Gilford’s Darren Brown knocked down all 10 pins with his two-handed delivery — not once, not twice, but seven times to start his Monday morning at the Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota.
Eight years ago, he feared he would never be able to do anything ever again, let alone bowl.
“The moment I threw those (seven) strikes, I felt like I was the best bowler in the world, even though I knew I wasn’t. But you know, just gotta enjoy the moment,” the 23-year-old bowler said.
After a PACER test — a shuttle run designed to measure aerobic capacity — at school, Brown’s heart rate jumped to over 300 beats per minute and he passed out. His life was in danger as he was diagnosed with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD), a rare heart rhythm disorder.
Soon after Brown received an implantable cardioverter defibrillator from Boston Scientific that helped stabilize his condition. His condition prevented him from pursuing certain things involving high-intensity strain. Bowling, however, allowed him to stay active. Not just active, in fact — he found his sport.
It wasn’t easy. Brown started seven years ago and became obsessed. The crashing of the pins and the explosion at the end of the lane hooked him. Every time he sent that ball rolling down, he wanted to do it again.
For his father, Chris Brown, that first morning was nerve-racking and exciting. He has always known his kids could accomplish whatever they wanted, but becoming an Olympian of any kind surpassed his wildest imagination.
Chris himself was tested and doctors found heart damage due to the same genetic condition Darren has. Chris also now has a defibrillator.
Even when Darren had that first bowling league night, it was anxiety-inducing. After all the roadblocks and concerns about his health, bowling was daunting.
“To watch him go from barely averaging 100 to, he had his high of 255 the week before he left,” Chris Brown said. “I mean, it’s awe-inspiring as a parent to watch your child make those growths and just steps and leaps on his own.”
Chris Brown sold his family’s talents a little short. The whole family got into the sport with Darren and they recently won their Thursday night league as team The Beautiful Losers.
The Special Olympics USA Games are a whole different beast, with 48 lanes and over 220 bowlers.
Darren sounded confident and focused as he ignored the noise, the crashing of the pins and the constant noise on the lanes. His mother, Jill, described him as a very, very persistent child. For many years, he struggled with anxiety and was scared to pursue his dreams but he never gave up. He could not be more confident in his abilities now.
Darren Brown said he’s just flowing through the traffic. That’s not to say he’s not trying to win, though. He wants that gold.
“Enjoying the game in general and embracing everybody and being supported by others, keeping that good feeling just comes with good scores,” he said.
After bowling in team assessments on Monday, next up he’s got singles and then doubles Tuesday and Wednesday.