Bowls: Success starts in operating theatre

Since his operation, Peter Nathan has stopped his 50-sticks-a-day habit.

It's not a course most might recommend for achieving sporting success, but Birkenhead bowler Peter Nathan reckons his triple bypass heart operation two months ago was a big factor in his winning his first North Harbour centre title last weekend.

Nathan, only a ninth year bowler, won the Harbour singles championship final, defying initial medical advice and some reservations from his Birkenhead club, which required him to get a medical clearance before allowing him to enter a competition.

That was given after he had assured his doctor and his surgeon that he had never felt healthier.

The only stipulation the surgeon made was that Nathan avoid lifting weights.

"Honestly, in the last few weeks I've never felt fitter," he says.

Since his operation he has stopped his 50-a-day cigarette habit and - aided by daily morning walks with bowling mates Graham Dorreen and Tim Preston - has reduced his weight from around 120kg to about 105kg.

In time he hopes to reach 95kg, which is close to his weight when he was playing No 8 for the Ponsonby rugby club.

He first noticed worrying symptoms after reaching the last 16 in the New Zealand Open pairs in November with club-mate Mark Rumble.

But medical opinion is that his heart deterioration started years ago and may have included an attack, which as a night shift worker he probably put down to tiredness.

The 52-year-old spent his junior (five years and under) bowling seasons with Glenfield, before joining one of the Harbour powerhouse clubs, Birkenhead.

His win last weekend was his first senior centre title, though he has won two at junior level and been a centre representative.

His greatest satisfaction, next to overcoming his health setback, was that his win came against tough opposition - two centre gold-star holders in Brent Turner and Bart Robertson and two accomplished Takapuna bowlers, Trevor Forward and Norm Scott-Morrison against who he has had 21-20 cliff-hangers.

"It was the toughest possible draw," he said, adding that the tension in the last two might not have been the best possible therapy for his recovery and provided his toughest test yet of his resolve to never smoke again.