Even though she is now living ‘up north’ and playing bowls for Queensland, Chloe Stewart still calls Kyneton home.
The 24-year-old expects to be ‘home for Christmas’ and is sure to receive a warm welcome especially as she has just become the Australian women’s singles champion for the first time.
Chloe is pictured with her gold medal after the recent Australian championships at the indoor rink at Merimbula.
She defeated current number one ranked player Genevieve Delves 25-12 in the final, after scores had been level at 10-all.
Chloe made it a gold medal double at the championships by teaming up with fellow Tweed Heads bowlers Kira Bourke and Claire Turley to take out the triples championship, winning the final 19-16 against a Paynesville combination.
Just over 12 months ago the Express featured Chloe’s feat in taking out the United States singles and pairs championships.
It’s a far cry from when as a nine-year-old she began rolling bowls around the Kyneton green, drinking raspberry cordial and being introduced to the chocolate dispensing machine!
No one could have predicted the impact Chloe would have in bowls, quickly rising through local, district and regional levels to represent Victoria and later Australia, with around 100 international appearances so far.
She reached number one ranking in Australia earlier this year, and was number four — and number one for Queensland — on the latest Bowls Australia listings.
Last month Chloe teamed up with player of the tournament Aaron Teys and Kurt Brown for the Tweed Heads Ospreys to win the $25,000 Bowls Premier League final against the Sydney Lions. Many elite level players participated.
Chloe is assistant bowls manager at Tweed Heads Bowling Club, successfully mixing her favourite sport with a career role.
Her mother Jenny and grandmother Val Carey are keen to welcome her home to Kyneton for Christmas …. maybe even to the Chloe Stewart Room named in her honour at the Kyneton Bowling Club.
Kyneton presently has a couple of very young girls playing pennant bowls … what will they be doing in years to come?
