New Wheelchair Bowling Record for Females with MD

Peggy Overbey's 179 Is the New Wheelchair Bowling Record for Females who have Muscular Dystrophy

My friend & fellow Central Florida Quad Squad Bowler Peggy Overbey set a new wheelchair bowling record for females with Muscular Dystrophy, bowling a 179 last Saturday.  For her scoresheet, click HERE!

We had four IKAN Users -- two girls and two guys -- at the Quad Squad outing, and Peggy & Lilian decided they wanted it to be girls vs. guys (them vs. Aaron and me). Let's just say it was the girls' day.

Shortly after Peggy's 179, Lilian posted a 185, and since we generally use each person's top score of the afternoon for comparison, Aaron and I were in trouble. In Aaron's defense, it was just his second Quad Squad outing bowling IKAN-style. But I had difficulty putting together a particularly good game too. No worries. Congratulations to the ladies -- they bowled very well!

The unusual thing about Peggy's record game, is that she had a very impressive six strikes (including a turkey to start her game and a double later) but no spares. That's unusual because Peggy is typically very good at picking up spares, especially when she's got her "A game." That goes to show the power of consecutive strikes -- they help you accumulate points quickly.

For Peggy's previous best, click HERE.

Keep up the good work Peggy!

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 223 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

Disability Doesn't Stop This Valedictorian

I'm inspired by, humbled, and honored to know Audrey Winkelsas.  We met when she became an IKAN User -- and she recently graduated from high school as her class VALEDICTORIAN -- despite the additional challenges of having Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and using a power wheelchair since the age of two.  Audrey also bowled on her high school team, using the IKAN Bowler that belonged to our late Quad Squad buddy Alex McDonald (click HERE for my 2009 year in review which mentions some of Alex's achievements and his unexpected passing).

After Alex's sudden passing, his parents wanted to find another high school student with Muscular Dystrophy (SMA is a form of MD) to whom they could donate Alex's Bowler, and Audrey was a gracious recipient.  In the below article, Audrey & her family wanted Alex & his family mentioned, but the reporter didn't, so I'm mentioning it now.  Nonetheless, it's a great article, and was originally posted HERE.

If that link expires, you can download a PDF version HERE.

Despite living relatively far away, Audrey has joined us for Quad Squad Bowling multiple times, and as you can read at the above links, she's a phenomenal young woman.

And her story of achievement despite disability needs to be shared.

CONGRATULATIONS AUDREY! :-)

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 223 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 Female Bowlers with MD

Peggy Overbey's 167 Is New Record for Females with Muscular Dystrophy

Chalk up the new record as a belated Mother's Day gift.  At our central Florida Quad Squad Bowling outing yesterday, Peggy Overbey's Mom, for the first time, got to come watch her daughter bowl.  And Peggy wasted no time in SHATTERING her previous best of 138 BY TWENTY-NINE PINS!

And to prove her 167 was no fluke, Peggy bowled 165 in her second game!  That was impressive bowling, and a fitting gift for Mom.  I say that because Mom & family chipped in to buy Peggy her IKAN Bowler for Christmas.

Peggy opened with FIVE STRAIGHT marks, before a split ended her streak in the 6th frame.  After open frames in the 7th & 8th, Peggy rebounded with a double (two strikes) in the 9th & 10th and finished with the new record for a female with Muscular Dystrophy, 167.

I actually think Peggy's second game was more impressive than her first, even though it totaled two fewer pins.  Peggy had marks in 8 of her 10 frames, and she had splits (i.e. hard or impossible spare attempts) in her only two open frames.  (For any able-bodied bowler reading this, you may think "no spare is impossible" but with our limited ball speed, the 7-10 split is impossible for us to pickup.  But I caught some of Peggy's magic and did convert the difficult 6-7-10 split (link) for my 8th time in 8 years of dynamic-style wheelchair bowling.)

Peggy cooled off in her last two games, but everyone watching was thrilled at what Peggy had already accomplished -- especially her Mom.

CONGRATULATIONS PEGGY! :-)

Peggy's new record scoresheet is HERE.

For Peggy's previous best, click HERE.

Keep up the good work Peggy!

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

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

New Record for Female Bowlers with MD

My friend and fellow Central Florida Quad Squad Bowler Peggy Overbey reset her personal bowling record, which also happens to be the dynamic wheelchair bowling record for females with Muscular Dystrophy.

Peggy was somewhat "starting from scratch" because she purchased a new ball, and is/was trying to figure it out at Quad Squad Bowling.

So, it wasn't really surprising that she started off with a 93, but she improved to 114 in her second game.  And she kept the upward momentum going and achieved a 138 in her third game, which is the new record for female bowlers with MD.  She had six marks (all spares) in the game, which means she pretty well earned that 138.

Peggy is doing what I suggest new IKAN Users do -- that is simply try to keep beating your personal best when you bowl.  It's easier said (or written:) than done, but that's how you can demonstrate improvement.  In that way, you're competing with yourself.  (Although it's quite fun to try to beat your friends and/or caregivers too!:)

Dynamic wheelchair bowling is a fun, yet challenging sport, and it's not super easy to get the ball where you want it everytime, or even the vast majority of the time.  I have a ton of experience, and though I've broken 200 ten times, my average is probably about 150.  And some days my average is below 150.

