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Ken Powe joined SafeSmart Access early in 2020 to run the newly opened Cromwell branch and Distribution Centre. Previously working at Hirepool, Ken’s experience of the hire industry in which our largely scaffolding customers operate is valuable to his new role.
Re-wind 20 years and Ken’s career was entirely different - he was working in the ten-pin bowling industry in Wellington, and while spending ten years bowling in the Wellington team, he took on a coaching role for the game. Ken was frequently among the top 10 bowlers in New Zealand.
According to Wikipedia, In the sport’s hey-day in 1960s and 1970s America, top bowling professionals made twice as much money as NFL football stars received million-dollar contracts and were treated as international celebrities. While declining in popularity in recent times, the sport was on the shortlist list for inclusion in the 2020 Summer Tokyo Olympics
Ken’s love of ten-pin bowling started when he lived in Christchurch. “I quickly fell in love with the game and practised as much as I could”. The training comprised of bowling in weekly league competition against other bowlers, and by 2003 Ken became an open (no handicap) bowler and was selected to represent Canterbury for the first time.
Ken’s success in the sport developed further after moving to Wellington, and in 2009 he became just the 10th person in New Zeland to bowl an 800 series. This is not the highest score that can be achieved within three games which is 900. However, most bowlers are lucky to bowl a close to perfect score in one game, let alone three.
In 2013, Ken was selected to bowl for New Zealand in a tournament in Queensland’s Townsville. Preparation was challenging due to the birth of his first child at the same time and conditions at the competition were extreme.
“We were bowling in 36-degree heat with no air conditioning in a tin shed,” says Ken. “In the Classic final, I bowled 21 games in one day! This certainly taught me about perseverance and stamina. Managing fluid intake and the health of fingers and thumbs was key, as was self-belief.”
Another technique Ken attributes his success to is positive visualisation. By visualising the result he wanted to achieve he could see what success would look like. “Believing in the result instead of letting the fear dictate was a powerful thing to learn”.
Proud manager of Cromwell branch
With a growing family and living in Cromwell where there is no bowling centre, Ken has now hung up his bowling shoes. But the former coach says its been good to see some of the kids he trained go onto to National honours and success. SafeSmart’s Cromwell Branch Manager also says the lessons he learned within his bowling experiences have been transferable.
While acknowledging that hard work is a necessary requirement for success, Ken also knows that at a top-level his nearest competitors will be working just as hard. “What separates the top one percent in any endeavour whether it be sports or business, is acquiring the right knowledge and applying it appropriately to the task at hand”.
