For those that know Hazel Littlejohn, it will be no surprise that she has won the Bowls New Zealand 2024 Disabilities Player of the Year.

She ticks three big boxes.  They may not be the only boxes the judges tick when deciding the award, but Hazel ticks the ‘wonderful human being’ box, the ‘super hardworker’ box and the ‘very, very good bowler’ box.

Of course she also ticks the ‘disabilities’ box.  But that’s almost an after-thought.  The fact that she has a hearing impairment simply enables her selection as Disabilities Player of the Year.

“She’s a great human being,” says Bowls New Zealand Community Manager, Kevin Smith. “She demonstrates that by being genuinely interested in other people … she enjoys the company of others … and unsurprisingly, she’s very popular.”

Liz Hamilton, Secretary of Bowls Darfield where Hazel plays her bowls, agrees.  “I’ve known her ever since she joined the club .. she’s warm … she’s friendly … she’s welcoming … and she’s encouraging.  She’s the kind of person you want to play bowls with.”

But Hazel isn’t just a neat person.  She’s also not afraid of hard work …  on and off the green.

She’s Manager of local Darfield ‘free-to-roam’ chicken farm ‘Bird & Barrow’.  And when she’s not working at her day job dealing with matters poultry, she’s invariably at Bowls Darfield helping the club in any way she can.  “She a great club person,” says Liz.  “She spreads herself around offering to help wherever she can.  And not just at the club … she’s recently been voted in as President of Deaf Lawn Bowls New Zealand.  She’s also a level one umpire.”

“Hazel also puts in the hard work on the green.  She’s a great player,,. and that hasn’t come without a lot of practice.”

“She’s a dual member of the Coalgate Bowling Club,” adds Life Member of Bowls Darfield, Robert Ireland.  “Where I sometimes run into her practising on the artificial green over the winter months.”

“She practises her game all the time.”

And it was that practice and preparation for the International Deaf Bowls Championships in Scotland last year which stood her out for the award,

“Not only was she practising on croquet greens to be prepared for the heavier greens in Scotland.” says Kevin.  “But she also went to the trouble of mowing a rink in her own front yard at home so she could practise, practise and practise.  Now that’s dedication.”

“Her coach, Ashley Paul, had her rolling corner-to-corners at West Melton to try to get used to the increased weight she needed to bowl in Scotland.”

That hard work paid off ,,, Hazel won the World Championship Women’s Singles at the games, and came runner-up in the Women’s Pairs.

It was a not-so-common experience for Hazel.  More often than not, she’s playing her bowls with able-bodied bowlers.  And playing against bowlers with no disability, she’s no slouch.  She was there or there=abouts in the Canterbury Centre Women’s Singles this last season.

It’s all that wonderfulness … and hard work … and bowls success which makes for highly-tickable award-winning boxes.

But it’s the fact that she is hearing-impaired that may be the biggie.

“Hazel is very much a cornerstone for the development of the relationship between abled and disabled bowlers,” says Dennis Herrick, President, International Deaf Bowls.  “Her success has been seen amongst the disabled community as a wonderful achievement and an example of ‘we can do this’.”

“Leading by example, she is actively working to build the deaf bowls community, encourage bowlers to honour and embrace their disabilities.”

Congratulations Hazel … you’re a great recipient of the 2024 Bowls New Zealand Disabilities Player of the Year.