I was bullied at school from a very young age and suffered stress and anxiety for many years.

People I believed were my friends thought it was OK to light my hair on fire on the bus because I looked different. I wore glasses. I had really fluffy, curly hair. I was a little overweight. And I had braces as well, so I had the whole mix.

During this period of my life it wasn’t normal to speak out or seek professional help, but I understood that it was OK; that I was strong for doing so. And obviously things changed over time; there was less of a stigma.

Lawn bowls was my safe place, and that’s pretty much why I got into it. None of the bullies were playing lawn bowls as part of school sport, so I thought I would just go there and get away from it all.

I ended up finding I had a bit of a talent, and I could just relax and have no worries in the world.

By sharing my story, I want to reach out to people who are in the same position I was. I hope the younger generation who might be experiencing bullying at school realise that other people have been through it, and know it’s OK to speak out.