Gavin Kilpatrick, an accomplished athlete, is no stranger to the podium, having served the country admirably as a paratriathlete both locally and internationally.
Kilpatrick is a visually challenged athlete with Stargardt Macular Dystrophy (SMD), an irreversible, degenerative hereditary illness that affects central vision in the eyes.
He won a bronze medal in track cycling at the Beijing Paralympics and took part in several international competitions.
Now, the remarkable athlete has embarked on a completely different challenge. He recently joined Brackenhurst Bowls Club, where he competed in his first novice bowls event (Tower Novices) and won his first game under the supervision of Kelvin Bain.
“I played against a guy who had been playing for eight months. I won the first game 7-5, and in the second, I was down six shots with two ends remaining. I was done, but somehow I managed to pull a cat out of the bag and scored three points on both ends to draw the game, which meant I won,” said Gavin.
He described the game as a ‘nail-biter’.
According to Kilpatrick, his drive in these several sports best embodies the character of differently abled athletes and demonstrates the breadth of their mental abilities as athletes.
“I’m still going to participate in cycling and triathlon, but given all of my illnesses last year, I think I’ll take it easy. We are excited to compete in the South African Disabled Bowls Championships in Cape Town from March 16 to 24,” he stated.
