Heffer (16), a pupil of Southland Girls High School, suffered from thyroid cancer and had a lump removed at the Southland Hospital.
"I had my tonsils out two months ago and there was a lump in my throat afterwards," she said. "A biopsy was done and it was cancerous and the doctor decided to take it out."
Heffer qualified to play in the New Zealand secondary schools championships in the pairs in Dunedin with Georgia McGee. But the entry depended on how quickly she recovered from the operation.
The Southland Girls High School pair played in the final at the Northeast Valley green yesterday and beat Katelyn Inch and Brittany Tyson (St Margarets College, Christchurch) 8-7 in the final to win the gold medal.
It was only the second time a Southland school had won a national title in the annual championships first held in 2000.
Jamie and Cameron Lynch (Northern Southland College) won the boys pair in 2004.
"My operation's given me more drive," Heffer said.
"I've been under enormous stress recently and Ive learned deep breathing and it has calmed me down. It was a close game today and I used the technique. I'm stoked by our win."
Heffer started playing bowls three years ago after getting a flyer in the mail and her family tried the game out at the local Otatara Bowling Club.
"It's a fun game. It makes me relaxed and happy. I forget about my troubles and everything else and just focus on bowls," she said.
The win in the girls pairs helped the zone 6 team from Timaru to Southland win the regional competition with 56 points.
