Nan rolls to bowls glory

Nanette (Nan) Roos has bowled her way to the top and will soon be playing in the South African Masters on February 13, 14 and 15. This achievement is a culmination of a glittering career that has seen her compete in the S.A. Nationals Bowls final four times, where she has scooped one gold and three silver medals.
Nanette has been hitting the greens and rolling balls since 1995.
At the time she juggled between coaching hockey, raising her two girls and playing bowls.
“Monday to Friday I coached, Saturday I played bowls and Sunday I entered competitions,” Nanette explained.
When asked how she managed this all, she smiled and said, “my husband (Lourens) backed me and supported me 200 percent and I have a good team of staff.”
Nan has shown great perseverance in the sport and has also faced her fair share of challenges such as maintaining good focus and good rhythm. If you lose it, you get lost in the game! However, she also has encountered many highlights and defining moments whilst bowling.
While playing in Noorrat, she met Margaret Sumner, Australian and World Bowls Champion. Margaret, who has played against South Africans players such as Jannie De Beer, immediately noticed her style of playing and commented on it, saying, “you must be a South African. I can see by the way you play!”
She has also played with Hanna Gevers and won gold at the South African Pairs in 2009. Looking back, Nan claimed she never foresaw these achievements when she stumbled upon the sport in 1995 after her husband developed arthritis and as a result could not continue playing golf – a sport the pair loved.
He then took to bowling and she soon followed suit and got hooked on it. “I never thought I’d be able to achieve this. I have just enjoyed it without looking at the end result.” Nanette will soon gear up to roll the balls and make Dundee proud.