The Beginning

Why did I start to roll a bowling ball instead of bowl a cricket ball? Or why was bowling the sport I chose rather than kicking a rugby ball around?  The answer is simple. My parents built a bowling centre a few weeks after I was born. The bowling centre would turn into my second home. I was there almost every day and it’s where my love for the sport began … actually it began when I was 18 months old.

Starting at such an early age has meant two very important things.

1.  I have practiced/bowled now since 1984, bowling is like riding a bike for me. I’ll never forget how to do it and I have bowled so much in that time that bowling is so natural to me, even though I bowl much differently to everyone else, it feels ‘right’.

2.  I had to learn a different way to bowl to lift such a heavy ball. When you’re 18 months old and the lightest bowling ball you have is 10lbs, you begin to become creative in ways to roll a ball. Some use ramps, others would get help from older and stronger people, my way was 2 handed.

This 2 handed style would become an iconic style and it would elevate me and my career to the highest level.

I love bowling and even though I joke around saying that I wished my family built a golf course or a tennis court instead of a bowling centre, I wouldn’t change my life one little bit!

Orange had some great bowlers in their own right and from an early age I was bowling against the adults and soon beating them regularly. I won all the regional events before I was the age of 15 and was a part of some of the most successful Orange Teams ever.  Orange, New South Wales, Australia is a small country town about 4 hours West of Sydney. Sydney is also the closest big city and was the next stepping-stone of my career.

I earned my way on the under 18’s state team at the age 16 and from there won the under 18’s National Masters title that same year. The following year I earned my way on the under 23’s Australian Youth team, where I was member till I aged out. At the age of 18 I earned my way on the Adult Men’s team (2000) and have been a current member since that year. I have won over 20 medals (Gold, Silver and Bronze) for my country in that time all over the world including countries like Germany, Korea, Hong Kong, Denmark and many more. Wearing the Aussie colours is also one of my most proud moments as a bowler. I love being in that team.

Australia has produced some great bowlers and bowling against them on the national tour taught me so much about being patient and making my spares. I have won every major event in Australia except for a small few, the one I want most is the Australian Open title, which is still the missing feather in my cap. I came 2nd, 3 years in a row and then finished 3rd the following year.

Realising that my talents and skill had grown, I wanted to venture into the big world as an individual player and try and compete at the next level, the Asian Tour.  The Asian Zone gave me the greatest kick start in becoming a professional bowler. I became the youngest Australian to bowl a perfect 300 game overseas (Aged 17) while competing in the Malaysian All Stars. I won a prize of $16,000 and that set my travel expense account forever.

Winning major titles in Malaysia, Indonesia and Kuwait gave me the confidence to take on the Europeans on the 2nd toughest tour in the world. The European Tour.  Travel to Europe from Australia takes on average over 30 hours. I didn’t want to do that trip that often so I would plan a 6-week tour where I would bowl in 5 events across a 6-week period. Sometimes that period of time would have me bowling not just in Europe, but I would fly to Asia or the Middle East and bowl in multiple events at the same time. Something I am very proud of is that fact that I was leading 2 events, one in Denmark, the other in Bahrain at the same time. The Bahrain Open qualifying was a month long – I went there early and then flew to Denmark after I was in the lead in Bahrain. My first squad in Denmark I bowled great and was in the lead there too. Kind of funny.

The European events are so hard to win, I had made so many TV shows and finals, but just couldn’t crack that win. Finally in Greece, I won what was the largest event on the European Tour, The Euro Challenge and after winning a Super 6 event in Sweden I was ready to challenge myself again.  I have met some of my greatest friends in life on the European Tour, many of which have helped me learn so much about the sport. Team Pergamon, I am in your debt.

Now I was ready to take on the hardest, toughest tour in the world. THE PBA!