

Her ascension to Australian honours was "a long journey" but it was the process and the journey that motivated her, and in Hockeyroos coach Ric Charlesworth she found the perfect mate.

A Long Journey, One Percent at a Time

"When I was 17 I got a scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport and that's probably where it stepped up a level."

It was her ongoing quest for excellence and steely determination that helped her to study toward becoming a chartered accountant while representing Australia across the world.

For 10 years she attended the Institute, training and playing for her country, and returning home to her family in Townsville for Christmas. She won the 1994 World Cup and three straight Champions Trophy titles between 1995 and 1999. In 1996 Renita was co-vice captain of the Hockeyroos team that won gold in Atlanta.

They say things come in threes and as well as the gold medal in 1996 Renita also graduated from university that year. In the Australian men's team that won bronze in Atlanta was Brendan Garard and between Atlanta and the 2000 Olympics Brendan became Renita's stepson when she married his father Gerry.

"I think that we strove for the most excellent game that we could actually play and if we did that the result would just take care of itself. Our team were the favourites for most of it so it would've been easy to get distracted by the prize, whereas I found myself focused on processes and the outcome would take care of itself."

Gold, and Then Another Journey

"I haven't played a game of hockey since the gold medal game at the Sydney Olympics."

Retiring from hockey to focus on her career, her first priority was gaining her chartered accountancy designation. A month after the Sydney Olympics Renita was elected as a Board Member of Hockey Australia Limited.

She held the role until 2012 and in her 12 years on the Board acted as Vice President, Finance Director and a member of the Finance and Investment Committee. Following the 1996 Gold Medal Renita was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 1997 and was a recipient of the Australian Sports Medal in 2000.

It was not just Australian Hockey that knew the value of Renita but World Hockey also. She was appointed an Executive Board Member of the World Governing Body for the sport of Hockey in November 2006 and remained until 2012.

She was Chair of the FIH Athletes Committee and a member of the sport's Compliance, Audit and Risk Committee. Her time with both the International Hockey Federation and Hockey Australia included involvement in the development of sport across all levels throughout Australia and the world.

Renita began working at Arthur Andersen as an accountant and the firm supported her for the next four years of her sporting career, allowing the flexibility she needed to represent her country in sport. A benefit of working for a large professional firm was that there were a number of jobs that could be "picked up and put down" again.

"I think they found it quite easy to fit me in and I certainly tried, after I'd retired, to speak at a lot of conferences about teamwork and leadership."

A Family Built Around Service

A Family Built Around Service

Gerry, a National Service Army 2nd Lieutenant and Vietnam Veteran, and Renita co-founded the 4 Aussie Heroes Foundation. The Foundation supports anybody from the military, police, fire and emergency services and correctional services, past or present, who may be experiencing the debilitating effects of PTSD.

Gerry was this year's Queensland Senior Australian of the Year Nominee. The Foundation hosts 11-day Triumph over Trauma residential courses for participants and their families, delivering guided support programs to help with recovery.

Gerry was instrumental in raising more than $7 million to build a permanent rural retreat called Camp Courage, which will host future Triumph over Trauma courses.

A family of over-achievers: Brendan married Australian triathlete Melissa Ashton who, upon retiring became an Australian selector for 10 years. She was Head of Operations at the New South Wales Office of Sport and is currently Chief Executive Officer of Rowing New South Wales and Director of Australian Triathlon

Governance Is Just Teamwork

Her first appointment to a Board position outside of sport was in 2008 when Renita became a Director of the Northern Australia Primary Health Limited. As was becoming the norm she was the Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee.

A proud Townsville girl, Renita was named Port of Townsville chair in 2015. As a Director with PricewaterhouseCoopers Australia and a former holder of senior positions with KPMG, Crowe Howarth and Ernst & Young, she is a well-regarded business leader.

"Ms Garard brings a wealth of commercial and leadership experience to the board, having provided financial and taxation advisory services through senior roles with leading professional services firms for more than 15 years," Acting Queensland Premier Curtis Pitt said at the time of her appointment.

In 2017 she became the first female director of the Queensland Rugby League saying on her appointment,

"I think it's a real privilege to join this team and help guide this great sport in Queensland,"

The same year the Townsville Fire's WNBL club appointed her the club's inaugural Patron.

"I am extremely passionate that children in regional locations receive the same opportunities to further their sporting interests and passions just as those who live in metropolitan areas."

"In sport, you know everything about your teammates. If you're going to be standing next to them in the Olympic final you have to know everything about them, they have to know everything about you — how you're going to react in a certain situation, how you're going to deal with something."

Garard believes people would achieve better results at work if teams got to know each other better.

"I certainly try with the people I work with to know everything that I can about them because we're all performing every day — particularly when you're trying to deliver a project."

The biggest lesson from playing Olympic level hockey that has helped Garard succeed in her professional career is a willingness to learn, develop and improve. Olympic success also taught her to be grounded, humble and to always keep in mind that your reputation is vital.

"We were realistic that it wouldn't last forever and you have another journey after your sporting life and that you have to take your credibility and your integrity with you. Irrespective of the current job you're doing, things you do now can impact you for your whole life."

In 2020 Renita received the Member of the Order of Australia (AM), for her service to hockey and other career pursuits, including as a director for the 4 Aussie Heroes Foundation.