Damo’s path to bowls success

Sponsor Kelvin Kerkow (BCIB) with players Mitch and Ben Hagan and Damo Bartholomeusz receiving their prize from Bowling Queensland's Wendy Wilson
Sponsor Kelvin Kerkow (BCIB) with players Mitch and Ben Hagan and Damo Bartholomeusz receiving their prize from Bowling Queensland's Wendy Wilson

TAMBORINE Mountain bowler Damo Bartholomeusz shone at the recent Bowls Queensland Junior State Championships, but that was not his only win.

In the sport of bowling Damo, who is a para bowler, has also found a safe and supportive community to take on challenges and thrive.

Damo and his teammates Mitch and Ben Hagan placed fourth overall in the triple finals at the state championships on the Gold Coast in January.

Canungra Law

Damo also won a silver medal in the Queensland State Multi Disability Championships in pairs last year.

Damo, 17, has been playing for two and a half years and is a member at Tamborine Mountain and Helensvale bowls clubs.

His coach, Serena Bonnell, a world champion para bowler herself, spoke with pride about Damo’s achievement and praised his teammates.

“Damon has worked exceptionally hard the last 12 months and overcome many challenges and I’m beyond proud of him,” she wrote.

“(Mitch and Ben Hagan) have demonstrated what inclusivity looks like at a junior grassroots level. They have demonstrated support, respect, fairness and inclusivity at every turn.”

Damo’s mother, Kelly Bartholomeusz, said Damo continued to rise to the challenges he faced and loved the fun and social aspects of bowls.

“Damo is Autistic and also has physical challenges of dystonia which is a form of hypertonia which we are working towards a physical disability classification for. His para coach, Serena Bonnell, is a world champion para bowler in her own right,” she said.

“Damo was the only junior para bowler at the Queensland Junior State championships and possibly the only junior para-bowler to qualify at an open state level in Australia.”

Kelly said bowls made a significant difference to Damo’s life.

“Lawn bowls is highly challenging as it takes concentration, flexibility and endurance. Damo has overcome a lot of obstacles to play. Communication is a challenge as he used to be non-verbal, but lawn bowls gives him a safe and supportive community.

“He also faces physical challenges as it becomes very painful him to walk any distance, but he has had many people help him along the way and at the moment is receiving weekly game support from Tony Bonnell and coaching support from Serena Bonnell.”