The display case at the Meridian Exhibition Centre in Winkler is shining a spotlight on a local softball legend.
Memorabilia from Olympic softball player Karen Doell’s storied career is on display at the Meridian Exhibition Centre in Winkler
The Winkler rec. department has filled two sections of the main hallway display with items highlighting the achievements and community impact of Olympian Karen Doell.
The items—which include Doell’s glove and bat, a ball signed by the entire 1996 national team, her Olympic jacket, news clippings, and more—were all donated by Doell as she downsized in preparation for a move to a smaller living space.
Still, it took a little bit of convincing to get this display put together, noted Winkler recreation programmer Meg Dias.
“One of the traits that people would say Karen carries across every part of her life is humility,” she said, noting with a laugh that “even as she was bringing these things in she was going, ‘I don’t know if you even want this stuff.’
“As celebrated as she is. I don’t know how comfortable she’s always been being celebrated,” Dias observed, “but we’re really appreciative of her doing this. For us to be able to see these things and display them, I think many people don’t know just how extensive and how successful her career was.”
Doell’s athletic journey began at the age of eight with Little League baseball. By 13, she was already playing senior women’s softball with the Winkler Skylarks, earning the MVP award at the provincial championship.
In 1983, she joined the Smitty’s and helped the Winnipeg-based team win six medals—including three gold—at the national fast pitch championships over the next 15 years.
A member of Canada’s national team from 1990-1996, Doell played in the 1991 and 1996 Pan Am Games (winning silver in ‘91) and went on to compete as a member of Canada’s first Olympic softball team at the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta.
She retired from senior A competition in 1999, turning down an invitation to join Team Canada at the Olympics in Australia in 2000. She was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.
Off the ball diamond, Doell went on to become a business leader with Pembina Valley Physiotherapy, a member of the popular Bare Yogis band, and an advocate for people living with Parkinson’s Disease, which she was diagnosed with nearly 25 years ago.
The City of Winkler is thrilled to be able to celebrate Doell’s many accomplishments, Dias said.
“Softball is big in our area—we’ve hosted some really big events here—and I think we need to celebrate folks that are playing and succeeding in female sport,” she said, noting they have had hockey jerseys up on the walls of the rink celebrating numerous homegrown male NHLers—Dustin Penner, Eric Fehr, Byron Froese, and Ray Neufeld—for years. Doell’s Olympic jersey is slated to go up alongside them soon, as is a jersey from Major League Baseball player Tristan Peters, who joined the Chicago White Sox this spring.
“Someday we might have a PWHL [Professional Women’s Hockey League] jersey hanging up here too,” Dias said, noting all this memorabilia serves as both an homage to these athletes’ successes and an inspiration to the next generation of Winkler sports stars. “It’s a beautiful thing for these kids to see: you can go to the Olympics, you can do great things too.”
The MEC display case also proudly showcases plaques, trophies, and team photos outlining the success of Winkler teams and clubs in sports including soccer, baseball/softball, figure skating, and hockey.
Dias urges Winkler sports teams and athletes to reach out to the rec. department with their recent accomplishments.
“It doesn’t have to be a trophy, it can be a team photo, it can be whatever. Let’s celebrate sport, celebrate participation in local sports,” she said.
The display case will have space allocated for both ice and turf sports and the items will be rotated throughout the year as needed.
It’s a big part of making the exhibition centre, which is still relatively new to Winkler, feel more like home.
“One of the things that we’ve noticed is when you build a new building nothing feels homey until you start adding things to it,” Dias said. “A big part of that is you don’t ever want to forget your roots, you don’t ever want it to stop feeling like a community space.”
If you’ve got a local sports accomplishment or memorabilia to share with the community, you can reach the rec. department at recreation@citywinkler.ca.
