For Aaron Kelly playing for the NSW Para-Blues is about more than fulfilling a young boy who loved his sport's dream to represent his state.
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In 2012, the now 40-year-old's life was changed irrevocably.
A motorcycle accident left him with severe damage to the right side of his body.
"I lost complete use of my right arm, I had a bleed on the brain, an issue with my right eye and had a lot of trauma in my right knee and right ankle and foot which my restricted range of movement there," Kelly said.
Lucky to be alive after nicking his femoral artery - he was fortunate that one of the people that came across the accident was a doctor - among other complications, it meant he could no longer play the sports that he always had.
"I'd always loved playing rugby league, touch footy, golf was a big one for me as well... anything like that," he said.
That's where lawn bowls came in as a bit of a lifesaver.
By his own admission competitive by nature, it was an outlet for that. But more than that was the social connection it enabled.
In-and-out of hospital for the first couple of years post the accident, and in a wheelchair for a time, Kelly's social life was "very limited" and there were "definitely some dark days and some tough times".
"That was one of the biggest things, just getting down to the club," he said.
"Everyone was so supportive and friendly and anytime you'd rock up you could sit at any table and talk to anyone."
Even if it wasn't to play bowls; just being able to go down there and have a chat was "amazing".
Then living in Brisbane, after moving back to Tamworth in 2016, he is originally from Willow Tree, it wasn't until about 2019 that he picked it up again.
"I got a full-time job.. I met a woman and stuff like that so I was busy sort of living life," Kelly said.
Joining West Tamworth, two years later Kelly was a state champion and by 2022 was pulling on state colours.
Currently in Perth preparing with his NSW team-mates for the 2023 Australian Para Nationals, he admits he still can't believe how far he's come.
"To get to this level within the timeframe that I have sort of blows me away to be honest," he said.
Being played at Warwick Bowling Club from October 6-9, he will contest the B7/B8 singles and team up with Casino's Brad Gilbert in the open pairs.
The two have had some good results together in recent times.
They won the 2023 state pairs disability title and in June, finished runners-up at the Australian Open.
Speaking with the Leader from the airport, Kelly was looking forward to it.
"Everyone keeps telling me how nice Perth is and I've never been there before so to get to go all the way to Perth to compete at such a high level it's really exciting," he said.
He is hoping NSW can go one better than last year after bringing home the silver.
"Queensland knocked us off last year so hopefully we can get a bit of payback this year," he said.
He headed over with a bit of extra spending money after being part of the second-placing team at West Tamworth's City of Light carnival on the weekend.
The team included South Tamworth's Chris Myers, who is also headed west for the senior sides nationals, and Kelly's mum Vicki.
"That was pretty much our first sort of bigger tournament playing together actually, so that was really nice," he said.
An employer specialist, in the disability side, with Best Employment, Kelly does still keep in touch with the man who saved his life.
When he was living in Brisbane, when he could he'd go up to Maleny and have lunch with him and his wife.
"Sort of every birthday or any of the major occasions... I always sort of send him a thankyou message," he said.
