Successful shots were few and far between at Twilight 400 bowls. Photo / Mike Tweed
Successful shots were few and far between at Twilight 400 bowls. Photo / Mike Tweed
Chronicle reporter Mike Tweed competed in his first Downer New Zealand Masters Games this week.
He didn't win a medal, but he did come away with this story.
A few months ago my mother announced that she had signed up herself, my brother and I in the Twilight 400 eventat the Downer Masters Games.
I immediately forgot all about it until a few days before the competition.
I was informed that the disciplines were archery, darts, smallbore rifle shooting and bowls, all of which required a steady hand and a certain amount of calm.
As an excitable, frantic type, I knew this would be a challenge. Being old enough to compete in the Masters Games was also something of a worry.
Archery and darts were booked in for the first evening, and a busload of boisterous competitors left the Games Hub at the War Memorial Centre and headed to Wembley Park, where experts from the Wanganui Archery Club helped guide us through our paces.
I was obsessed with Robin Hood as a kid, even going by the name of "Tweedy Hood" for a period, so I thought archery would come naturally to me.
Alas, I watched in horror as my sibling and elderly forebear nailed most of their shots, while my arrows barely registered on the target.
"It's because I'm on a slight angle, I'm not directly in front of where I'm shooting," I said.
Unfortunately, an adjustment to my position didn't help at all.
"It's all just a bit of fun anyway, aye? Nothing too serious."
This trend continued after the bus took us to the Wanganui Dart League building on Heads Rd for the second discipline of the Twilight 400.
Again, experts were on hand to help us, but nothing could save me from abject failure once again. Two events down and I was lagging behind Mum and my brother, and most of the others as well.
Archery was the first discipline on Tuesday evening, and it was here where Mike Tweed's (far left) troubles began. Photo / Mike Tweed
Tempering the sting of disappointment were the conversations I had with my fellow competitors, some of whom had travelled great distances to be a part of the Games. Any lingering grumpiness soon dissipated as total strangers became new friends. Some had entered the Twilight 400 before; others had never tried any of the disciplines.
Any friendliness towards my family members had to be put on hold until after the event was complete, however.
On the second evening, off we went to Okoia for small-bore rifle shooting. It was time for me to save face, and to claim bragging rights over Mum, my brother and everyone else.
A hastily slurped cup of coffee from the Games Hub had put a fire in my belly, and any lingering goodwill from the previous evening had been replaced by a bloodthirsty desire for glory.
We were once again greeted by locals who were masters of their craft, in this case it was members of the Westmere, RSA and Marton shooting clubs.
A thorough demonstration on gun safety followed, before we lay on our stomachs and took aim. Caffeine rushed through my system, and the targets in the distance were a blur through my sights, but I managed to shoot an 85.1, which was a fairly decent effort by all accounts.
On to the bowls then, which were held at the Whanganui Bowling Club on Nelson St.
Here the wheels began to come off slightly, with bowls flying around the green in all directions and no one really knowing what was going on. Frustrated helpers argued among themselves about how best to tackle the whooping horde, before some semblance of order was finally restored.
Wigs Arathoon (middle) claimed gold in the women's 60-69 age group, with Wendy Fairclough (left) in second, and Claire Brown (right) in third. Photo / Mike Tweed
Of all the disciplines, bowls proved to be the hardest. Each competitor had two attempts to get four bowls into a target at the far end of the green and, judging by the wild cheers of everyone present when someone managed it, very few bowls went where they were supposed to.
Finally, mercifully (for me, anyway), the Twilight 400 had come to an end.
It turned out only four people were in my age group, and although my brother claimed a well-earned bronze, I didn't manage to make an appearance on the podium.
It turned out I was one of the few people not to receive any medal at all.
Mum claimed gold in the women's 60-69 bracket, and she collected her medal to wild applause.
It felt like that moment summed up the Masters Games perfectly, with strangers cheering each other on, getting to know each other, and planning to do it all again in 2023.
I'll have to wait until then to get my revenge.
A massive thank you needs to go out to all the clubs who gave us a taste of what they do, and hopefully people who competed in the Twilight 400 will go back to shoot, throw and bowl after the Games are completed.
