I used to be a volunteer on the final Commonwealth Games – now I’m going to be competing there

Elizabeth Shipley worked with the sports equipment team at the lawn bowls in Leamington Spa for the Birmingham 2022 iteration. Now, she is returning to the sport at Glasgow 2026 as part of Team England.

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When Elizabeth Shipley signed up to be a volunteer for the Commonwealth Games in 2022, she never imagined she would be competing herself just four years later.

The 26-year-old from Hinckley worked with the sports equipment team at the lawn bowls in Leamington Spa for the Birmingham 2022 iteration. Now, she is returning to the sport at Glasgow 2026 as part of Team England.

After being recruited by bowls Performance Director Mo Monkton in 2022, Shipley competes as director for visually-impaired bowls player Sally-Ann Lewis-Wall.

“I was one of the younger members of the group, but to see an event like that from the setups, the behind the scenes and to be a part of it and make it run as it did was amazing,” she said.

“At the end of each day, I’d help get the rinks ready for the next day. I pushed wheelchairs, I moved ramps, and then I got the opportunity to be the scoreboard turner for the men’s final.

“I remember pushing wheelchairs for their pool matches and these are the top bowlers in the country that I am pushing up and down. I had one of those moments.

“To be in the same place as people that have Commonwealth medals and are the top of their country and help them do what they need to do was incredible.”

And having won para-women’s gold at the inaugural World Bowls World Cup in Malaysia in 2025, as well as bronze in the para-mixed pairs event, with Lewis-Wall she will now stand alongside them as a fellow competitor.

Directors help guide the visually impaired athletes to know where to direct their bowl, ensuring they are still able to compete.

“I wouldn’t put my name amongst theirs. That’s me as a 26-year-old going, ‘Oh, I’m in awe of you,’” she said.

“But by directing, I can help Sally be the best bowler that she can. Without a director, a lot of visually impaired players wouldn’t be able to access that sport.

“We joke that we come as a package deal in the sense that I can’t do what she needs to me do unless she’s there and she’s appreciative of how I direct.”

This summer, Shipley’s journey as a director will come full circle in Glasgow. And from starting off turning scoreboards to now aiming to medal at the Commonwealth Games, she is adamant bowls is a sport for anyone.

“There are players out there that can’t see the other end of the green and yet can play and represent their country. But there are also players like me who can still be involved in a different way,” she said.

“The bowls world isn’t just standing on a green and bowling. There is so much else out there that people can do within the bowls world that’s not just bowling bowls.

Team England are Ready to Win at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Keep up to date on https://teamengland.org/