The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Hungry Scot targets repeat of Commonwealth Games glory
As well as the Commonwealth Games golds, the national titles and the World Indoors titles, Darren won the World Outdoors title in Adelaide in 2012.
Alongside Graeme Archer and David Peacock, he was in Scotland’s triples side that defeated hosts Australia 13-12 in the gold medal match.
Darren is now preparing to add to his tally in this year’s Birmingham Commonwealth Games, which will be held between July 28 and August 8.
He will skip the triples team with Lanarkshire’s Iain McLean in the middle and Stewart Anderson leading.
Darren will also play in the fours alongside Alex Marshall, Paul Foster and Stewart.
Preparations have been good. Darren and Stewart won the World Indoors pairs together in January and the Scottish team have been busy spending time acclimatising to the conditions at Victoria Park in Royal Leamington Spa, where the bowls competition will be held.
Darren is also training four to five days a week, often at his local team Arbroath Bowling Club, to further hone his skills.
“The five males and five females picked for the Commonwealth Games are talented,” Darren said.
“We have gold medal potential.
“I am looking forward to being in two team events. With the singles the crowd makes the atmosphere but when you are in a team you can make it yourself and you can have some banter on the rink.
“I have achieved everything – and more – that I could honestly have hoped for and I still hope I can add to the tally.
“I wouldn’t be going to this year’s Commonwealth Games if I didn’t think I could.”
Given Darren considered quitting lawn bowls as long as eight years ago, might Birmingham be his swansong?
“I very much take it tournament to tournament because it is a big two-year cycle,” said Darren, who is ranked 15 in the indoor world rankings.
“If I stay in the top 16 I will probably keep going to the Indoor World Championships, but you are dedicating two years of your life to the Commonwealth Games and you have to be in the right place to do that.
“It has been a phenomenal career. I have had great support from the wife and kids. They get behind me 100% and come with me to the events.
“The support of family, friends and colleagues makes you more successful.”
He is also grateful for the support of Arbroath, which was underlined in January when he became an ambassador of the town’s football club alongside darts star Alan Soutar, tennis ace Jonny O’Mara and golf commentator Ewen Murray.
The Angus town is additionally the home of Commonwealth Games boxing medallist George Ferrie and champion bodybuilder Sam Evans.
“I am quite a homely person, which is probably a strange thing to say for someone who has toured the world playing bowls,” said Darren.
“This year in particular has been an amazing year for Arbroath, from my success in bowling, Alan Soutar in darts, Arbroath Football Club. It’s just been a phenomenal year for the town.
“Towns like Arbroath have always got potential to have success but to have everything in the same year is probably quite unusual.
“I have always liked Arbroath as a town and never felt the need to leave it, both from a personal point of view and in terms of its sporting facilities. “It has all I want. “There is a great community spirit and there is this massive drive with the football club helping me when I am competing and I will try to help them when I am back there.
“I am fairly hopeful that most of the town will want me to do well anyway, but having that feel-good factor going to an event makes it that bit more special.”