With a combined age of 183, Wonglepong’s Peter (93) and Ray Hickson (90) could be Australia’s oldest active sporting couple.
They’ll compete in lawn bowls at the 2024 Pan Pacific Masters Games at the Broadbeach Bowls Club on Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 November.
The Canungra Bowls Club stalwarts will be joined in the pairs and fours by Victoria-based son Stephen (70) and daughter-in-law Karen (66), who play four days a week at the Cranbourne Bowls Club.
For those playing at home, the Hickson family fours outfit will boast a whopping 259 years of lived experience and countless hours of dedication to the sport they keenly love.
But age hasn’t slowed them down one iota with Ray and Karen keen to upgrade their 2022 Ladies Pairs silver medal while Peter and Stephen will be out to snare their first medals in a decade of playing at the Pan Pacs.
Ray says she and Peter are in heavy training for a schedule that sees them take on 70 ends – over 2800 metres of walking – over two days.
“We’ve been down at the Canungra club doing more ends each day than we’ll do in the tournament,” Ray said.
“We did 40 yesterday which will get us match fit by the first game.”
Stephen said he’s looking forward to another bowls inspired family reunion, this time with daughter Kristi (26) making the trek north to cheer the family on.
“Karen and I have played in the past five Pan Pacific Masters Games and the social nature of the Games, and the long days of the bowls competition means we get plenty of time to catch up.
“Karen had played basketball at a high level at other Masters Games but switched to lawn bowls in 2016 when the chance came up to play alongside mum and dad.
“It’s amazing to me that at our ages, we can go to the Gold Coast every two years and play a competitive medal sport alongside both my parents,” he said.
