Paralympian shares story of bowls bronze medal triumph

A former Paralympian who won bronze for Great Britain has shared how she overcame the odds to compete at the highest level.

Mary Gittins, 84, competed in lawn bowling at the 1996 Paralympics in Atlanta, United States.

Born with retinitis pigmentosa – an eye disease that causes gradual vision loss and sometimes blindness – Mary had to give up work at 43 when her sight deteriorated and she was registered blind.

Having stopped work as a pharmacy dispenser, she received support from Operation Sport, a programme aimed at helping people not in work.

Through the scheme, she turned to lawn bowls, a sport she had never played before.

“I said ‘I can’t do bowling, I can’t see’,” said Mary, who is originally from Rudry but now lives in Plas Hyfryd – United Welsh’s assisted living home on Castle Maen, Caerphilly.

“They said, we will wear light white clothing and then you will be able to see where the jack is.”

Soon, Mary discovered her hidden talent after taking part in and winning a competition for visually-impaired bowlers on her debut.

She was later chosen to represent Wales at regional bowling championships across the UK, before being selected to compete at world championships in countries such as New Zealand, Australia, and Canada, as well as across Asia and Africa.

Mary’s performances at the 1995 World Championships earned her the chance to represent Great Britain in the States the following year.

In Atlanta, Mary and her teammates faced limited training facilities, even converting a golf course into a bowling green just days before the Games. It was also their first time competing on artificial grass, making preparation far from ideal.

But Mary described her time at the Games as a “wonderful experience” and said: “You mixed with so many people, from all of the different countries.

“I remember the opening ceremony. There was so much happening, so many people, and then the closing ceremony was like a big carnival.

“It was very special.”

Great Britain went on to win the most medals in the lawn bowls competition, with Mary winning bronze.

“I was feeling so down when I had finished work, that Operation Sport saved me in a sense,” Mary said.

“There were a lot of people out of work at the time, so they set up Operation Sport to keep people occupied.

“It certainly did that for me. My life totally changed then, it just revolved around bowls.”

Louise Hughes, extra care manager at United Welsh, said: “It is incredibly inspiring to hear the stories of our residents like Mary.

“Mary turned her hand to bowls with talent and dedication, and winning a Paralympic bronze medal is an outstanding achievement. 

“We are proud to be able to support Mary and all our residents in our community here at Plas Hyfryd.”