Rheal Champagne began the process of building five pin bowling at an early age.  As a youngster, Rheal learned to bowl at Club St. Louis, a local Sudbury bowling centre.  While in high school, Rheal began to hone his organizational skills as he formed a league consisting of six schools and he was secretary of this group for two years.  At the same time, in 1963 and 1964, he bowled well enough to win the Northern Ontario singles championship in the newly formed Youth Bowling Council (YBC).

However, by 1965, at the age of 20, Rheal was recruited by Northern Electric, now Nortel, to begin a tool and die apprenticeship and Rheal moved to Brampton and closer to his future workplace.  He took his bowling skills to the local leagues and bowled in the Tri-County and Toronto major leagues, two of the top leagues of the day.  In total, he would also qualify for the provincial championships or the Open seven times, three as the singles representative, on five men’s teams and two mixed teams.  He was also a member of the Master Bowlers’ Association, bowling in the tournament, teaching and senior divisions.

While enjoying his league and tournament play, Rheal also saw several opportunities to volunteer.  He has served two terms with the Ontario 5 Pin Bowlers’ Association (O5PBA) Board of Directors.  The first covered 1978 to 1987 and the second from 2003 to this day.

During his first term, Rheal began as a Director, covered record scores and banquets, lane certification, helped develop the All Ontario High School Provincial Championship Tournament and was the first chair of the revised Hall of Fame program that started in 1986.  In addition, in 1980, he manufactured a set of ball measuring rings for all 24 zones of the O5PBA.

Rheal chose to step away from 1987 to 2003 as Rheal and both his sons, David and Steven, became very involved in minor hockey.  Both sons were outstanding players.  Dave’s career was shortened with injuries, while Steven carried on in hockey and lacrosse.  Rheal continued his involvement in hockey and became President of the Brampton Minor Hockey Association from 1992 – 1996.

Upon his return to the O5PBA board of directors in 2003, Rheal became a Vice President and took charge of lane certification and the rapidly evolving coaching program.  With lane certification, he continued to expand his earlier efforts to provide the necessary tools for the program. On the coaching side, he coached at the Open, the Pepsi and Youth Challenge, the Ontario Winter Games, the Inter-Provincials, and was ultimately selected as the men’s team coach at the prestigious 1983 Canada Winter Games in Chicoutimi, Quebec and that team won the gold medal.  Beginning in 1977, Rheal coached 19 times at the Open.  Three teams were provincial champions, finishing second with a ladies team in Moose Jaw in 1991 and fifth in Ottawa in 1993 with a mixed team and the men’s team finishing fifth in Winnipeg in 2003.  In 2006, Rheal was selected as Grass Roots Coach of the Year in both Ontario and Canada, a recognition of countless coaching successes over many years.

Rheal’s fundraising efforts have been extraordinary.  With Bill Paul and Herman Wessels, he completed a 24 hour bowl-a-thon at Brampton Bowl.  This event produced revenue of $20,000 over several years.  In addition, raising in excess of $300,000, he co-chaired, with television personality Tommy Hunter, the Big Brothers Bowl for Millions in Peel region.  As well, he introduced bingo to the Central Ontario 5 Pin Bowlers’ Association (COBA) and this program has exceeded one million dollars in revenue.  Rheal also hosted a weekly bowling show on Rogers Cable Television in Mississauga, co-hosted with Herman Wessels and Bill Paul from 1979 – 1982.

In the ever-evolving coaching program, developed by the Canadian 5 Pin Bowlers’ Association and the Coaching Association of Canada, Rheal was on the committee developing the Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) program.  He also served as 2^nd Vice-President and Technical Director for the C5PBA from 2008 – 2010.  Rheal is a Learning Facilitator for both the Community Coach and Introduction to Competition modules as well as a provincial evaluator.

In summary, while Rheal has spent 26 years on the provincial board, he has been on the COBA board for 34 years covering every portfolio at the local level.  In recognition, he was inducted to COBA Hall of Fame in 2002.

After 31 years at Nortel, Rheal is now retired.  With his wife Hazel, they are enjoying a slower pace in the small town of Acton, along with their oldest son Dave, his wife Yvonne and grandchildren Brooke and Adam.  Younger son Steven, and his wife Maria, live in Fort MacMurray, Alberta.