 |
| Tim O'Donnell |
By Barry Sparks
Tim O'Donnell figured he would
die before he rolled a 300 game.
After all, the 78-year-old
right-hander had been bowling 63 years without chalking up a perfect game.
Sometimes a bucket list item
becomes unattainable.
Sure, he had had chances for a
300 game. In fact, he owned a pair of
299 games. Close, but not good enough.
He had rolled 12 strikes in a row
before, but across two games. Nice
feeling, but not worthy of the record book.
O'Donnell had rolled thousands of
games, all shy of perfect. He had
watched teammates and opponents rack up 300 games, exchange high fives and
celebrate. He had seen the elation, but
he had never experienced it.
That all changed on Oct. 26, 2017,
(O'Donnell remembers the date as if it was his birth date) in the Friday
Morning Seniors League at Suburban Bowlerama.
After the first nine strikes to
start the first game of the morning, O'Donnell started to think about the
possibility of a 300 game. He also
started to get nervous.
But, he calmly added strikes 10
and 11.
"Prior to the last ball, I'm
thinking to myself, 'Make sure you get the ball out over the foul line,"
said O'Donnell. "I knew if I was
short, the ball would go high."
A lifetime dream was on the
line.
O'Donnell tried to stick to the
same routine he used for the previous 11 shots.
That's easier said than done.
He approached the line, released
the ball and hoped for the best. The
ball was solid in the pocket, scattering all 10 pins.
The strike unleashed a flood of
emotions and wiped away years of lingering frustration. Finally, O'Donnell was the center of high
fives, back slaps and congratulations.
"I felt great relief,"
he said. "The 300 game sunk in
right away. It was a great
feeling."
With his bucket list a little
shorter, O'Donnell figured his bowling career was complete.
On Jan. 17, 2018, three days
after his 79th birthday, however, O'Donnell recorded his second career
300.
"I was very surprised,"
he said. "I figured one 300 game in
a lifetime was it for me. Who would have
thought it would take me 63 years for my first 300 and three months for my
second?"
O'Donnell, who is averaging 218
this season, said he was more relaxed en route to his second 300.
"I guess my advice to others
is 'never give up.' You never know
what'll happen," he said.
