Great-Grandmother, 75, Heads to Commonwealth Games
Jacky Hudson, a 75-year-old great-grandmother from Australia, will compete in lawn bowls at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this July. The vision-impaired athlete never played sports growing up but discovered her talent after retirement.
At 75, most people are planning quiet retirements, but Jacky Hudson just earned a spot on Australia's Commonwealth Games team.
The vision-impaired lawn bowler from Soldiers Point, New South Wales, will represent the Jackaroos in Glasgow this July alongside teammate Jake Fehlberg. She's still processing the news.
"Never in my wildest dreams," Hudson said. "I'm still pinching myself all the time."
Born in Papua New Guinea with impaired vision since birth, Hudson grew up watching sports from the sidelines. Her son Stephen Laybutt played soccer for Australia at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, and her grandson Zac Laybutt currently plays as a winger for the North Queensland Cowboys in the NRL.
But Hudson never thought athletics was for her. That changed after retirement when she picked up lawn bowls as a way to meet people.
What started as a social hobby transformed into serious competition. Four years ago, she earned a place in Bowls Australia's high-performance squad, and now she's headed to one of sport's biggest stages.
Why This Inspires
Hudson's story shows it's never too late to discover hidden talents. She'll compete in the vision-impaired mixed pairs with Fehlberg, 32, who jokes that Hudson is "like my grandkids" but credits their family-like bond as key to their success.
The duo already proved their chemistry works. They won gold at the 2023 World Bowls Championships and are hoping to repeat that success in Glasgow.
Hudson loves that lawn bowls welcomes everyone regardless of age or ability. "The fact that you can go and play with able-bodied players, you can be five or 95, that's the biggest thing for me," she said. "There's no judgement."
The timing couldn't be better. Hudson learned about her Commonwealth Games selection the same week she found out she's becoming a great-grandmother again.
As she prepares for Glasgow, Hudson plans to soak in every moment of wearing the green and gold. "I'm looking forward to just being part of that whole team, wearing the green gold for Australia, and just doing the best I can for everybody."
From watching her family compete to becoming an elite athlete herself, Hudson proves that your moment can come at any age.
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Based on reporting by ABC Australia
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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