Bowls pair pride of nation

Bowls pair pride of nation

Mount Gambier mother and daughter pair Fiona and Keisha Pearson were the pride of the nation a fortnight ago when they represented the Australian Indoor Bias Bowls team.

The duo travelled to Ballarat hoping to propel Australia to a drought breaking success against New Zealand in the prestigious Trans Tasman International Test.

The three-day test is one of the biggest events in the world of indoor bowls, but once again the Kiwis overcame the “big brother” after a come from behind 35-31 win.

While the bragging rights continue to remain out of Australia’s grasp after more than a decade of trying, the test was still an unforgettable experience for the Blue Lake pair.

Out of all the indoor bowlers from around Australia only seven women made it to the national team – with two of them from the famous Mount Gambier bowls family the Pearson’s after they impressed during an intense three-day selection trial.

The 2022 test was Fiona’s third time representing her country, while it was Keisha’s maiden experience and she said her selection brought her to tears.

“I looked over at mum when my name got called and had a few tears,” she said.

“It all hit me at the opening ceremony wearing the green and gold colours knowing you are playing for your country.

“It was very honouring and to have mum by my side was really special.”

Fiona had a big campaign representing Australia in the Ladies Singles and Mixed Pairs events.

Her singles campaign proved to be a challenge against a really strong Kiwi opponent, but she did enjoy some success alongside Ian Ogilvie, winning two out of three games.

This gave Fiona her third Australasian Medal after a test she described as more competitive than her previous two Trans-Tasman battles.

“They were a very strong New Zealand team and I was chosen in the singles for the first time and the lady I played against was just a machine,” she said.

“You think you are a very good draw bowler for Australia and then playing her I was like ‘oh my god’ because she just played very well.

“I played with Ian in 2019 and we won the gold and this time we played in the eight-bowl Mixed Pairs.

“Our first game was a tough game, the second we won on the last end and the third we won quite easily.”

Keisha competed in the Mixed Fours and Ladies Triples where she admitted nerves got the better of her initially.

However, she was able to help the fours team get on the cusp of winning a medal losing two of its three games on the last end and gave the triples squad a win in the last game.

“There was a lot of pressure on the first game because it was actually live-streamed, so I was really nervous about that,” Keisha said.

“But once I got out there my teammates were so supportive and encouraging, so they really calmed the nerves.

“I was very happy with how I performed and learnt a lot from the New Zealand players because you had to be at your best at that level.”

Keisha revealed joining her mum on the representative stage was a dream come true, having looked up to her across her entire bowls career.

“Mum and I are really close and it was always a dream to make the Australian team,” she said.

“I remember when mum got picked I thought ‘if mum and I can do it’.

“When mum and I play each other we are pretty competitive but then best of friends again afterwards.”

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