Jacky Hudson, 75, Set for Commonwealth Games Debut After Remarkable Rise in Lawn Bowls
"A lifelong journey from Papua New Guinea to representing Australia on the world stage."
Jacky Hudson, a 75-year-old vision-impaired lawn bowler, has been selected to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Games for the first time. She will compete in the vision-impaired mixed pairs alongside Jake Fehlberg.
Born with a Vision Impairment
Hudson was born in Papua New Guinea and has been vision-impaired since birth. She took up lawn bowls after retiring as a social activity, but her dedication quickly propelled her to the elite level. She joined Bowls Australia's high-performance squad four years ago.
A Family of Sporting Excellence
Hudson's sporting pedigree runs deep. Her son, Stephen Laybutt, represented Australia as a Socceroo at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Her grandson, Zac Laybutt, plays in the NRL for the North Queensland Cowboys.
Commonwealth Games Squad
Hudson and Fehlberg won gold at the 2023 World Bowls Championships. Fehlberg is preparing for his third Commonwealth Games campaign. The full Australia bowls squad includes open and para categories.