Fingal Bay’s Jacqueline Hudson has scored bronze and silver medals on debut at the Australian Blind Bowls Championships in Melbourne.
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Hudson brought home silver medals in the B3 ladies singles and B3 mixed pairs and a bronze in the open pairs.
All within a year of taking up competitive bowls.
“I heard an ad on the radio for vision impaired bowls at Soldiers Point,” Hudson said.
“I had never really played team sports, I was always picked last for teams at school. That’s probably what attracted me to it.”
Hudson was born and raised in Papua New Guinea with rod cone dystrophy, a condition that impacts long distance vision and the ability to differentiate colours.
“I was more interested in the arts,” she said.
But that all changed when she took up social bowls with Fingal Bay Bowls Sports and Recreation Club.
“I thought, ‘I can’t play bowls’ but I discovered the social side of the game,” she said.
“The girls I play with socially are all very excited for me.”
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Hudson qualified for the nationals having competed in the state titles at Soldiers Point last year.
Vision impaired bowlers are assessed by an optomologist and designed a classification from B1 to B4.
Each bowler is allowed a director to help guide how a bowl is delivered down the green. Hudson also uses bright yellow bowls and a monocular.
“A lot of it is feel,” she said.
“A lot of the girls I play social bowls with forget. I’ll say ‘how do you want to play it’ and they’ll say ‘just play it how you see it’.
“I have to remind them I can’t.”
Her relaxed mindframe is possibly her biggest asset. But don’t mistake this for indifference.
“I am reasonably competitive but I play for the enjoyment of it,” she said.
“That’s what puts me in good sted; I don’t get that nervous.”
But it wasn’t an easy experience at the nationals. In fact it was grueling at times. On any given day Hudson played three games with none shorter than two hours each.
“It was very competitive,” she said. “There was strong competition from bowlers who have competed at the Commonwealth Games and the World Championships.”
The medals have put her firmly on the radar of Australian selectors who want to see her develop her natural skill.
“The Australian coach has suggested some training and exercises and he’s keen to see some progress,” Hudson said.
“I said ‘aren’t I getting a bit old?’ They said ‘no, not at all’.”
Hudson has already begun preparation for the state titles from which the selectors will name a Trans Tasman team.
“When I think back, I’m glad I made the effort when we first moved here,” she said.
“No one is going to knock on your door, you have to make the first move and I’m fortunate that they’re a great group of ladies.”
