Caldwell ready to compete in Australia
Since the age of eight Lucas Caldwell has dreamed of representing his country on the international stage.
Next month that dream will come true for the 21-year-old Peterborough native.
As the 2016 Canadian under25 men’s lawn bowling champion, Caldwell earned selection to Lawn Bowls Canada’s four-person team for the 2017 World Under-25 Lawn Bowling Championships March 27 to April 3 at the Broadbeach Bowls and Community Club in Broad beach, Queensland, Australia.
“It’s been my goal since I was eight years old when I first started to play, to play for Canada,” Caldwell said, “and to play in Australia. Not many Canadians get the chance to play there. Not many Canadians get to wear the Maple Leaf on their back, either. It’s a big deal.”
He leaves in two weeks arriving a few days ahead of Team Canada in order to do some sightseeing. He’ll then spend a week of practice with his teammates to prepare. He’ll compete in singles and mixed pairs competitions.
Caldwell hasn’t played in a tournament since he represented Canada in a North American Challenge event against the United States in B.C. last October. There are very few events in Canada through the winter so Caldwell has been practising indoors on a carpet in the Peterborough Lawn Bowling Club’s clubhouse.
“The mats are only 50 feet long instead of the full 100 foot lanes. It definitely puts us at a disadvantage going to Australia where they get to play year-round,” Caldwell said.
“The pace of the carpet might be kind of close to what the speed of the greens will be down there but (you practice) basically to simulate the movement and keep your body loose and your delivery consistent.”
He’ll be competing against 20 other competitors divided into two pools. He’ll play a nine-game roundrobin with the top two in each pool advancing to semifinals and a final.
He’s expecting extremely tough competition.
“I might be out-stepping my skills a little bit but I’m expecting to make it out of the group stages in both singles and mixed pairs,” he said.
He admits a lot of it is unknown because he’s only ever played against Americans internationally. Australia, New Zealand and Scotland are considered lawn bowling ’s powerhouses.
“I’ve never represented my country outside of Canada and I’ve never played in the southern hemisphere before. It’s going to be interesting, for sure, doing that for the first time. It will be good experience.
“I’ve been counting down the days here for a while now. I’m excited to get down there and see what it’s all about,” he said.
Caldwell is a two-time national champion having also won the Canadian U18 championship in 2013. He’s played for a medal all six times he’s been to nationals including two bronze medals and two fourth place finishes.
He’s done a lot of fundraising to cover the costs of his trip. Through a raffle, from prizes supplied by Cobourg’s MVP Sports who sell lawn bowling equipment, he generated $3,000. He also held down two jobs until he was recently hired full-time selling hard wood flooring for Meister Craft Wood Flooring in Lakefield.
Broadbeach is now also the host club of Canada’s most accomplished bowler Ryan Bester a pairs world champion and two time worlds’ singles silver medallist. Bester will be in attendance and Caldwell looks forward to meeting his bowls’ idol.
“I’ll get to see him and ask him a few things,” Caldwell said.