Kitchener, Ont. man representing Canada at Pan American bowling championship

A Kitchener, Ont. man is preparing to represent Canada at the Pan American bowling championship.

Chris Moxley will join his Canadian teammates at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nevada from Aug. 18 to 25.

It’ll be the biggest tournament of his life.

“This is the very first time I have done an international type of bowling on a bowling stage,” Moxley said.

He never expected to qualify for it at 56-years-old, despite bowling for practically his entire life.

“I had a pretty decent day, I shot 250s and so on and so forth,” he said, referring to his qualifying games.

Moxley will be competing in the master’s category for athletes aged 50 and older.

He’s just one of four Canadians in his age group, but he will be joined by Jeff Heimbecker who is also from Kitchener.

The team will be competing in singles, doubles, trios and the four-person team events.

Aside from spending time practicing at the bowling alley, he’s also been focusing on his fitness.

“Because I’m not a spring chicken, I’ve been working with a personal trainer,” he said. “Now some of my balance is back.”

While getting a medal is top of mind, so is too is making his country proud.

“I may never have another chance again,” said Moxley.

He’s also hoping to use this opportunity to inspire the country’s next generation of bowlers.

“We’re trying to get bowling into the Olympics, but it’s a hard sell for the younger generation,” he said.

However Moxley is hopeful that if the Canadians make enough noise at the Pan-Ams, it could be enough to spark a noticeable shift.