When asked to write something on Bowling, the first thing that popped into my head was all the wonderful opportunities and experiences I have had, and the life lessons I have learned.

Firstly, I love to travel and Bowling has given me the opportunity to travel across Canada, the United States and even overseas. I have visited countries like Thailand, Hong Kong and Latvia, places I would not have thought of going to under normal circumstances. Traveling has also exposed me to different cultures, which I believe has made me respectful of others, by accepting and understanding our differences.

Through my travels, I have also made lasting friendships with people from all over the world. Going to tournaments has given me the chance to meet a lot of new people, and through this, I have developed social skills. Being able to talk to someone, socialize with them and get along, this is a very useful tool in my everyday life.

Bowling has definitely helped build my character. I learn something new about myself with every tournament I compete in, win or lose. Something like confidence, which cannot be given to you, it comes from within and is built with experiences, life lessons. What I call life lessons are the lessons that you can use in all aspects of you life. I think the first real lesson I learned was that you can only expect as much as you put in, meaning if you are not prepared, do not expect to succeed. This is true for anything you want to achieve, pass a test, get a promotion; you need to work hard to achieve your goals.

Bowling is a big part of my life and I am truly grateful for what it has brought me. Most importantly, I have travelled, made lifelong friends and have values, which I will have for the rest of my life, beyond my competitive career. Thank you Bowling!

Diane has 19 years experience to reply upon while competing in various international events. A world class competitor, Diane has competed at the Bowling World Cup International Finals for three consecutive years where she bowled one of her 2 perfect games. Diane also earned the 2002 World Cup Jackie Fickelstein Sportsmanship Award to go along with the honour of being named the 2000 Female Canadian Bowler of the Year.

Diane's knowledge and dedication to her sport is highly regarded both here in Canada and in bowling communities throughout the world.