Remembering Alex McDonald

Five years ago yesterday, our friend and fellow Quad Squad bowler Alex McDonald went to Heaven at the young age of 17 due to complications of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. His passing was sudden and unexpected, and candidly, it's hard to believe that it's been more than five years since I have seen the sparkle in his eyes after winning top score (he especially loved beating me) at a Quad Squad outing. :-)

Alex loved life, and loved bowling. He even bowled on his high school team, both with and against able-bodied bowlers. Alex held the world record for males with muscular dystrophy for more than four years with a 213. I'm sure he would have topped that score by now, and I also know that he would have been pursuing my overall record of 255 and could have surpassed it. He was very competitive, and fun to be around.

Here is the write up from when Alex entered the 200 Club with a 201, and shortly thereafter broke it with the 213:

http://www.wheelchairbowlingrecords.com/Alex_McDonald_Enters_200_Club_with_a_201_and_213.htm

Here is his online memorial:

http://www.forevermissed.com/alex-mcdonald/#about

He was a good young man, and he is missed. But I know he's in a better place.
 
Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 255 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net
 

IKAN User Profile: Ross Grimball, Louisiana

Ross Grimball emailed me earlier this week wanting some advice on how I pickup the single corner-pin spares (7 and 10, individually).  Ross is a 17-year-old young man who bowls in a youth league, despite using a wheelchair due to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.  I was happy to share my approach on those spares, and I also asked Ross if he would mind filling out the IKAN User Profile questions for my blog, which he kindly did.

Ross' Profile answers are below, but first here's the advice I shared in case anyone else is interested:

To pickup single corner-pin spares, what I try to do is go "cross alley" i.e. I try to setup with my chair & IKAN Bowler in line with the corner pin and the center arrow.   Sometimes I'm not perfectly in line with the center arrow and corner pin, but the key, in my opinion, is to drive straight at the corner pin.  Also, I don't actually look at the arrows as I approach the foul line.  I look at the pin, and kind of with my peripheral vision, I'm also looking at my IKAN Bowler.  When it appears I'm aimed accurately, I hit my brakes and let inertia and gravity takeover.

Great question, thanks Ross, and thanks for the profile answers!

Name: Ross Grimball
Age: 17
Location: Patterson, LA
Reason for Wheelchair Use: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Onset or Injury Date: I was diagnosed in 1996 and I have been wheelchair bound for 9 years.
Wheelchair Operation Method: Joystick
High Bowling Score: 170
Approx Bowling Average: 131
Typical Range of Scores: 100-150
Bowling Frequency: I bowl once a week in a youth league at Charlie's Lanes in Morgan City, LA.
Bowling Ball: Tornado (undrilled)
Quote from Ross: "Bowling allows me to compete and have a feeling of self-achievement."

Excellent quote, Ross, thanks again!

Ross sent me a clip of him bowling:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5D5LOumJTg
 

Bill Miller :-)

C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 221 High Bowling Game

Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT

My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com

Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com

Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

Another New Record for Wheelchair Bowlers with Muscular Dystrophy!

My friend and fellow Quad Squad Bowler, 17-year-old Alex McDonald topped his previous best (192, link below) with an impressive 195 at our recent Quad Squad outing. In doing so, he raised the bar for others with Muscular Dystrophy (MD) and increases his World Record for Dynamic Wheelchair Bowling for Bowlers with MD.

And he humbled me in the process! See, Alex and I -- and all of the Quad Squad -- have a friendly rivalry, and compete for top score of the day. But neither I nor any other Quad Squad Bowler could keep pace with Alex a few weeks ago. (And if you read previous blog entries about my poorly driving wheelchair, it is fixed and that wasn't the problem; I just struggled for some reason.)

I want to highlight a few points about Alex's scoresheet (which is linked below) in particular, his final three games (the first game was a warm-up and he had splits-itis).

In Alex's final three games, his average score was 182.33 and he averaged 8.33 marks per 10 frames. In those three games, i.e. 30 frames, Alex only had a total of three frames in which he had non-split open frames (splits are indicated by a circle on the scoresheet). In theory, every non-split (that isn't a strike) becomes a spare attempt that a "really good bowler typically converts."

Alex converted 2 of 3 in his second game, 4 of 5 in his third game, and 5 of 6 in his fourth game. And just for the heck of it, Alex converted two splits into spares (one of them was the nasty 6-7-10, which he converted beautifully; ok, I just checked the scoresheet and it shows no converted circled-7, which means the machine scored inaccurately, which can happen if a pin moves far enough from its usual position without falling over, or it was the 6-10 split, which is converted the same way as the 6-7-10 -- BUT it doesn't really matter because that was in game four, not Alex's MD record 195 game; click HERE to see a 6-7-10 split setup and how Alex converted it).

