Harvey bowler wins gold medals in blind lawn bowls national championships

A South West lawn bowler has become a double national champion — winning two gold medals in the Australian Blind Bowlers Association national championships last week.

Harvey Bowling Club’s Calvin Rodgers won both the singles and pairs competitions at the 44th National Australian Blind Bowlers Championships, held in Mandurah from May 2 to 4.

With the help of his director Jason Scheutjens, club champion Rodgers took on other bowlers with vision impairment from across the country and added more trophies to his impressive career.

Rodgers took up lawn bowls in 2021 when he lost his vision following a car accident.

Since then, he has dominated the scene and has previously been named the Sports Star of the Year at the WA Disabled Sports Association’s annual awards.

Harvey Bowling Club president Edwin Bacich said Rodgers had been a valued member of the club for around 20 years.

“Since his accident — which damaged his skull and vision — we introduced him to the club and he just took to it like a duck to water,” he said.

“He’s a quick learner and slowly built himself up to not only a club champion, but a State champion.

“The Harvey Bowling Club is chuffed at how much progress he’s made.”

In the pairs competition, Rodgers teamed up with 91-year-old Jeanette Barrett from Edithvale Bowling Club in Victoria, and took out the national title.

“They both partnered up and they just went berserk,” Bacich said.

“Calvin deserves all the awards he goes for because they’re not an easy win.”