Brothers bowling for gold in Gold Coast
Chris and Ryan Stadynk competing for Canada at Commonwealth Games in Australia
Never mind the calendar, the threat of snow and greens that are either soaked or frozen like tundra.
This is the height of the lawn bowling season, at least it is for two Canada national team members from Niagara Falls.
Chris Stadnyk, 43, and brother Ryan, 40, are in Australia competing at the 2018 Commonwealth Games that began Wednesday in Gold Coast.
The Stadnyks, both members of the Niagara Falls Lawn Bowling Club, are part of a 10-member contingent — five men, five women — representing Canada at the quadrennial games.
Chris is competing in triples with Cameron Lefresne and Greg Wilson in triples, while Ryan is teamed with Ryan Bester in pairs.
They will be bowling together with Lefresne and Wilson in fours.
This is Ryan’s first trip to the Commonwealth Games, and the fourth for Chris who competed at the 2002 Games in Manchester, England; in 2006 at Melbourne and 2014 at Glasgow.
Chris, on the national team for the past 18 years, has become used to competing against the best lawn bowlers in the world.
His greatest successes have been at the Asia Pacific championships, where he settled for silver in 2001 and 2007 and returned home with bronze in 2003 and 2007.
He was a member of the overall team champion in 2005.
His resume includes three medals nationally: 2006, silver, singles; 2010, Canadian champion; 2012, fours, silver.
However, favourite lawn bowling memory has nothing to do with winning a medal.
“Walking into the stadium in Manchester for my first Commonweath Games opening ceremony,” Chris said in his profile posted on the Bowls Canada website.
Ryan, in his 12th year with the national program, followed up a Canadian singles championship in 2003 with the national indoor singles championship the following year.
He earned a silver medal at nationals in 2010 and 2012 in pairs and fours, respectively.
Ryan’s international competitions include the Atlantic Rim championships in 2007, Tiger Bowls in 2013 and North American Challenge in 2014.
The Stadynks caught the lawn bowling bug from family members while growing up in Niagara Falls.
“My grandfather got me into the sport,” Ryan said in his profile.
“He lived four houses down from our club and as kids we spent a lot of time there.”
“We grew up at the club,” his older brother said in agreement.
The Gold Coast Commonwealth Games run until April 15.