Is bowls the secret to a long life?

Here at The Leader, we think we’ve discovered the secret to a long life.

First, let’s look at the Donnelly Family – inducted into the Guinness World Book of Records with a combined age of 1075 years.

Known for their ability to cheat death far longer than the rest of us, the family has gone on record with a number of media outlets spouting the secret to a long life.

They reckon it’s porridge.

But we know it’s lawn bowls.

Forget keto diets, green smoothies and yoga, a trip to your local bowling club yields a median age of 65.

But it’s the true golden rollers that earn three candles on their birthday cake and a letter from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Among them, Tamworth’s own Ivy O’Brien, who just turned 100 and scored a membership to the town’s most exclusive club. Twice a week Mrs O’Brien takes a roll on the green, and she’s as fit and quick witted as they come.

And she’s not the only one, at Kable Avenue Indoor Bowls Club a fellow competitor made it to 104. Nevell McDonald celebrated his 102^nd rotation around the sun this year and is a life member of Tamworth City Bowling Club.

He still heads down there twice a week.

Recently, Mr McDonald’s doctor asked him for his medical history

“I don’t have one,” he replied drily, with a cheeky grin.

Other than getting his appendix out as a kid and a horse accident in the late 1930s that left the teen-aged Mr McDonald with a broken back, he’s had a clean bill of health.

A quick search through The Leader’s many stories about those who have hit the triple figures and one thing stands out – a great many of them either still play bowls, or played bowls in to their 90s.

Playing woods there’s the occasional dead bowl, burned end, foot fault and blocker – but it hasn’t stopped these locals from rolling into another century or putting more life points on the scoreboard.

Do you know someone still bowling after 100 years? Send as a letter to the editor at ndl.mail@fairfaxmedia.com.au.