Page 27 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 125

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Continued from page 26
travel to Rochester NY for proper
one on one training. In 1973
Joanne was ready to enter the City
of Montreal Tournament, which
was a qualifier for the Regionals,
Provincials and finally the
Nationals. Joanne made it to the
Nationals and from then through
1983 , she represented Canada
in International competitions,
winning medals on several
occasions. Every fourth year
was the World Tournament with
the alternate four years being the
Americas Tournament, featuring
teams from North, South and
Central America. The first
international tournament that
Joanne attended was supposed to
be in Bogotá, Colombia, but the
new facility wasn’t finished in
time.” The timeframe for South
American construction is not
quite the same as what we are used
to in Canada” Joanne explained,
“ So they finally got tired of
waiting and the tournament got
moved to Caracas Venezuela.”
In Caracas Joanne and partner
Cathy Townsend, competing
in the doubles division, won
Canada’s first ever gold medal.
Continuing to represent Canada
until 1991, Joanne competed
in World tournaments which
took her to London, England in
1975, to Winnipeg, Manitoba in
1979 and later to Manila in the
Philippines. “ I got to travel to
quite a few places, but didn’t get
a chance to see much of any of
them” Joanne said, “They pretty
much flew us in, we competed
and then flew home again. When
we were in London, they gave
us one day, everywhere else we
were in and out”. It had to do with
the cost Joanne explained, “If our
Association had the money, we
would have six to eight bowlers
on the Women’s Team. That was
Singles, Doubles and Team. It
Issue #125 June 2023 27
usually ended up costing each of Upon her return to bowling in guard had the bus driver pull over
us something, but in the end, it Montreal Joanne picked right and then took off to see where the
cost us a lot more. Like with a lot up where she had left off years shots were coming from. There
of other things, the Government earlier. She set a Canadian Ladies we were, sitting in the dark,
stopped funding us completely. I record that stood for eleven years, wondering what was happening.
was back in Caracas in 1983 and bowling an 804 in a three-game He returned a few minutes later
continued to go to the Americas series. A perfect game in ten pin and we continued back to our
tournaments most years up until is 300, - Joanne had a 299 in one hotel.” The Philippines was a
1991.” Joanne took a hiatus of those games. She continued to safer place but there was a culture
from competing internationally bowl competitively up until 2015, shock, Joanne said, “ The elite
after Caracas to raise a family. retiring following a tournament people were on one side of the
Joanne had been working in a in Cali Colombia. Even though street in nice homes and on the
Montreal bowling Center and had Joanne suffered an injury during other side were shacks built on
met Terry Keefe who was from the tournament, Team Canada stilts with spaced fl oorboards.
Sarnia, worked at CN and was managed to win the Gold Medal. Those spaces were used to drop
taking a course at the University Upon returning home, Joanne had garbage through and also as a
of Montreal. “ Terry came into treatment but eventually needed toilet. The traffi c was so heavy
the bowling Center with a friend to have both hips replaced, and that we had a police escort to and
that he was living with, took a decided to end her long and from our hotel. The smog was
look at me standing behind the very successful bowling career. terrible due to the traffi c and the
counter, turned to his friend and Sharing some memories from condition of the cars. As long as
told him “I’m going to marry those years Joanne mentioned a vehicle had four tires, it didn’t
her”. He worked hard at it, but that she had been approached by seem to matter what was holding
it took a long time to convince some members of the Montreal it together. I wish that those who
me.” Once married Joann moved Ladies League, suggesting that like to complain about life here
to Sarnia, where she and Terry she join the Men’s League as in Canada had the opportunity to
raised two daughters, Erin and there would be better competition visit some of these places to see
Carley. Joanne continued to for her there. “ I agreed on one how others actually live”. Even
bowl in a Sarnia league but did condition, if I didn’t like it there, the trip to London England in
not compete at the higher levels that I would be allowed to return. 1975 wasn’t without incident.
of the sport. Asked if either of At the year- end meeting, the During the bowling competition a
her daughters followed in her ladies league passed a rule that spaghetti restaurant located about
footsteps, Joanne replied, “ Carley no one with an average above a block from Team Canadas hotel
bowled, but didn’t compete, 185 would be allowed to join. was bombed by the IRA. “ We
Erin became a goalie in hockey. I had been winning everything didn’t see or hear the explosion,
I have two grandchildren now, up until then and I was the only but life just went on like it was
Erin and Carley each of them person affected by that rule. I an everyday occurrence. I was
has a daughter, Erin’s daughter wanted to return to the ladies as young back then and had just
Isabela is a hockey player like her I missed my friends and other gone through the FLQ Crisis in
mom. Carley’s daughter Ryleigh than bowling, I had nothing in Quebec, so these things didn’t
is a ball player”. Sadly, Terry common with those in the men’s bother me very much at all. If that
passed away in 2000 and Joanne league. Giving up bowling was were to happen today, I would
eventually ended up moving to not an option, so I stayed in the likely be terrifi ed”.
Long Sault. To continue bowling men’s league”. Joanne may not
In 1994 at the inaugural
ten pin Joanne had to now drive have had time to sightsee while
to Montreal, “ Cornwall had a representing Canada in foreign induction of the Canadian Ten Pin
Hall of Fame, Joanne became the
state of the art ten pin facility countries, but she certainly had
very first athlete inducted into the
which I had previously competed some interesting experiences.
at while I was living in Montreal, “In Caracas, Venezuela we had Canadian Ten pin Hall of fame.
On Friday, August 11th, 2023
but it closed down one month an armed National Guard with
before I moved to Long Sault, I us at all times. One night, when Joanne Walker Keefe will be
inducted into the South Stormont
liked to tell people that they must we were returning to our hotel,
Sports Hall of Fame.
have heard that I was coming”. we heard gun shots. The armed