Team Scotland's Rosemary Lenton is relishing the chance to make her Commonwealth Games debut at the age of 72 in what she refers to as "the friendly games".

Lenton is part of Scotland's Para Bowls squad after reinventing her life when routine surgery in 2002 led to an infection and a series of other operations left her needing a wheelchair.

Two decades later, the septuagenarian will make her debut at Birmingham 2022 as a competitor as she partners Pauline Wilson in the women's pairs and she is looking forward to competing at Leamington Spa.

It is really special and it’s known as the friendly games. The camaraderie will be special too as we are all going as Team Scotland.
Rosemary Lenton

“This is really a step up,” the Crichton Royal Bowling Club member said. “It’s effectively the Olympics for bowls because it’s not an Olympic sport. The Commonwealth Games is the highest you can go.

“It is really special and it’s known as the friendly games.

"The camaraderie will be special too as we are all going as Team Scotland and it’s great to know that we haven’t just got the bowlers but gymnasts, athletes, cyclists and everyone else, knowing you have 250 or so from your own country as well as all the other nations."

Formerly a competitive sailor and cyclist who had gone on charity rides to China and Russia, the Dumfries woman took up bowls in 2005 and has competed in three World Championships, winning a silver medal in one. She went on to take up wheelchair curling and has competed in nine World Championships.

Lenton recalls being frustrated at missing the chance to go and watch the Commonwealth Games in 2002 when her health problems surfaced.

“I hadn’t played the sport until I ended up in a wheelchair in 2002,” she added. “I went into hospital for what was meant to be a straightforward operation but I got an infection and had to have nine operations and was in hospital for three months.

“I struggled going back to work for three years before I had to give it up in 2005.

“I took up bowls, really as a social thing, to get myself out of the house and mix with people.

"I went to the Scottish Championships and won it the first year. I won it several times after that so it set me off on this path."

Lenton, who comes from Huddersfield but has lived in Scotland for more than 40 years, added: “When I was in hospital, an old school friend wrote to me telling me she was going to the Commonwealth Games in Manchester as a volunteer.

Clyde is the official mascot cheering on Team Scotland at the 2022 Games

“I wished I could have been there to see it or even volunteer myself.

“I often reflect on that, especially in these last few months. I could never have dreamt I would end up going as a competitor in the para bowls.”

Team Scotland came home from the Gold Coast last time out with five medals - two of them gold - to sit second in the lawn bowls table under hosts Australia and will be looking to build on that success over the next nine days.