Fehlberg surprises field with win

Jake Fehlberg doesn’t let a vision impairment affect his accuracy playing bowls.

John Gass

JAKE Fehlberg will represent Blind Bowlers Queensland at the Australian Open after he won at the Queensland Multi-Disability Championships last month.

The 17-year-old, who was the youngest competitor at the event, took gold in the singles, and silver in the triples.

Not only that, he was judged the best singles bowler at the tournament, and was given the inaugural Bushy's Best trophy, donated by world champion blind bowler Les Bushell, as the best performed blind bowler.

The Tugun Bowls Club star, who has some vision, normally uses a pair of binoculars when he bowls, but under the blind bowlers' tournament rules, he must rely on a director to advise him on the location of the jack, and he can't check the shot until the ball stops moving.

"It was pretty tough, because it was the first time I had been competing at a tournament with rules like that," he said.

Fehlberg was speechless after being given the best bowler awards.

"After winning gold and silver I was pretty happy, then they announced I was best singles bowler and best blind bowler, and I just didn't know what to think," he said.

Fehlberg is also successful against able-bodied bowlers, and has represented the district for the past few years.

He has been training under Dennis O'Toole at Tugun for the past nine months, and before that he played at Burleigh Heads Bowls Club.

"I recently joined Tugun and they have welcomed us heaps, and have been really good to us," the Miami High School student said.

Fehlberg will compete in the national championships in May, and is confident of putting in a good performance so he can achieve a dream and represent Australia as a blind bowler.

O'Toole described his charge as a "good kid", who had produced a "magnificent performance" .