HAMILTON para-bowler, Alison East, has claimed a silver and bronze medal at the Bowls Australia 2024 Australian Championships held recently at the Broadbeach Bowls Club on the Gold Coast.

East competed in both singles and pairs events and claimed the bronze medal in the singles, where she won two and drew one of her three preliminary rounds, before coming up against Cheryl Lindfield (Qld) in the semi-final and losing, 17-21.

 She partnered with Anette Ruffle in the pairs event with the Victorian duo posting three straight victories in their preliminary rounds, and then won the semi-final too, to be in red hot form heading into the final.

They lost on the last end against Queensland’s Louise Hoskins and Serena Donnell (9-14), to finish with the silver medal.

She was also announced as the winner of the Victoria Medal for being the best performed female bowler for Victoria at the championships to cap off a very good week for her.

East said the accomplishments meant a lot to her.

“It’s a dream come true really,” she said.

“I’ve been playing bowls for 20 years and been a para-bowler for the last 12 years and been a Victorian representative since 2019.

“I had to get used to the rinks being lawn and not synthetic like they are here in regional Victoria, as it is a different game really.

“In the singles semi-final I made two mistakes that I keep going over in my head, but I will learn from that and keep it in mind for next time.”

That ‘next time’ will be in Bernie, Tasmania, next November, when East hopes to be selected again to represent the state.

For now, she keeps training and practicing and completing ‘homework’ that the national coaches set for her as a member of the Para-Jackaroos (the national programme for para bowlers).

“My goal is to bowl for Australia at events such as the Commonwealth Games and other international events,” she said.