Told he'd never bowl again, Modestan is - better than ever

Can't bowl? Modesto man defies odds after torn patellas

By KELLY JONES
kjones@modbee.com

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Modesto bowler Wayne Garber presents himself as the feel-good story of the year.

After hearing of his trials and comeback, it's easy to agree.

Garber, 40, was in Reno on May 23, 2007, for a regional tournament. Following the event, he tripped and fell, ripping tendons in both knees and requiring emergency surgery.

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He underwent three surgeries, including one to undo the damage from the first procedure, and couldn't walk for three months.

While the pain and physical therapy were excruciating, the final blow came when Garber wasn't given much hope of returning to the lanes.

"The doctor told me I'd never bowl again," Garber said. "Well, it motivated me."

Garber's doctor, an orthopedic surgeon for 35 years, told Garber his double patella tear was only the third he'd seen. That's not easy to fully recover from — his other two patients weren't able to.

"There were some really trying moments that I went through," Garber said. "Some mornings, I woke up crying. It was three months before I could walk again. If it weren't for my kids and family and friends, I don't know what I would have done."

Since he started bowling at age 4, Garber figured he hadn't gone two weeks of his life without playing. Recently inducted into the Modesto Bowling Hall of Fame with 85 perfect games to his long list of credits, Garber's torturous knee injuries were twofold.

Denied even lifting a ball for five months, Garber bowled again one week after he regained the strength to walk in October.

"I wasn't very good," Garber said jokingly. "I bowled for two months stiff-legged. I was slow and tentative, but I could still do it pretty well."

This past May 11, Garber won his first tournament since his accident, the Pro Bowlers Association West Region Visalia Open. He followed with his second PBA West Region Vanessa Brown Open championship June 29 at Yosemite Lanes.

On Sunday in Burley, Idaho, Garber finished second in the PBA West/Northwest Regional Snake River Open.

To maintain his good health, Garber goes to a gym three times a week, which keeps his repaired tendons flexible and builds muscle in his quadriceps.

Some people have said he's a little slower, but Garber feels great. He bowls in three summer leagues at Yosemite, and those tournament victories were satisfying.

"I don't bend quite as good as I used to, and certain conditions give me a little more trouble," Garber said. "I can't get low and bend on certain shots, but those conditions were never really very good to me anyway. I play some other patterns as good as I ever could."

Considering his trials in the last year, being back on the lanes is Garber's biggest victory.

Bee staff writer Kelly Jones can be reached at kjones@modbee.com or 578-2300.