Leanne Chinery at a glance
Age: 29
Occupation: Nurse
Home town: Auckland
Partner: Tony Grantham
Club: Birkenhead.
Record: NZ, third-equal pairs (2010); Canada, two under-25 singles, two indoor singles, one outdoor singlesInternational: Canadian representative 2005-08; fifth in triples 2006 Commonwealth Games; fifth in singles and pairs World Bowls 2008
They came together at a party during the world champion of champions singles at Warilla in Australia three years ago.
Chinery (29), a registered nurse, was the Canadian women's champion and Grantham had won the men's title at the last New Zealand championships in Dunedin.
Grantham (38), an Auckland engineer, had not planned to travel to Dunedin for the championships, but answered an SOS call from former world champion Rowan Brassey, to play with him in the pairs.
He beat Shaun Scott (North East Valley) 21-19 in the singles final that he entered at the last minute.
Brassey was scheduled to play with fellow international bowler Gary Lawson but the Canterbury bowler was forced to withdraw when his wife Judy had a relapse and was returned to hospital.
Jockey Judy Lawson was badly injured in a crash at Rangiora at Labour weekend 2006 and spent a long period in intensive care.
Chinery and Grantham both play for the Birkenhead club on the North Shore of Auckland.
"I was halfway through the paperwork to move to New Zealand," Chinery said.
"But meeting Tony was the icing on the cake."
She joined her mother, Katie, when they both started bowls 15 years ago.
"Dad had passed on and Mum thought it was a good way to meet new people," Chinery said.
"I can tell that it still is.
"All my family have passed away and I am thankful for the family community I get through bowls.
"You get what you want from bowls.
"It is one of the few sports where the international and the average club bowler can happily co-exist."
Chinery became aware of New Zealand through her first coach Craig Wilson, who immigrated to Canada from Greymouth.
She made her international debut for Canada at the Asia and Pacific championships in 2005 when she finished fourth in the triples.
Chinery was fifth in the triples at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games and fifth in the triples and pairs at World Bowls at Christchurch in 2008.
"I visited New Zealand after the Commonwealth Games at Melbourne and fell in love with the country," she said.
Two more bowls visits in 2007 and 2008 made her nostalgic about New Zealand and a year later she settled here and is keen to change her allegiance and represent New Zealand at bowls.
"There is a two-year stand down and it ends for me in August this year," Chinery said.
"I have told Bowls New Zealand that I am available after that."
She made a good start in New Zealand bowls last year when she finished third-equal in the singles and reached the last 16 in the pairs at the national championships.
"Whether I play for New Zealand or not is not up to me," Chinery said.
"Bowls is very competitive here but it is my dream and my goal."
