When I ask the cheery Rodney Pearson how he bowled on Saturday, his voice drops to a sombre note. "Well it was like this: we lost."
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But it's only seconds till he's having a laugh. "But that doesn't matter, I enjoyed every minute of it. There's always next week!"
It's this sportsmanship and sunny determination which has kept Pearson hitting the lanes of Belconnen's Zone Bowling for nearly a decade.
Zone's 'Give Back' program means people with a disability bowl for half price year-round. Since 2016, 334,030 games have been played by people with a disability at Zone venues across Australia.
Pearson is part of the Wizards Bowling League, a crew which formed in 1989 for Canberrans with a disability.
"I look forward to it every Saturday morning. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself over the Christmas break," said Pearson.
It's in the 93-strong league where he has made most of his friends. "It's a great group of girls and guys. To see everyone's smiles is great."
While tenpin bowling is the main event, it's just the beginning. A morning of spares and strikes turns into long conversations, which leads to lunch at a nearby Red Rooster or Hungry Jacks.
So, does a hard-earned whopper or a half chook taste better after a bowl? "It beats Maccas," said Pearson.
He travels an hour every weekend from his home in Bowning where he lives with Audrey, his mum.
"The family involvement is just swell. When the bowlers come along they come with a carer or a family member. It's truly like a big family," said Wizards volunteer Vince O’Donnell.
Zone's half-price discounts help keep the Wizards in the lanes.
"Most of the people in the Wizards are on some kind of disability pension, or on a low income. And the Wizards don't get funding aside from donations and a bit of community support, so it's important to keep costs down so everyone can continue to enjoy their bowling," said Vince.
He says Wizards members have a range of disabilities - some more physical than others - but the league caters to all.
"One of the best things about the league is that all the bowlers are courteous to one another, they respect each other and they look after one another.
"Everyone is welcome. In fact, we have a waiting list because the bowling alley just isn't big enough for us."
Their bowling calendar is also peppered with regular fundraisers which usually take the form of discos or chocolate drives. Rodney Pearson just sold 500 of them.
Once a year, a group of 30 bowlers and 10 carers travel to Tenpin Bowling Australia's National Disability Championships. So far, this has taken them to every capital city in Australia (except for Darwin).
The team is now gearing up for their Christmas party as well as presentation night.
"Hopefully I'll win something this year. I never seem to win in the Christmas raffle, but that's not important, the money always goes to a good cause," said Pearson.
On Monday, December 3, on the International Day of People with a Disability, Zone Bowling will offer free bowling for disabled persons and their carers nationwide. 10am-3pm. Canberra venues Belconnen and Tuggeranong included. More information via zonebowling.com.
