Uni career ends on real high for Bowler
ENNISCORTHY’S MICHAEL Bowler described his combined events victory at the British University championships last May as ‘a perfect ending to my university athletics career’.
This result along with his second place finish in the U.K. decathlon championships, with a P.B. of 7,263 points, made it a very good year for Michael. The latter performance put him at number eight on the all-time Irish decathlete list, and number one for the year.
He also came third in the 2018 British Universities pole vault with a P.B. of 475cm, which put him at number one in Ireland for the event. Michael went on to take the Irish pole vault title.
Michael, in recalling how his love of combined events started many years ago in the fields of Caim, says he owes a great debt of gratitude to those who have guided him along the way.
He mentions the late Willie Rackard who, in his time, was a fine high jumper. Local race horse trainer Pat Sinnott also devoted much time to helping Michael, and a number of other enthusiasts, get off the ground, literally, in the pole vault.
The resourceful mentor started by digging a hole in the ground as a box for the pole and heaping together old mattresses from St. John’s hospital in Enniscorthy, along with straw bales, as a makeshift landing mat!
Michael, having successfully completed his Masters in physiotherapy at the University of Birmingham, now plans on putting his expertise to good use as a coach and a mentor.
‘I want to play a part in developing the next generation of combined events hopefuls,’ he says.