Altogether it was some high quality bowling by Alex -- AND great to see -- especially since Alex is about to start varsity bowling for his high school! The IKAN Bowler® is sanctioned for league and tournament play by the USBC, so Alex can compete with his able-bodied classmates on their varsity bowling team.

I hope the high quality bowling Alex demonstrated below continues and/or improves when he's in high school competition.

If you'd like to see Alex's previous high of 192, click HERE.

Alex's latest record (195) scoresheet is HERE.

GREAT JOB ALEX! :-)

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 206 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

New Record for a Male with Muscular Dystrophy!

At Quad Squad bowling this month, 16 year old Alex McDonald set--and reset--the record for power wheelchair bowling by a male with Muscular Dystrophy!

Since I'm going to post the verified scoresheet, I have to "explain" Alex's first game... warm up! Typically speaking, the first few strike attempts and spare attempts, it is a "feeling out" process to see how our bowling ball will break with certain shots, given the lane conditions, and also how our IKAN Bowlers are set up, and it's also all relative to how our bodies are positioned in our chairs. So when you see that Alex opened with a 91, that isn't his usual, but it is not uncommon to see missed shots and multiple splits particularly in the first game as we get acclimated (the circled number below indicates a split).

So after a warm up game, Alex started heating up. He improved his second game by 30 points, then went "off" in his third game. I was bowling next to him and we have a healthy (and friendly) competition.

Alex started bowling his third game before I started mine, so as he made a good shot, I needed to answer. After opening with an open frame, Alex quickly got on a roll. He actually finished with just two open frames that game--he had either a strike or spare in the eight other frames--and finished with a new MD record of 180! :-)

I managed to keep the heat on Alex and finished with 176 that game. I congratulated Alex on his new record, and we both wanted to bowl a fourth game. Once again, Alex started with an open frame (a difficult split) but then he finished with NO open frames and smashed his 180 with an impressive 192! :-)

Again I kept the heat on with another 176, but the bowling day clearly belonged to Alex. And so does the record for power wheelchair bowling by a male with Muscular Dystrophy!

Congratulations Alex, and welcome to the 190-Club! I sincerely look forward to you joining the 200-Club with me and two others (Jon Musgrave, the overall record holder with a 243 high game; and a Veteran named Anthony, who I believe had a 214 high game, but unfortunately he passed away--which helps to underscore the importance of us wheelchair users enjoying ourselves when we can, just like able-bodied people do, and bowling is a good way we can).

May God bless all who read this and may you find some enjoyment every day--bowling or otherwise!

Click HERE for Alex's scoresheet!

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 206 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com/
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com/
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net/

IKAN User Profile: Jeff Parker, Florida

My buddy, and fellow Central Florida Quad Squad Bowler, Jeff Parker is this month's profile. Bowling wise, Jeff sets the pace for bowlers with Muscular Dystrophy; his high score (mentioned with his below profile) is the current record for bowlers with MD. Jeff has a zest for life; he loves having fun and loves watching NASCAR (his favorite driver is Tony Stewart). A while back, Jeff said that bowling with the IKAN Bowler "is an absolute blast, the most fun I’ve had in a long time." And it really didn't surprise me when he added a touch of NASCAR/Tony Stewart to his IKAN Bowler, by having some friends paint a special black finish with orange, razor-edged flames on the sides his IKAN Bowler! :-)

Here's Jeff's profile, and pictures are below...

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Name: Jeff Parker
Age: 37
Location: Lady Lake, FL
Reason for Wheelchair Use: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Onset or Injury Date: I was diagnosed in 1975 and have been in a wheelchair for 25 years.
Wheelchair Operation Method: Joystick operated
High Bowling Score: 172
Approximate Bowling Average: 135
Typical Range of Scores: 100-150
Bowling Frequency: Generally once a month when our Central Florida Quad Squad bowls at Spanish Springs Lanes in The Villages, but I do occasionally go to Classique Lanes when Quad Squad bowling is there in Tavares. [Ok, Bill here interjecting this comment... what readers don't know is Jeff likes to talk some trash when he's bowling, so I'm going to throw some back here: "Come on Jeff, Spanish Springs is 5 minutes from your house -- you gotta bowl more often if you're gonna beat me more than once in a blue moon at Quad Squad outings!!!" :-)]
Bowling Ball(s): Columbia White Dot but I’m looking for a new one.
Quote from Jeff: "Life is too short; live each day to the fullest!"

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Thanks for sharing and being a good sport Jeff! :-)

Click HERE for two videos and a slideshow of two Quad Squad outings (before Jeff got his flames on his Bowler) and here's the pictures of his new paint job...