When Lee Chamberlain’s supervisor mentioned lawn bowls as a potential sport, he laughed. A former member of the Army, Guinness World Record holder and triathlon champion felt the sport would not suit him.

“It just isn’t me; I’m far too active, I love the adrenaline and buzz” Lee says of his initial reaction, in a fantastic piece on the Bracknell BC website. A number of setbacks and a struggle with his mental health made him think again.

After a succession of injuries, Lee became low.  “I was depressed, after spending that amount of time working towards the World Record (Lee ran 468 miles on a treadmill in 7 days, raising over 7k for a local charity) I had now lost a goal and focus. I kept up my long distance running and, though that helped, things weren’t the same.”

As things got worse, Lee remembered the bowls comment and decided to head down to his local club, Bracknell. He admits his first effort was “no-where near the Jack” but he persevered and was soon hooked. That wasn’t all he gained, however.

“There’s a very good social side which I enjoy but it’s the competition and buzz I wasn’t expecting that I enjoy even more. For a game that’s easy to learn, it’s hard to master and keeps you going back for more.”

Four years on, Lee credits the sport with getting his health back and describes it as “a billion times better than any medication I had been on over the years”

You can read Lee’s full story by clicking the button below.

Want to give the vitalizing sport of bowls a try? You can find your nearest Club by clicking here.