With this induction, Brenda Walters solidifies her standing as one of 5 pin bowling’s leading female bowlers. This was Brenda’s first year of eligibility and she was a unanimous selection.

Brenda began her career with the Youth Bowling Council (YBC) at eight years old. She was at Sherwood Centre for eight years and her coach was Larry Bixby. In 1987 Larry moved to Mountain Lanes and Brenda was quick to follow for her final three years in YBC. Brenda enjoyed some success in the Youth Challenge, and in 1986, Brenda won provincially on a junior team and bowled nationally in Winnipeg.

Brenda moved to the adult ranks for the 1990-91 season. In the Provincial Open, she qualified 25 times with 17 as a singles representative, 21 times on the Ladies’ team, and on three Mixed teams. Brenda was a dominant force as provincially she won four singles titles and was a member of four Ladies team championship teams. On six occasions, three as a single and three on the Ladies’ team, Brenda won the national championship. This success at the national level has allowed Brenda to travel across Canada, from British Columbia to Newfoundland.

Sherwood Centre was a special bowling centre for Brenda. In 2001 at the national championships, conducted by the Canadian 5 Pin Bowlers’ Association, Brenda set a 15-game record of 4328. In 2003 at the Provincial Open, Brenda bowled a 15-game score of 4181, a mark that stands to this day. In 2009, Brenda bowled a perfect game at the Provincial Open and this accomplishment was worth $4,500. Lastly, at a year-end tournament conducted by the Hamilton Association, Brenda rolled a four-game score of 1418. She also has a 10-game score in excess of 3100, all remarkable totals.

In the Master Bowlers’ Association (MBAO) Brenda was equally dominant. She won the Bursary tournament in 1990, bowling at Sportsman’s Bowl in Hamilton, giving Brenda a free year in the MBAO. Brenda won her first MBAO tournament a year later at the Rose Festival and, in her career, added 17 more victories. This total is more than any other bowler in MBAO history. Brenda has bowled in 19 MBAC nationals, again from coast to coast, and won seven team gold medals. In addition, Brenda won the MBAC singles title in 2003 in Quebec. Combining that victory with her C5PBA singles victory has put Brenda in the exclusive Double Crown Club for individuals with singles wins under the C5PBA and MBAC banners. In the provincial Masters, Brenda has a 254 average, the highest of any female bowler with a minimum of 1,000 games bowled.

Brenda excelled in other tournaments as well. She appeared on television four times from 1999 to 2007 and her best showing was a runner-up to Sandi Anderson of Manitoba in the TSN Pins Game at Silver Dollar Bowl in Calgary, as she earned $5,000. These accomplishments placed Brenda ninth in the TOP 90 survey of Ontario’s female bowlers, a remarkable achievement as she was only 29 years old at the time.

As Brenda’s on lane accomplishments have been slowed by injury, she has turned to coaching with considerable success. She coached the Men from the Tri County zone to a second-place finish in 2017. With the Hamilton zone, she coached a Mixed team to a gold medal in 2019 in British Columbia, and just this past June coached another Hamilton Mixed team to another gold medal in Newfoundland.

But on the lanes is only part of the story. Raised by her late mother Joanne, Brenda also inherited her work ethic. For the last 20 years, she is the Office Manager for 10 McDonalds stores in the Hamilton/Burlington area. Along with her husband Bob, they have raised two girls, Allison, and Deanna. Bob and Brenda were married in 2005 and both girls currently live in Calgary.

Finally, on the bowling front, Brenda volunteered with the Hamilton Association for 15 years and was active with the MBAO for nine years with the final six as President.

While a return to the lanes is in some doubt, Brenda and Bob are trying to catch the travel bug. Her grandfather Gordon Campbell is approaching his 100th birthday, a source of pride for everyone.