Bowling is right up Marnie Major, Annette St Clair, Luke Grice, Kim Bomen, Wendy Smith and Jacinta’s alley. Photo: Erin Hee.
More than 100 tenpin bowlers living with a disability will come together in Wagga over the weekend, in a celebration of inclusivity and the power of sport.
The 2025 Wagga Wagga Disability Championship and Paper Masters will be held at the Wagga Bowling and Entertainment Centre from 12 to 17 August.
Jacinta, who lives with cardiofaciocutaneous (CFC) syndrome, was selected to represent NSW for the second year running and will be defending her position as champion in the restricted masters.
The Wagga local lives out of town, but regularly travels back to bowl.
She picked up her first bowling ball three years ago with encouragement from the staff at Northcott, a not-for-profit disability service provider, and has been a regular at the Saturday morning tenpin bowling league.
The 25-year-old has gone on to compete in championships across NSW.
“I think Wendy [tournament director] was talking to my mum and said, “Oh, how about she tries this out?'” Jacinta said.
“I tried it out, and I’ve loved it ever since.”
Wagga Wagga Tenpin Bowling Championship and Paper Masters director Wendy Smith said 108 bowlers from Brisbane, Bateau Bay, Sydney, Illawarra, Shoalhaven, the ACT and Wagga would compete in 1374 games over six days.
The championship, which is in its third year, is one of the biggest tournaments for people living with a disability in NSW.
“Jacinta would be the defending champion for the restricted masters,” Ms Smith said. “She’s won it twice.
“We might get a hat trick.”
Jacinta does not follow a training program, and said it all came down to just “having fun”.
“It is just electric and full of joy and team spirit,” Northcott service manager Kim Bomen said.
Ms Smith said the “lovely thing about here is not about disability, but rather ability”.
“Doesn’t matter how good you are, how you bowl or whatever, they all come down to skill,” Ms Smith said.
“There’s some very unique styles. I can tell you that there’s one lady that is coming from Canberra.
“She’s obviously got very bad scoliosis, and I would say she’s virtually blind, and she plays with a ramp. But she’s amazing.”
Northcott’s motto is ‘Let’s see what you can do!’ and will be on full display at the Wagga Wagga Tenpin Bowling Championship Paper Masters.
The championship will run from 12 to 17 August at the Wagga Bowling and Entertainment Centre, from 8 am to 4 pm each day.
