Dominant lawn bowler recognized for excellence
Panton will be inducted into the Peterborough and District Sports Hall of Fame on June 8
Anna Panton, 84, was a recreational curler and golfer before being introduced to lawn bowling in 1998 at the age of 58
The fifth in a series profiling the 2024 Peterborough and District Sports Hall of Fame induction class to be honoured June 8 at 7 p.m. at the Memorial Centre. Today’s subject is Anna Panton, who is being inducted as an athlete and builder in lawn bowling.
Anna Panton got a late start in lawn bowling, but it didn’t stop her from becoming a dominant force on and off the greens.
Panton, 84, was a recreational curler and golfer before being introduced to lawn bowling in 1998 at the age of 58. She quickly became a dominant player and also became a coach, umpire and served on the Peterborough Lawn Bowling Club’s board of directors, including as president.
As a player, she has won trophies in 93 open tournaments between 1999 and 2023.
At the Ontario Senior Games, she won gold in 2002, bronze in 2007 and gold in pairs in 2009. In 2005, she won two hotshot awards for scoring perfect ends. In 2007, Panton was named the WOBA Lady Bowler of the Week.
She was a part of 19 district championships as a PLBC team member; won the ladies single handicap trophy 10 times, from 1999 to 2019; was ladies novice District 14 champion three times; ladies fours District 14 champion five times; ladies pairs
District 14 champion in 2005 and ’07; ladies seniors District 14 champion in 2005, ’07 and ’08; six-time OLBA provincial medallist; Bowls Canada ladies senior silver medallist in 2005; and OLBA mixed pairs District 14 champion in 2007.
In 2012, she received the Award of Merit from Bowls Canada for chairing the mixed pairs Canadian championship. In 2017, Panton and Bob Matthews won, for the first time, the prestigious 71st Black Family Memorial Trophy Mixed Pairs PLBC Tournament.
She found her curling background helped her adapt to the strategy of lawn bowling and the necessity of reading the green much like the ice. There was one major difference.
“When you roll a bowl, you’re completely on your own,” she said. “In curling, you have a team to sweep. In my opinion, lawn bowling is far more challenging. Very similar in the strategy but the individual is completely on their own in rolling their bowl and getting it to the jack.”
Panton served as president of the
PLBC board of directors from 2005 to ’13, overseeing the entire operation of the club; was a benefactor for the relocated lawn bowling club in 2010; and worked to ensure a space for the club to continue to play.
She is a Level 1 and 2 certified coach. Panton coached a District 14 novice team in 2005-06 and has conducted clinics to train new skips and vices. She has umpired at 16 events at district, provincial and nationals from 2003 to ’19.
She found umpiring helped her to be a better player.
“You have to know the rules of the game and be able to be confident in how you play, so I became an umpire in addition to getting my Level 1 and 2 coaching,” she said.
“I used to practise mornings for a couple of hours, at the noon hour and the evening because the grass changes. You have to learn a lot of things.”
Born in Peterborough, Panton joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1957. After her military career, she returned to Peterborough in 1964 and worked at Canadian General Electric until she retired in 1990.
She was surprised by the call informing her of her upcoming induction. She is just the second lawn bowler to be inducted, joining the late Lillian Crocker.
“When you play a sport that you enjoy and try your best to do well, you don’t expect honours,” she said. “You do it because you enjoy it.”