Savoring dinner and a tall glass of cranberry juice with athlete
and taekwondo coach DONNIE GEISLER
It’s not every day that you get to sit-back, relax, and hang out with an
Olympian. It’s fun that I’m actually friends with one. Donnie Geisler, Coach
Donnie to all of his students, is a taekwondo medalist in the 90s and early
2000s. He represented our country a number of times in the Southeast Asian
Games and twice in the Olympics (Sydney and Athens) and was ranked 7th
place in the world. Though for almost five years that we’ve known and treated
each other like siblings, never have I heard him brag about any of these titles
that’s why I knew that he’s a good egg this one. He’s now the proprietor of the
Donnie Geisler Taekwondo Training Center, which he co-manages with his wife
Jen, and also teaches the sport to different schools and a few private
sessions. He spends most of his days making the rounds on the establishments
wherein he supervises his taekwondo coaches. A very soft spoken and private guy,
it’s safe to say that he’s quite the opposite from his very outspoken and
candid brother, actor Baron Geisler. He had a short stint in the outrageous world of showbiz when he entered the Pinoy Big Brother house years ago but Donnie wasn't bitten by the showbiz bug and opted to be a private citizen and focus on his passion which is taekwondo.
I scheduled to meet
him on a holiday a few weeks ago. With me was a box of cranberry juice, his
favorite drink, and a plastic bag of green mangoes. I went to their house and
stayed til dinner where he cooked a hearty squash soup, potato wedges, and
burgers. I don’t remember ever tasting cranberry juice but I like
drinking fruit juices so it wasn’t a surprise that I'm good with the flavor. Get to know more about the other Geisler as
I asked him a few random questions while enjoying our drinks.
HOW DID WE MEET?
Donnie’s version
Close to five years ago, we met at Rockwell, in Via Mare. We went there
because Baron called us up. He said that he wanted us to meet you because he
says that you’re a very good writer because prior to that meeting, you wrote
about a feature on him in your magazine. We were really looking forward to
meeting you when he called.
My version
Spot on. I was out with his brother when he, together with his
wife Jen, met us at Via Mare, and the rest was history after that.
Teaching me a few kicks 
Tambay in my room with the Geislers
WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST FRUSTRATION
IN LIFE?
DG: During my prime in taekwondo, when I was younger, I didn’t take care of my talent well. I know I took it for granted. I didn’t train as much and
if I had, I could probably have been an Olympic Gold medalist. It’s a big
frustration of mine, which I reflect on from time to time although I don’t
dwell on it too much; instead I channel that into my students to help them
focus more on practicing the sport. But of course, I wouldn’t want to pressure
them but I always remind them to stay on track. But with the schedule of the
kids nowadays and tons of distractions, it’s hard to get them to concentrate on
one thing.
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE BEST
AT? BEING A SON? BEING A HUSBAND? OR BEING A FATHER?
DG: I’d like to think that I’m good at all these things [laughs].
DM: I know [laughs]! But what do
you think you’re best at as of the moment?
DG: At this point, I am focusing on being the best husband because I put
all my energy into it. I know that when you focus on one thing, everything else
follows.
DM: Follow up question, how can you say that you’re the best husband?
DG: I try to stay away from temptations. I try to provide the best way I
can. I’m at that point in my life that
I’m working on my future so I know that it’s with your better half that you’re
going to succeed in life.
WHAT DO YOU DISLIKE MOST ABOUT
YOURSELF?
DG: I dislike me being lazy. There are times that I tend to relax on important
matters.
DM: Hindi kaya you confuse rest
and laziness already?
DG: Well, I am with a wife that is overly hyper, who overly reminds me of
what I have to do [laughs]. Although
I know when it’s time to rest or not…oo
nga, muka ngang di ko na madistinguish yung
difference [laughs].
IF YOU CAN RETIRE RIGHT NOW,
WHERE DO YOU WANT TO LIVE?
DG: By the beach, somewhere in Palawan where it’s less polluted. Living
and working in the city is very toxic so when I retire, I want nothing to do
with that anymore and just focus on recovering from all the hard work
that I’ve done through the years.
IF YOUR WIFE IS AN ICE CREAM
FLAVOR, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
DG: Cherry flavor. You have that red color that attracts you to the ice cream.
You have that taste of the cherry, which is really good. Hindi ka magsasawa sa lasa.
WHAT ARE THE FIVE MOST IMPORTANT
THINGS THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE WITH YOU EVERYDAY?
DG: My cellphone, my car, my wife…
DM: Thing talaga ang wife?! [laughs]
DG: [laughs] So okay, my fourth
item would be my sports attire and lastly, my spirit…nuks!
DM: Nuks!
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME FOR YOU TO
THINK?
DG: The best time would be at night before I go to bed or my alone time,
which I have to beg for, sometimes [laughs].
But I’m always really nice about it; I’m not like “leave me alone!” I think well
during those times because I tend not to answer text messages and calls for a
while, people don’t ask you things, and nobody’s nagging you. I deal with a lot
of kids and parents when I’m at work, not that I’m saying that I don’t like my
job but at night and whenever I’m alone, those would be the best times that I
really can concentrate on just thinking about something else to do the next day
that’s productive or just fully shutdown.
WHAT’S THE BEST THING THAT
YOU’VE LEARNED FROM YOUR MOM?
DG: Probably the best thing that I've learned from my mom
would be to try to make better choices in life. It was something that she
instilled in all of her kids, which of course I try to practice as often as I
can although I am still guilty of making bad choices. Though as an adult, I make
it a point that I stand by the decisions I make and not to blame anyone for it.
Why is Cranberry juice your favorite
drink?
DG: It refreshes me and it’s a good antioxidant. It’s really good for your
system.
No comments:
Post a Comment