A 70-strong room of supporters watched on during Echuca Bowls Club’s May Carnival dinner at the Border Inn last Thursday night as a cheque for $4505 was presented to Nolan for his tournament in Scotland, following a successful raffle.
The event will be held from September 1-14 later this year, and an emotional Nolan paid tribute to the assembled crowd, saying he was “blown away” by the support.
“It was the last thing on my mind when I took up bowls five years ago,” Nolan said.
“I didn’t expect anything like this, I just went down to the Victorian Deaf Bowls Championships after I took the game up and I was runner-up in the doubles.
“Since then, we’ve had no more bowls due to COVID-19, so they picked me on that performance.
“Now here I am, it’s blown me away to be honest.”
After taking up bowls in 2018 has been on a winding road to the green and gold selection, which came in May last year.
The man lovingly referred to as ‘Knockers’ was on the wrong end of COVID-19 bowls cancellations, but that wasn’t the extent of his challenges.
A cancer and heart scare in 2020 provided a stern challenge for Nolan to overcome, but when he did, making his return to the green was one of the items on his list.
“I wanted to do things again,” he said.
“I remembered I had taken up bowls, so I went to another come and try night at Echuca — the rest is history.
“I couldn’t have joined a better club to be honest. John Blair and Steve Cunnington took me under their wing, but there’s too many to mention.”
The 57-year-old has been an inspiration not just in local bowls, but in the wider community.
And for mentor Blair, it’s clear what Nolan’s influence will be on the biggest stage of all.
“He’s not just an inspiration for Echuca Bowls Club, he’ll be an inspiration for Australian bowls as well,” he said.