No worries -- it's still fun!  :-)

For "Keys and Tips for Dynamic Wheelchair Bowling" click HERE.

Peggy's new record scoresheet is HERE.

For Peggy's quite impressive first IKAN experience, click HERE.

Keep up the good work Peggy!
 
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

First-Time IKAN User Sets Female MD Record

Peggy Overbey, a 44-year-young woman who was born with a type of Muscular Dystrophy called Spinal Muscular Atrophy, bowled remarkably well for a first-time IKAN User, and in doing so, set the initial pace for female bowlers with MD.

Peggy is our newest Central Florida Quad Squad member, and when she told me she was finally going to be able to bowl with us, I tried to give her realistic expectations for her first IKAN experience.  I mentioned that any score approaching 100 in her first three games would be a solid start, and breaking 100 in any of her first three games would be an excellent start.

A typical first game involves trying to get familiar with how the ball will break when setup in certain positions and the overall process of bowling dynamically.  That doesn't usually result in very good scores, and Peggy's 77 was pretty typical.  Her next game was not.

Not only did Peggy break 100 in just her second game, she had FIVE marks and bowled a 129!  And to prove it wasn't a fluke or beginner's luck, she topped it with a 135 in her third game!  But she wasn't done.

She kept demonstrating a solid feel for bowling and added a 125 and 134 in games four and five.  Even including the 77, Peggy averaged 120 for her first five games -- that's impressive!

Five games is quite a bit of bowling, but Peggy was having so much fun, she wanted to bowl a sixth game, and she did.  But I think she got tired and lost a bit of focus, and consequently scored a 75.  Nonetheless, it was an amazing first IKAN experience, and Peggy's 135 is the initial record for female bowlers with MD.

I was most impressed that her approach and ball placement were so solid; she knew where the ball needed to go for the particular shot, and she executed shots quite well.  Even when she missed, it wasn't by much.  So that 135 probably won't stand very long.  But it's a GREAT start!

CONGRATULATIONS PEGGY and keep up the good work!  :-)

Oh, and for any other females with MD who may read this, I'm certain Peggy would encourage and welcome the competition.  Any wheelchair user can bowl with an IKAN Bowler.

Peggy's scoresheet is HERE.

And no worries -- I'll gladly update the female with MD record whenever it's broken!

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

Quad Squad Year in Review (2009)

With this year in review, I'll recap the highlights of the past year for Quad Squad Bowling and share some additional news that isn't in any of my other blog entries.

In January, my young friend Alex McDonald set and reset the dynamic wheelchair bowling record for a male with muscular dystrophy by impressively bowling a 180 and 192 in back-to-back games. Click HERE for details, but as you'll see later in this recap, Alex went on to eclipse his record -- several (impressive) times.

In February, 65-year-young Angie Keiser became really the first paraplegic to take the IKAN "dynamic bowling challenge" and post a solid record score of 138. That might not sound like it's too high, but I believe dynamic bowling in a manual wheelchair is more difficult than with a power wheelchair. And we have yet to see any other paraplegics (younger or older) take the challenge and post a better score than Angie. So Angie officially holds the record. Click HERE for Angie's IKAN User profile and the scoresheet of her record game.

In March, 59-year-young Lilian Strandlund became THE top overall female dynamic wheelchair bowler with a joyous 189. I say joyous because she was SO HAPPY to not only become the top female bowler with cerebral palsy, and the top female bowler who drives her chair via joystick, in addition to the aforementioned overall top bowler -- but she beat her significant other Ed, who is able-bodied and can bowl real well. Just mentioning her record setting performance and beating Ed makes Lilian's whole face light up with a smile that beams! Click HERE for Lilian's profile and record scoresheet.

In April & May, I wrote a REALLY comprehensive (a.k.a. LONG:) blog called "Keys and Tips for Dynamic Wheelchair Bowling." Actually, in May I updated it with some new info, but if you're interested and haven't read it, I went back and included the May info in the April blog, so that someone only has to read my April entry to get everything, which is HERE.

In June, Rhonda Reese came out of hibernation to set a new record for a female wheelchair bowler who drives via sip-and-puff with an exciting 170 -- beating her previous best by 9 pins! I say "hibernation" in jest because Rhonda hadn't been able to bowl with us for about 6 months. So after such a long time in between bowling, it was impressive to see her have her best bowling day to date. Click HERE for details.

Apparently nothing particularly blog-worthy occurred with our Quad Squad Bowling in July, so I took the opportunity to introduce a new website I created to more legitimize our record bowling scores. To checkout WheelchairBowlingRecords.com, click HERE.

Alex McDonald heated up in August and broke his male with MD record by bowling 195 -- and if that wasn't impressive enough, he averaged 182.33 on his record-breaking day. His best bowling day (to that point:) came at a great time, because Alex was preparing to join his High School Bowling Team -- competing with and against able-bodied bowlers -- a few weeks later. Click HERE for details.

