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16 | THE REVIEW SEPT 2024 Aiming high after humble beginnings on court Not only did boccia save Max Wymer’s life...it became his way of life. By MELANIE LOUDEN Max Wymer’s journey into boccia is a tale of Kiwi ingenuity at its best. When he first started playing, he used an upside-down gutter ball board for a chute, before upgrading to a half-pipe. His boccia accessories were often creative inventions sourced by his problem-solving mother Lara Wymer. A number of them featured duct tape. Many of her creative pieces of equipment are still in use – like the muffin tray to hold the boccia balls, that attaches to Max’s power chair using bungy cords so that it rests in his lap. When Max, who lives with Cerebral Palsy - Hōkai Nukurangi, first started playing, neither he nor Lara knew the rules, so “we’ve figured the game out as we’ve gone along”. But from humble beginnings has come a life dedicated to boccia. Boccia is a cross between lawn bowls and pétanque, that relies on precision, technique and the strategic placement of weighted balls. It can be played by people of any age and ability.