Local blind bowler shares stunning achievements
Tracey Smith is a 15-time gold medalist in the South African National Champions.
Witpoortjie’s blind bowler Tracey Smith, made it seem very easy to roll the biased ball and place it as close to the jack as possible.
As tricky and frustrating as it can be to curve the balls that close to the jack (white ball), Tracey, who is totally visionless, always stuns her counterparts with her special God-given skill
She recently participated in the Witpoortjie Bowling Club’s Ladies Day tournament on 22 November, and proved that anyone with a disability can still achieve brilliant results. Her performance was praised by her competitors and partners during the fun-filled event.
“This is our Ladies Day for the year. This event is part of fundraising for the club and for the blind bowlers,” the event organiser, Fransien Niemand said, indicating that the club is home to three blind bowlers, including Tracey.
Fransien explained how blind bowlers are assisted on the green. “Every blind bowler has a coach who guides them. The coach stands in line and advises the bowler where to bowl and measures the distance,” she explained.
Tracey, who started playing bowls in 1991 after losing her eyesight at the age of 17, said she was introduced to the sport by her mother, who then became her coach for eight to nine years before her husband took over the coaching ropes in 1999. “My husband has been my director ever since and is basically my eyes on the green,” she said, smiling broadly.
Tracey has won gold 15 times in the South African National Champions since 2001. She has also been chosen on a number of occasions to represent the country, and is currently perfecting her skills for international selection. “I was chosen to represent South Africa in 2003, and won three times in the World Bowls under the disability and blind category. I’m also hoping to be chosen to be part of a team that will be going to Scotland next year,” she said.
With her impressive record, Tracey believes she stands a good chance to receive a call from the selectors. “Bowlers are selected according to their records. I’ve won the nationals twice and I’m looking to win again next year to improve my chances for Scotland,” Smith hoped.
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