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BENDIGO lawn bowler Aaron Wilson is filled with an air of excitement and anticipation as he prepares to represent Australia for a second time at the Commonwealth Games.
Wilson is among the Australian Jackaroos squad of 18 for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham where he will be striving to build on his success from his debut in 2018.
Wilson is the reigning Commonwealth Games men's singles gold medallist following his triumph on the Gold Coast four years ago.
"There's nothing better than representing your country; I've always said it has been an honour and a privilege to play for Australia," Wilson said this week.
"Any time you get to represent either your state or country is an amazing feeling and to be given the nod again to play the singles, I'm over the moon with the opportunity and excited to put my best foot forward again representing Australia.
"It's a very exciting event for lawn bowls - it's our pinnacle and we all want to do the best we can and leave no stone unturned."
Wilson and his Jackaroos team-mates will head off for the United Kingdom on Sunday where they will have a couple of weeks of preparation to aclimatise to the conditions, with the lawn bowls to be held at the Victoria Park bowling greens in Leamington Spa.
Wilson will contest both the men's singles and pairs at the Commonwealth Games.
In the pairs he will team up with Corey Wedlock from New South Wales.
"Corey is a young gun from the Warilla Bowling Club. We used to be team-mates at Cabramatta and he's a really talented player, so I'm looking forward to playing with him," Wilson said.
As the defending men's singles champion, Wilson is ready to embrace the challenge of being the hunted.
"When we get out there and start playing it will obviously become a lot more real, but for the meantime I'm focusing on my preparation and being as fit as I can with my body and being bowls fit by putting plenty of bowls down," Wilson said.
Wilson, who took up lawn bowls aged 11 at North Bendigo, heads into the Commonwealth Games having just won the pairs title at the Australian Open on the Gold Coast.
Wilson teamed with fellow Commonwealth Games team member Ben Twist to defeat Ben Winther and Brett Spurr 19-17 in the final last month.
Also among the Australian Commonwealth Games lawn bowls team is Barrie Lester from Wedderburn.
The Commonwealth Games will be held from July 28 to August 18.
Australian Commonwealth Games team by position:
Women's Para Pairs
Lead: Cheryl Lindfield
Skip: Serena Bonnell
Men's Para Pairs
Lead: Damien Delgado
Skip: Chris Flavel
Vision-Impaired Pairs
Lead: Helen Boardman; dir Peter Doherty
Skip: Jake Fehlberg; dir Grant Fehlberg
Open Women
Singles: Ellen Ryan
Pairs
Lead: Kristina Krstic
Skip: Ellen Ryan
Triples
Lead: Lynsey Clarke
Second: Natasha Van Eldik
Skip: Rebecca Van Asch
Fours
Lead: Kristina Krstic
Second: Lynsey Clarke
Third: Rebecca Van Asch
Skip: Natasha Van Eldik
Open Men
Singles: Aaron Wilson
Pairs
Lead: Corey Wedlock
Skip: Aaron Wilson
Triples
Lead: Barrie Lester
Second: Carl Healey
Skip: Ben Twist
Fours
Lead: Barrie Lester
Second: Carl Healey
Third: Corey Wedlock
Skip: Ben Twist
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