Regular visitors to the Disability Sport Fife Facebook page will be aware that I never tire of singing the praises of the sport of bowls. Those who know me will also know I am not a bowler but have organised disability bowls events in Fife and throughout Scotland for over 40 years.
I also enjoy teaching and coaching bowls and whenever possible I include bowls in the list of sports on offer to Fife novice participants. I consider carpet bowls as the perfect introduction to indoor and outdoor bowls and the progress we are making in Fife with junior bowlers is evidence of the power of a short carpet introduction.
It is however the members of the bowing clubs in Fife who have inspired my passion for the sport of bowls. There is no other sport where the commitment to inclusion is as strong and the warmth of welcome as consistent.
The Beveridge Park BC and East Fife Indoor BC have supported and sponsored Disability Sport Fife (DSF) bowls events for decades and clubs like Headwell BC, Dovecot BC, Abbeyview BC, Windygates BC and Lumphinnans BC etc have created separate coaching/social sessions for bowlers with disabilities of all levels of ability. The Fife clubs that have individual Para bowlers in membership grows each year and consequently the performances of Fife representative bowlers improve accordingly.
Bowling is a lifelong activity and nobody epitomises that more that two of the most loyal and successful Fife Para bowlers Maria Spencer from Dunfermline and Eleanor Clark from Kirkcaldy. Each bowler is visually impaired. Maria bowls in the B3 class for visually impaired bowlers and Eleanor competes in the B1 class for totally blind bowlers.
Maria is the current IBD world champion in the B3 class and each has a very impressive record in championships organised by Disability Sport Fife (DSF), Scottish Disability Sport (SDS), Scottish Association of Blind Bowlers (SABB) and Bowls Scotland. Each is passionate about bowls and never turns down the opportunity to compete for their local or national association. Their loyalty to club, branch and country is all that you would ask for and their record in all major competitions speaks for itself.
Maria and Eleanor are outstanding bowling role models but I am certain they would be the first to agree that it all starts at club level. The inclusive ethos within so many clubs in Fife is exactly as it should be. I think they would also agree that they have been well supported over many years by excellent sighted guides and directors. Their participation depends on a significant other calling the clock face or setting them up to deliver the appropriate shot. Strong partnerships are critical and over the years each has enjoyed the company of very skilled coaches/directors/family members.
Maria and Eleanor will be representing Fife at the SDS Scottish Carpet Bowls Championships in Dundee on Saturday 2nd February. Best wishes to these two very special icons of Para bowls in Fife and Scotland.
Richard Brickley MBE – Chairman DSF (SCIO) Board of Charity Trustees