LYNSEY CLARKE ANNOUNCES INTERNATIONAL RETIREMENT

Lynsey Clarke, one of Australia’s most successful and longest serving Right at Home Australian Jackaroos, has announced she will be retiring from international bowls at the conclusion of this year’s World Bowls Championships in her home town of the Gold Coast.

The decision comes as the Queenslander highlights that the timing is right, with family taking priority. Lynsey has two children under the age of eight that she wants to spend more time with as her travelling duties and the high-level demands of an athlete become less rigorous.

In addition, the 39-year-old aims to focus on her blossoming coaching career, having been employed by Bowls Australia (BA) as her State’s Pathways Coach, mentoring and guiding the next generation of bowlers on their journeys to success.

Lynsey is quick to reassure her friends and fellow Queenslanders that she’ll still be an active bowler at home.

“Twenty years in and I have probably ticked off everything on my bucket list,” she said. “There are a couple of things still there and obviously I’m still going to be playing in my beloved state of Queensland and at my home club of Tweed, but I think the timing is right to finish my career in the green and gold in my home town, where I first rolled my bowls as an 11-year-old.”

Lynsey has won many of her bowls medals with Karen Murphy and said Karen has been a huge influence on her career. “Karen was my idol when I was a junior,” Lynsey said. “She was always so approachable, I loved the way she played really aggressively and she really changed sport for women.

“Now, I just want to go out there and make them (my family) proud,” she said. “My family has sacrificed a lot for me and, as a mum, I want to show them that you can chase your dreams, commit to something you want to do and believe in yourself.”

A stalwart of the national team, Clarke debuted in 2003, amassing 440 international caps, a Commonwealth Games gold medal in 2006 and a pair of World Bowls Championships golds in 2008 and 2012, as well as being one of the most highly respected leaders within the Australian squad – and inaugural captain from 2011 until 2018.

In addition, Australia has hoisted the Taylor Trophy as the best performing women’s team on both occasions that the Club Tweed member has participated in the World Bowls Championships. With the World Bowls Championships coming up, Lynsey agreed it would be “pretty cool” to bow out of international bowls with a gold medal.

“Our team has a great mix of experience, youth and energy so the gold medal would be the ultimate, but I’m just loving that I get to finish my Australian career where I started, in my home town.

“It’s a bit of a fairytale and a really huge honour and privilege to have 20 years in the Aussie colours,” she said. “I’ll always be involved with the sport of bowls; it’s something I love and am passionate about.”