Central Otago para-bowler Pam Walker is set to make her Commonwealth Games debut.
A 15-year veteran of the game, Walker travels to Birmingham next week to compete in the women’s para B6-B8 pairs competition alongside Te Awamutu bowler Lynda Bennett.
Coming from the small Omakau Bowling Club as opposed to a larger centre, Walker said making selection for the Games was "unreal".
"It’s like a dream for me — we went recently to Australia and played in a transtasman test."
It was on the eve of that test when Walker received her cap — No14.
"It was a very emotional and absolutely incredible experience to be there with all the team-mates and be receiving a cap."
Training for Walker and Bennett had been a challenge with the pair located in different parts of the country and they had only played together "four or five times".
"[Bennett’s] been training up in her area and I’ve been training in mine ... but we talk on the phone and talk about our strategies and work out what we need to do and hopefully that’s been enough."
"[It] kind of replicates the greens over there because it’s so much bumpier, and that little bit harder to work on.
"It takes quite a bit of time to get used to them — a lot of people have to change their delivery so they can get a really good swing because it’s harder to get the bowl up the other end.
"It’s more like what we would call a drive to get to the end — you do have to be reasonably fit, it’s a lot of effort but it’s a lot in the actual rhythm and timing of the bowl."
Walker leaves for Birmingham on Sunday with her
husband Bruce and her sister following in support 10 days later.
With only weeks left before she hits the international stage, she has her eye firmly on the end goal.
"Well ultimately you want to medal — that’s what the top aim is, to bring home a medal."
