A CYSTIC fibrosis sufferer has set her sights on representing Great Britain at the World Transplant Games next year after she took up ten-pin bowling – and happened to be rather good at it.

Although Karen Mills, who lives in Shrub End, was diagnosed with the genetic condition at five years old, she managed to lead a relatively normal life in her early years – but in her twenties, her health deteriorated, and life started to become a struggle.

If her cystic fibrosis diagnosis was a major misfortune, there was a stroke of luck for Mrs Mills along the way.

Awaiting transplant surgery in 2014, Mrs Mills, 36, was told a pair of lungs which matched her body size were available, despite being on a waiting only list for three weeks.

With a new lease of life post-operation, she took up as many activities as she could.

One of them, when she competed in the British Transplant Games, was bowling.

She said: “Pre-transplant I was a Karen-shaped blob – I was attached to a machine in my house and had overnight feeding tubes.

“But [after the transplant] I took part in the British Transplant Games in 2018 – anything and everything I was able to do after the transplant, I did.”

Read more:

• Heroic rescue Rottweiler scares off cowardly crook caught breaking into cars

• Paramedics who climbed Ben Nevis for charity raise £1,699 for Marie Curie

• The Colchester neighbours handed out awards for making their community a better place

It wasn’t until the 2019 games in Newport she tried bowling competitively – from then on, she and her husband, Glen, caught the bug.

“I enjoyed doing it as a social thing; I did it in Newport and enjoyed it, but it was weird doing it competitively.

“It got my husband hooked – he started off just helping me out but he became obsessed with it.

“I got him some lessons in Romford and I started going to watch, but I thought, if I’m going to compete at the next British Transplant Games, I should at least do some lessons.”

After excelling at the European Transplant and Dialysis Games in Oxford in August, Mrs Mills was picked by Great Britain to compete at the World Transplant Games in Perth, Australia, next April.

“It’s going to be a lot tougher because the Americans are involved – I would love to get a medal, but realistically, it’s the taking part that counts.

“As long as I know I’ve done the best I can.”

Mrs Mills is fundraising for her journey to Australia next year, and any donations can be made to www.fundrazr.com/karenwtgperth.