Grace Fahy is ready to step up in the green and gold to cap successful season

Victorian athlete Grace Fahy has proven over the years that she is one of the top youth bowlers in the country. After an amazing season on the youth ranked-event circuit, the 21-year-old is now ready to wear the green and gold again at the 2022 International Bowling Federation (IBF) World Cup on the Sunshine Coast.

With the majority of her family members getting involved in bowling over the years, Fahy remembers starting her bowling adventure as a young child, embarking on a journey that took her from sitting on the ground pushing balls down the lane to now representing her country at a major international event.

“I started bowling my first league when I was 2 years old, in a bumper league. I would sit on the ground and push the ball down the lane, and now I am competing at the highest level in Australia! I was born into bowling. My whole family had been involved in the sport for years and years in Bendigo before I was even born.”

Playing in the country town north of Melbourne, Fahy found a strong sense of community within the Bendigo bowling scene, which grew her love for the sport.

“I love the sport because of the community. Being from country Victoria is a major blessing. The bowlers here are one big family, and I was practically babysat by half of them! The social aspect of the sport is unlike most. I bowl one league with a nine-year-old and another with a 74-year-old. You don’t get that opportunity in most sports.”

Looking back on the year so far, Fahy has a lot to be proud about. She was able to win three out of four ranked events and was a runner-up at the inaugural Tenpin Premier League event, capping her season with the selection for the World Cup.

“My 2022 has been an amazing year. Three out of four Youth Title wins, and runner-up in the 4th is something I never could have dreamed of. Coming out of Covid was not only physically draining, but mentally too. It was incredibly difficult, but the determination I had for the year was something I have never been able to tap into previously. The Tenpin Premier League was the most surreal thing I have ever experienced. To come second was something I am extremely proud of, especially with the added pressure of the cameras,” she said.

Amongst the highs of winning titles, there have also been some lows. Fahy started the year outside of the National Training Squad (NTS), not knowing if she would be able to find the drive and passion to return to the sport. It wasn’t until Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdowns that Fahy realised how much the sport truly meant to her. 

“In 2020 I withdrew from the NTS because I needed to take a step back. I was completely burnt out and had lost the drive to succeed that I previously had. Experiencing the lockdowns made me realise just how passionate I am about the sport and how much I missed it. In April this year, I re-joined the NTS because I rediscovered my love for the sport. I am so appreciative that the NTS took me back and has given me the opportunities I have now.”

With ups and downs throughout her playing journey, Fahy was surprised when she was named as one of the athletes representing Australia at the World Cup.

“I am extremely excited and honestly a little terrified. I am shocked that this opportunity came this soon for me, but I have worked so hard for this and can’t wait to show that off in November,” Fahy commented.

“The names in the Australian Team are intimidating in themselves. You have world number one Jason Belmonte, PBA bowler Sam Cooley, ‘King of the North’ Jarrod Langford, the bowling power couple Adam Hayes and Bec Martin, World Cup champion Bec Whiting, Australian Masters champion Chloe Clague…and then there’s little old me from the country! To be teammates with these amazing people is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and I am so grateful for it.”