This is the first of an occasional series of articles on club members.
Byron is 70 years old who contracted polio at the age of 2 and has been wheelchair bound ever since. This hasn’t stopped him being a very outgoing character who still works 2 days a week in the Justice Department, and looking for new activities.
He started playing short mat bowls in October 2021 after a friend of his who plays tennis at Thame Sports Club mentioned that since the clubhouse rebuild the club had started a short mat section and they were actively looking to attract new players. As bowls had been on his list of things to try for a while he contacted the Club and was delighted that they were immediately keen to get him involved. So he rocked up one afternoon at one of the open sessions and used the club’s bowls to try it out. He has since played outdoors as well after the bowls section purchased a specially designed rechargeable electric wheelchair for him to play on the green. He has had a steep learning curve and is continually developing his technique by researching online videos, taking on board tips from club members, worked with the coaching team and obviously practising! He currently prefers indoor short mat as he has had a lot more practice at it since starting. He will be playing in the Vale Short Mat Bowls Friendly League for Thame Sports Club this coming season and will also be joining a disabled bowlers club in Oxford. His overall aim is to play in more competitions, including friendly matches against other clubs, both indoor and outdoor in the coming seasons.
