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USBC Hall of Famer Lynda Barnes takes on toughest opponent

ARLINGTON, Texas - Lynda Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, always has been a competitor, doing battle on a variety of athletic fields and eventually finding success and fame on the bowling lanes.

As the daughter of a youth bowling director, Barnes got her start as a youngster in California, went on to excel at San Jose State University, spent a dozen years on Team USA and won at the professional level.

From the beginning, she considered the bowling world as her home and her fellow bowlers as family members. She readily admits to feeling more comfortable in the team environment than she ever has competing on her own.

The sport also allowed Barnes to travel the world and make countless friends and acquaintances, including her husband, Professional Bowlers Association star Chris Barnes. The two began working on expanding their own bowling team and added twin sons, Ryan and Troy, to the Barnes lineup in 2002.

There is a gap on Barnes' resume from when she left the competitive spotlight and turned her focus to her home team, but it also ended up being a period of uncertainty for women's bowling after the Professional Women's Bowling Association closed its doors in 2003.

Barnes still was a regular face at annual events like the USBC Queens and USBC Women's Championships,where she's collected seven titles. A win at the USBC Team USA Trials in 2005 marked her return to Team USA, and she went on to win the 2005 QubicaAMF World Cup and four medals at the 2005 World Bowling Women's Championships.

Most importantly, she'd found a balance between being a wife and mother and staying competitive.

In 2008, two years removed from wrist surgery, Barnes was enjoying a year of great individual success on the lanes, but shortly after wins at the USBC Queens (her second) and the inaugural Bowling's Clash of Champions, a made-for-TV event, she met the most imposing opponent of her career, one that would require an army of teammates just to manage.

Troy, 6 years old at the time, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, an auto-immune disease that would mean a lifetime of daily finger pricks, carb counting and insulin.

"I would trade all of my bowling success and accolades to not get that phone call because no kid should have to deal with something like this," Barnes said. "We didn't know that much about diabetes, so we went to the store to look at some food labels, and it was very overwhelming. We had to quickly learn a lot about what we were reading and all the terminology, and it was six months before we could even begin to understand the disease and its daily challenges."

One of the biggest challenges for Barnes was accepting that some aspects simply were out of her control.

"I am a Type A personality and a bit of a perfectionist," Barnes said. "Learning I can't truly control his blood sugar has been the hardest part. I can try to help keep it within range, but it's really a balancing act, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year."

Type 1 diabetes is as difficult to understand as the most challenging lane condition, and much like an oil pattern, which changes with each ball that goes down the lane, blood sugar levels constantly are changing depending on food intake and activity levels.

Barnes' purse and bowling bag soon would include a mix of syringes, sugar tablets and candy, all necessary in battling Type 1 diabetes and fluctuating blood sugar levels, in addition to the typical items and bowling accessories.

"To open your purse and see the syringes and know your son has to use those every day is something that's very hard to go through as a mom," Barnes said. "This hasn't only affected Troy, it's something that affects all of us as a family. He has been very independent and responsible from the beginning, but his job is to be a kid, so we try to do everything we can for him."

The daily routine for a diabetic includes checking blood sugar multiple times a day, counting carbohydrates and injecting insulin.

Now that Troy is an active teenager, things like puberty, constant snacks and meals, time spent in band or hours spent playing baseball, basketball and bowling make the puzzle even more complicated.

From the beginning, when Barnes first walked into the Dallas office of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation for support and more information, she knew she wanted to do more to help find a cure for Type 1 diabetes, not only for her own son, but for all who are affected.

"It didn't take long to realize I couldn't just kiss this and make it go away," Barnes said. "When I walked into the JDRF office and saw all the pictures on the wall of people and kids affected by this, I nearly broke down right there and knew there was no way I couldn't help."

Barnes was able to combine her two passions - bowling and advancements in diabetes research - and STRIKEoutDiabetes, a fund-raising bowling event, was born.

The first event was held in the Dallas area in 2010, and five years later, events are being held in Virginia, Oregon, Georgia and other parts of Texas. The efforts have raised more than $350,000 for JDRF, and research continues to lead to things such as smaller and less bulky devices for measuring and maintaining blood sugar and ongoing research toward an eventual cure for Type 1 diabetes.

Closing in on a decade since Troy's diagnosis, Barnes dreams of a day when he can live without the disease. That's much different than her dreams years ago, which revolved around being a bowler.

Despite the shift in priorities and retirement from Team USA after her 2009 appearance on the team, Barnes still has a desire to compete and win.

She battled back from shoulder surgery in 2011 to make a run at the 2012 U.S. Women's Open title, before eventually finishing fifth. She was inducted into the USBC Hall of Fame in 2013 and claimed two titles at the USBC Women's Championships in 2014.

In 2015, when the PWBA made its return, Barnes mounted another comeback in support of the professional tour just for women.

At almost 48 years old, she wasn't sure how she'd fare, if she was in a place to be able to be competitive or if she'd be able to give it the time needed to succeed. But, the big picture was different than her first stint on the PWBA Tour. Now, even though she's still competitive and hungry, winning isn't the only thing.

"Bowling is my world in so many ways and is a huge part of who I am," said Barnes, who owns one PWBA title (1999) to go along with Queens victories in 1998 and 2008. "I really wanted to support the return of the PWBA, and at the events I did bowl this year, I got instant rewards just by showing up. It was comfortable, and it was home for me. Everywhere we went, I was surrounded by family and friends, many of whom I knew because of bowling. Don't get me wrong, I still have the desire to win, but I don't have to win to feel the rewards."

Barnes tested and proved herself again against the men at the recent 2015 Bowlmor AMF U.S. Open in Garland, Texas, a short drive from her home in Double Oak. She was one of seven women, and the lone Barnes, competing in the field of 275 of the best bowlers in the world.

She finished 88th overall, taking home one of the 92 prize checks, and the experience helped her figure out some things she needs to work on before the 2016 tournament season gets underway.

During her 32 games at the 2015 U.S. Open, much like every-day life, she had an extra set of eyes behind her, her husband, Chris, who was unable to compete in the tournament due to a recent back surgery.

It's a scenario that doesn't happen often, but something Chris Barnes enjoys. He beams with pride over his wife's successes on the lanes, but that pride is magnified when it comes to their family and all the things Lynda has done to allow him to travel the world competing.

"I'm constantly in awe of what she is capable of," Chris Barnes said. "I met her first as a competitor - all smiles - and soon learned she was very similar to Mike Aulby, one of the nicest people I ever met and a killer on the lanes.

"As a wife and mother she has managed to, at different times, be everything. She has been the bread winner, supportive wife, taxi driver, coach and caregiver, which Troy counts on daily to survive. As if the stress and chaos of the professional bowling world isn't enough, she handles all the stress of diabetes as well - and all with a smile on her face."

Even when they're not competing or supporting their own children at their various activities, Lynda and Chris Barnes keep busy, and it often has something to do with bowling.

Next up for the duo will be the 2015 Barnes Thanksgiving Classic, a youth scholarship event being held at Plano Super Bowl in Plano, Texas, from Nov. 27-29.

The tournament is open to youth bowlers of all skill levels, who currently are enrolled in elementary through high school. The annual event, in its 11th year, provides a professional environment, challenging lane conditions and an opportunity to earn scholarship money.