Gloria Pascoe

Who is Gloria Pascoe?

Gloria Una Pascoe from Victoria is an Australian Paralympic vision impaired lawn bowler. She also suffered from epilepsy.

She was born at the Salvation Army Hospital, North Fitzroy on the 19 February 1919. Her parent were John and Cecil Gertrude Smith. She was the youngest of six children - Jack, Oriel, Elsie, Roma and Vincent. She grew up in the Greensborough area and went to Greensborough School. At the age of 14, she left school and attended Stott's Business College to train as a typist. In 1942, she married Alf Pascoe who was in the Air Force. Alf Pascoe died in 1988. She has a daughter and a son - Jennifer and Bruce.

At the age of 9 whilst playing basketball in the school playground she lost consciousness. She was diagnosed as having epilepsy. As her life progressed, her eye sight was deteriorating. At the age of 55, she became totally blind. She received assistance from the Association for the Blind in Kooyong on how to live without sight. The Association formed a Blind Bowling Club and held its first Blind Bowls Championship at the St Kilda Bowling Club. She played bowls four years before becoming totally blind. She was able to play pennant bowls with sighted bowlers.