Laura Hollands looks directly down the carpeted pitch and bowls her bowl. All is quiet until her bowl slows and stops within centimetres of the white jack.

Her teammates cheer and clap, and the 11-year-old indoor bowler high-fives her coach. Eagerly searching for the keys on her iPad, Laura presses the words “excited” and “happy”.

Laura may be non-verbal, but the smile on her face says it all.

It’s a Monday morning and Laura and her teammates — Rohan Chhibber, Regan Unsworth-Taylor and Matthew Witehira — are practising for their first Zespri Aims Games.

Concentration is high as the young indoor bowlers apply accuracy and practice precision on the pitch.

First time

This year will be the first time Tauranga Special School is represented in the intermediate-age sporting tournament.

Until now, athletes from its satellite schools have represented their sports as part of other intermediates.

Proudly wearing her specially made Aims Games jersey with her name and school’s name stitched to the back, Laura sends another bowl down the green. “Well done Laura,” one of her teachers says in sign language as Laura claps her hands together in elation. Laura was born with an intellectual disability, severe non-verbal autism, and cerebral visual impairment. She uses her iPad, hand gestures and sign language to communicate. But even without words, Laura’s laughter and love of life are infectious.

Tauranga Special School teacher Sara Thorburn shares a joyous moment with student Laura Hollands during a practice for the indoor bowls competition. Photo: Alan Gibson.

Her mum, Michelle Hollands, says Laura’s teachers describe her as their “hype girl” because she’s always happy.

“She’s always keen to give everything a go. If someone else is doing something, she wants to do it too.”

So it makes sense that, after her big sister Ellison Hollands competed in indoor bowls at Aims Games two years ago, Laura, too, wanted to give it a go. Ellison represented New Zealand at the transtasman water ski challenge in Australia in April and raced at the IWWF World Water Ski Racing Championships last year.

Laura’s time

Now, it’s Laura’s time to shine on the sporting stage as she debuts at the Aims. And just because she can, she’ll also be running cross-country in the athletes with disabilities division.

“It is really cool she gets the chance to be involved,” Michelle says.

A total of 15 children from Tauranga Special School will compete in cross-country, swimming, table tennis, and indoor bowls, as part of the athletes with disabilities divisions. Veteran indoor bowler Kevin Garratt has been called in to help prepare the athletes every Monday until the games begin. “I’m teaching them the fundamentals of the game, giving them that encouragement,” says Kevin as he places his hand on the edge of the pitch and instructs the young bowler to aim for it. “Great work,” he says, as the bowl curves in a perfect line towards the jack.

Tauranga Special School student Regan Unsworth-Taylor and team coach Kevin Garratt are all concentration during a practice for the indoor bowls competition that will be part of 2024’s Zespri AIMS Games. Tauranga Special School is entering the huge school sporting event for the first time. Photo: Alan Gibson.

All abilities

Kevin has been involved with the Aims Games since indoor bowls was introduced in 2008, taking over from fellow bowling veteran Bill West. “I enjoy the game and I enjoy watching the younger ones playing the game.”

Kevin, who became an indoor bowling code co-ordinator alongside Fiona Keegan in 2018, says the Aims Games gives students of all sporting abilities a chance to compete.

“It is giving them the ability to be able to achieve something their peers living without disabilities can achieve.”

Tauranga Special School students Regan Unsworth-Taylor, Laura Hollands, coach Kevin Garratt, Rohan Chhibber, and Matthew Witehirateam pictured during a practice for the indoor bowls competition that will be part of 2024’s Zespri AIMS Games. Photo: Alan Gibson.

– SunLive