Peering through a microscope, you’d probably see tiny bowls floating around in Niamh Tyson’s blood.

The 13-year-old Pyes Pā student is the fifth generation of her family to fall in love with the sport. That’s not a typo.

Niamh started playing bowls just over a year ago.

This week her mum and grandparents watched her compete in the indoor bowls competition at the Zespri AIMS Games for the second year in a row.

“I thought I’d give it a try and I enjoyed it so I kept going,” Niamh said.

Her second AIMS Games has been “pretty cool and pretty scary” with the nerves of not being sure she’d qualify on the first day. But she did.

“I did it, I’m going to do better than last year.”

Her mum, Bronwyn, picked up the sport when she was Niamh’s age, and her brother competed in the code last year.

Niamh Tyson, 13. Photo: Alan Gibson.

Her mum paused it for a while due to work commitments but started up again when Niamh started getting into it. Watching her daughter grow in the sport has been “great”.

Her grandparents also played. And her great-grandparents. And her great-great-grandparents.

The latter two generations have unfortunately passed away.

Niamh’s grandparents, Noelene and Jim Hill, 74 and 76 respectively, made the trek over from Te Awamutu to watch her at Mercury Baypark Stadium Lounge in Mount Maunganui this week.

Noelene started playing seriously 47 years ago when she was pregnant with Bronwyn.

“They’re born into it.”

She got her husband Jim into it, and he’s been playing the “beautiful game” on-and-off since 1986 for the past 38 years.

“I’m not social by any means, I want to win,” he said with a smile, speaking fondly of the memories and friendships cultivated on the bowling green.

The couple were “very competitive”, Jim said, and would play pairs competitions together when they were younger.

Noelene stopped playing in 2010 after starting a treatment and Jim has recently blown the dust off the bowls after an injury-related hiatus.

They all loved watching Niamh, and seeing so many young bowlers.

“I get quite emotional,” Noelene said of watching all the young competitors.

“You’re just so happy for them and they’re doing so well.”

Niamh has had to work hard through self-doubt but loves the sport and has been really enjoying it. She's also playing pairs this week.

She said there’s a huge community behind it with “everyone supporting each other”.

“Same age and older, everyone can play, and at any point.”

The five generations of bowlers in her family are proof of that.

 Cira Olivier