FOR Vera-Lee Curnow, winning two gold medals at the State Arm Bowls Championships was small change compared to the journey it took to get there.
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Winning both the women’s singles and women’s pairs finals (alongside Shepparton Park’s Kate Bush) at Eaglehawk on May 21, Curnow’s victory speech illuminated the true value the Moama bowler places on the game she loves.
“I was there because I love the community and the sport and being involved and the people,” Curnow said of the day.
“These are what these events are all about at the end of the day, even if you win a medal or a match or even if you don’t.
“Yes, I am competitive when I am out there, but that competitiveness comes in that I’m challenging myself to do the best I can out there.
“The accolades are lovely, and a goal I strive for personally, but really, it’s about what you’re doing as a person to get to that point rather than the medal itself.”
Taking up lawn bowls four years ago, Curnow instantly fell in love with her new sport, practising each night after work to quickly progress her game.
Initially playing without a bowlers’ arm, Curnow’s disabilities soon began to impede her ability to bowl, and she sought new means to remain competitive.
“I have several disabilities, the main one being bone disease in my knees so I can’t bend my knees like most people. It’s called OsGood Schlatters disease,” she said.
“So, I was doing what they call dumping the bowl. When I tried to release the bowl, it would drop on to the greens, so a few people advised me to go to an arm.”
Bowlers typically employ the use of a long arm, but that didn’t feel quite right for Curnow who instead found an extra short arm – typically used by people in wheelchairs – more appealing.
“I had a practice with one and said ‘yep, that feels a lot more natural to me’,” she said.
“It felt more like an extension of my arm and didn’t require a huge change in my technique.”
Making her gold-winning run at the state championships last month even more special was the fact it was Curnow’s first competitive game in almost 18 months.
Due to illnesses, practising and competing became limited for Curnow during COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021.
But once back on the greens, the Moama bowler wasted little time finding her groove again.
Her first win (21-3) in section one singles play all but guaranteed her a spot in the final.
“(In my second game) I already knew I’d gotten through the section,” she said.
“I only had to win three points, as I was so far up in the first game.
“I was using that game a little bit more to practice more drives and try a few shots out.”
But there was no time for funny business in the final, with Curnow coming up against Yarraville/Footscray bowler Gou Engebretson.
Finding herself trailing late in the game, Curnow had to rally in what was one of the most stunning comebacks of the day to knock off Engebretson by just one shot.
“Engebretson was leading the whole way through. I was down 2-11 at one point,” Curnow said.
“She got on top of me; I’d be sitting on the jack, and she’d knock me out of it.
“I was under a lot of pressure and as she got a bit of a run on me. I lost a bit of confidence.”
But Curnow was not one to remain down and out.
“I started coming back, and once I started winning a couple ends, I started putting the jack back to a different length and changing up her groove,” Curnow said.
With Engebretson just one shot away from victory at 20-14, Curnow needed to do something drastic to pull of the impossible.
“Engebretson was holding two shots and I had a couple bowls that had gone back past the jack,” Curnow said.
“I thought ‘I’ve got two bowls left, I have to go for an on-shot’. I had to trail the jack back to get it away from her and give myself a chance.
“It was a really high pressure shot and it worked, it paid off.
“I put the jack in the ditch and drew the second bowl close to the ditch to secure two shots that end."
That put Engebretson under immense pressure, and as the tide started to turn, Curnow clawed her way back one point at a time before eventually closing out the win.
“On the last end, I was standing at the head as she had her last shot,” Curnow said.
“I was holding game and knew it and she just, just missed.”
Extending her winning streak even further, Curnow later partnered with Shepparton Park’s Kate Bush to win the State Pairs final over Margaret Watson and Joan Moss, 15-11.
The win was bittersweet considering it was Bush that Curnow had beaten thoroughly in the section one singles play.
“The fact we had to play each in the singles, we had a talk about that before the event even started, and said when we’re out there, it’s down to business, and just concentrate on our game and whatever happens, it’s okay,” Curnow said.
“Being able to go out there and play in the pairs and share that experience with her was wonderful. We played as a team.”
Now Curnow is ready to take her game to the next level, as she eyes her first-ever state representative selection.
Trialling with the Armed Vics this weekend, if Curnow does win a spot on the team, she will head to Tasmania later this year to compete at nationals.
“In 2019 I was invited to trial for the state team but wasn’t successful,” Curnow said.
“I’ll be looking to perform a little better at the trials this time and hopefully get selected for that.
“They announce the team right after the trials, so I’ll know by Sunday if I make the team or not.
“It would be pretty exciting if I do make it, but if I don’t that’s okay, I’m out there doing my best.”