With September came a new record for male bowlers who drive via sip-and-puff... I bowled a 221 which topped my previous high game of 206 by 15 pins. The thing that surprised and amazed me is that I actually had two open frames in the game, and still managed to score that high (I had 7 strikes; 4 consecutive and 3 consecutive -- that's how I was lucky enough to score so high). Click HERE for details.

In October, Alex became the fourth IKAN User to enter the 200 Club -- and he did it TWICE with a 201 and 213! I was both quite impressed and proud of Alex's bowling accomplishments, despite our friendly rivalry. Click HERE for details.

In November, a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic who is paralyzed from the neck down bowled his 10th game of 200 or better. I wrote that to try to drive home the point that ANY wheelchair user who can safely operate a wheelchair, can bowl in dynamic fashion (by dynamic I mean using an IKAN Bowler and the movement of one's wheelchair to emulate the able-bodied bowling process). I control my wheelchair with my mouth, and yet I've bowled ten 200+ games. I don't write that to brag, but to show others what is possible. Click HERE for the details.

This is my December blog entry and I have one quite significant piece of news to share -- and sad news at that.

Shockingly, in late November at just 17 years of age, our friend and fellow Quad Squad member Alex McDonald passed away from complications of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. He went from seemingly healthy to no longer with us in about a week's time.

I share that here for two reasons: (1) so readers of this blog will know why additional bowling accomplishments from Alex aren't mentioned, and (2) as a reminder to LIVE life and try to enjoy each day, whatever it may bring. Not only that, but to make sure your loved ones know you love them.

With that, I wish everyone who reads this a healthy and happy 2010.

May God bless you and your loved ones.

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

Wheelchair User with MD Enters 200 Club with a 201 and 213!

On October 10, 2009, my friend Alex McDonald became the fourth IKAN User (to my knowledge) to bowl 200 or better! That day Alex bowled a 201 to join the 200 Club -- and just two weeks later -- Alex bowled a 213 to up the record for male wheelchair users with muscular dystrophy! :-)

Alex has been really consistent (and good) at picking up spares. But he's had trouble getting strikes relatively often, partly because his ball wouldn't hook how he wanted it to. Well, on October 10th, our fellow Quad Squad member Rhonda Reese brought Jeff Parker's old ball up for Alex to try (for those who don't know, our Quad Squad friend Jeff Parker passed away at the age of 37 from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy; Alex also has Duchenne MD, but he's only 17 -- and may he have a long, healthy life with the Good Lord's blessing and all the advances being made in medicine). On the below scoresheet, you can see Alex was trying to get familiar with Jeff's ball in the first game.

Maybe it was the cosmic Duchenne connection (maybe Jeff was there, kicking over some pins) I don't know, but Alex sure got familiar with Jeff's ball in the second game. As the scoresheet shows, Alex had four strikes in the 10 frames, including a double over the 8th and 9th. Since Alex was already extremely comfortable with his ball for spares, he kept using it whenever he didn't have a strike, and he picked up every spare in his second game, which led to a mighty good 201 -- and Alex's entrance into the 200 Club.

I would've loved to have been there to watch and cheer Alex on, but my wheelchair batteries were almost completely dead when I got in my chair that afternoon, so I couldn't go bowling.

But I saw Alex's 213 game -- and it was exciting!

Alex opened with a spare -- and then FIVE STRAIGHT STRIKES -- and the record watch was ON! After his fourth frame (so he had a spare, followed by a turkey) I'm thinking, "Alright Alex! This has a good chance to be another 200+ game!"

After another strike, and ANOTHER, my eyes were getting big and I was thinking, "Look out Jon Musgrave!" Jon is the overall world record holder in dynamic wheelchair bowling with a 243 (available HERE). Alex followed the five straight strikes with another spare in the 7th frame, but unfortunately he missed his spare attempt in the 8th frame. He spared in the ninth, but didn't spare in the 10th. The final tally was 213 -- an impressive score for just about anyone, able-bodied or not.

I must point out an odd similarity between Alex's best game and my best game (mine is 221; available HERE). We both had two open frames (i.e. two frames without a spare or strike) -- AND we both missed two single-pin spares in those open frames. It's amazing that we both scored as high as we did, considering we each had two open frames, and the irony is we usually pick-up those single-pin spares when we're bowling well.

Alex had no open frames in his 201 game, and I have also bowled a 201 with no open frames. The fact that we both had two open frames in our highest games, shows the power of consecutive strikes.

For any IKAN User who wants to join the 200 Club, I highly suggest trying out different bowling balls until you find one that has a pretty good amount of break (curve) that you can hook into the headpin. I elaborate on how to do that and more with my blog entry titled, "Keys and Tips for Dynamic Wheelchair Bowling" available HERE.

Alex's 201 scoresheet AND 213 scoresheet are both HERE!

If you're curious, Alex's previous best was 195, available HERE.

CONGRATULATIONS ALEX! :-)

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/