It will be no surprise that Kurt Smith has been named Bowls New Zealand’s Disabilities Player of the Year.
No surprise to his home bowling club of Oakura, just down the road from New Plymouth, where Kurt lives. Nor is it a surprise to the Paritutu Bowling Club, where Kurt spreads his bowling wings to complement Oakura’s efforts to keep him competitive.
It is also no surprise to Bowls Taranaki, where Kurt has become a well-known name. Not as you might expect in para bowls, but by mixing it with the best able-bodied bowlers throughout the province.
Even the New Zealand disabled bowls community will not be surprised, as he has made an impact on and off the green. And almost certainly no surprise to followers of international disabled bowls, particularly in Australia, where they are probably already considering him an ‘Australasian,’ like pavlova and Phar Lap.
Hopefully, it will also be no surprise when he fronts up for the Blackjacks team in Kuala Lumpur for the World Cup in November.
What may be surprising to bowlers outside Taranaki is that at club and centre level, Kurt plays all his bowls alongside able-bodied bowlers. He only competes with other para bowlers at national and international levels.
Take last season for instance. At club level, he won the Paritutu Club Champ of Champ Pairs with Darryl Read. He was also selected for the Paritutu A Interclub team playing at two.
At centre level, Kurt was in the winning Centre Interclub team. He and Darryl won the Centre Champ of Champ Pairs, and he won six-and-a-half of his seven games at the Centre Octagonal.
At national level, he played in the Paritutu team that won the National Interclub title. As a para player at national level, he and Teri Blackbourn won the Summerset Open Disability Pairs.
At international level, he was selected for the Blackjacks to play in the Trans-Tasman with Teri and Mark Noble. He also qualified in the Australia Open in both the disabled Fours and the Pairs.
You would have to think that if there were an inter-planetary level in bowls, Kurt would have been there or close to it.
“It’s not just about his bowls,” says National Para Bowls Coach Kevin Smith. “He’s a wonderful person as well.
“When he received his cap as a Blackjack, he mentioned nothing about what he had done, but what his mother had done to help him overcome his cerebral palsy. At his mother’s coaxing, Kurt learned to adapt at a young age. Even today you can see that adaptability in the small things in his game, like bowling off the wrong foot or the slight pre-delivery hesitation to assure his balance. It’s amazing.
“Kurt has never let what he can’t do stop him. Instead he has always concentrated on what he can do.”
Barbara Harvey, President of the Paritutu Bowling Club, agrees.
“Off the green, he’s a wonderful club person. Despite his youth, he talks to everyone in the club. He’s friendly, respectful, and helpful. He’s always here helping if he can, either personally or through the family refrigeration and air-conditioning business.
“And on the green, he’s a wonderful team mate, inspiring those around him and keeping them focused. He’s what we all aspire to be: humble when winning and gracious in defeat. We are proud to have him in the club.”
Congratulations to Kurt Smith on being named Disabilities Player of the Year.