'A new wheelchair could help me win bowling gold'

A bowling club is raising £5,800 for a motorised wheelchair to help one of its members go for gold at the Commonwealth Games.

Joe Peplow, 66, who plays at Manor Park Sports Club in Malvern, was "over the moon" to hear he had been selected to represent his country in para bowls in Glasgow this summer.

The former trucker lost both his legs following a motorway accident 17 years ago, which left him in hospital for six months.

He said discovering bowls had given him a sense of achievement and transformed his mental wellbeing. "[It] just gave me a focus and start to enjoy life again."

Peplow described life as "tough" following his accident, adding: "It's been tough on the family as well."

A friend suggested he try bowls, and though at first reluctant, he soon began to look forward to playing.

"Suddenly, I got to really enjoy it and then after a couple of years I became involved in Disability Bowls England and that just opened everything up for me," he said.

He began to play at a higher level. "If you play with better players, you're going to get better."

He is now aiming for the top in Glasgow: "To do the best I can and gold medal."

Club manager Chris Barr-Hamilton said a new wheelchair would replace a borrowed club one, which would give the bowler more independence and "hopefully improve his performance as well".

"Joe's really, really popular, he's one of our most popular members at the club. Great sense of humour. Unbelievably good at bowls," he said. "We're super proud of him.

"To achieve what he's done from only starting bowls a few years ago is incredible really."

The manager said he was "unbelievably grateful" to those who had pledged over £3,000 already towards the club's target.

He now hopes Peplow's success will inspire other disabled people to sign up.

"If we can encourage more and more people in wheelchairs to come and play sport at Manor Park that would be absolutely amazing," he said.

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