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SUPPORT FROM FELLOW BOWLERS HAS MADE HUGE DIFFERENCE TO LIVING WITH CROHN'S, SAYS GLENN WILLIAMS |
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"I had been very ill and suffering severely for
around two years before I was finally seen by a specialist
gastroenterologist at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge,"
he said. "Luckily my Crohn's is managed well with my medication, but it affects a lot more than some people realise. I must be cautious about what I eat as to not upset my digestive system, but it also affects my energy levels, and some days just makes me feel tired. "It also affects your eyesight and sensitivity to light, so you'll often find me squinting with the lights indoors or the sun outside. "Crohn's is most definitely one of the invisible illnesses that affects more people than you might think and often those who suffer with it keep it and its effects particularly well hidden. It's often misdiagnosed as IBS and sufferers often get told "it's just your diet" which isn't true at all, it's an autoimmune disease which makes the body attack itself." One of the biggest issues Glenn faces on a regular basis is joint pain, particularly in his knees, which is exacerbated due to boards and concrete flooring on indoor surfaces. "I'm often strapped up and covered with Deep Heat to help," he said. I must really make sure I am in the best of health heading into the national finals as to play two or more games in a single day can really take a toll on my knees and energy levels. I have learnt to listen to my body when it says I can't do it. "Crohn's has also had a major impact on my mental health as being so young when I was diagnosed meant it was difficult to grasp the enormity of the feeling I would never be cured. This wasn't such a big issue in the early years after diagnosis but when the stress of studying for my PhD tipped me over the edge, I was placed on antidepressants for the next two years. "I have always been honest and open about taking them and can honestly say talking helps.  "Bowls has been my absolute lifeline and the one constant in the last 18 years; I credit the friendship and camaraderie of the sport in fuelling my determination to get out of hospital. The thought which was strongest in my head was to get back to the bowls club and be determined to be as good as I knew I could be. "Furthermore, bowls was fundamental in helping with my mental breakdown in 2019 - it was my healing process. "The bowls club was my happy place where I could chill out and practise on my own or with others, it was calming and relaxing and despite all the mental health problems I had inside my head I was able to switch off and still produce good bowls." Glenn was 11 when he was introduced to the game while on holiday on the Isle of Wight. "There were some elderly people staying at the same hotel, which several short mats and it turns out they came from the same town as me," Glenn recalled. "They introduced me to coaching at Riverain IBC where I have been a member for the last 17 years, although this year I joined St Neots IBC as it's a lot closer to home. "I was never a particularly sporty person at school so my first impressions were that bowls was a good tactical sport that I could play without being so physically exertive as other sports." Success came when Glenn won a Generation Pairs club competition in which he played with the late Doug Major, one of the bowlers he had met in the Isle of Wight. Glenn lists his career highlights as winning the EIBA National Triples and the Bowls England Champion of Champions, both in 2017, plus playing for England at U25 international Level, competing in the British Isles Championships and the WIBC U25 Championships. He says: "I am always proud of what I have been able to achieve because at my worst it was questionable whether I would even still be here today. That means I am always humbled and privileged to have the chances to play with and against some of the best players in England every time I qualify for the national championships. "I love the competitive and tactical element of the game; I love every format and appreciate them all. I enjoy playing alongside people of all ages and abilities and traveling to other clubs I have not been too. "Indoors I particularly enjoy the range of shots you can play, drawing round bowls, and yard on shots that you cannot play outside on grass greens. "Bowls has taught me how to make friends with people from all walks of life and how despite seemingly have nothing in common but having loads in common."  Glenn says the support he has received from fellow bowlers has made
a huge difference to living with Crohn's."My clubmates have always been very supportive, I am lucky now that most people do not realise I am unwell but at my worst I weighed six stone, was gaunt and being fed with a tube which is something that some people seem to have forgotten about me. "Several bowlers around the country have turned out to be the kindest and most compassionate friends I've ever had the fortune to meet, and they have been extraordinary in their unwavering support of me particularly with the mental health aspect of my life. "Living with a lifelong uncurable condition certainly can take a toll on your mental health and I still suffer with low mood, anxiety, and stress from time to time. "Bowls has taught me that despite all the health issues I face daily I can still be the best version of myself and achieve all I wanted, I no longer feel limited or restricted in the achievements I could potentially make. It has helped me hone an inner strength which has proved significantly helpful on the green." Sian Honnorr Previous Article - Interview with John Rednall - Meet the EIBA Board |
December 2023
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