A new member of the Raumati Bowling Club, in fact a new bowler, is Mike Simeonoff.

Lower Hutt born, Mike has lived in Kapiti for the last 44 years. He attended Wellington High School where his life-long interest in sport was developed. He dabbled with a variety of codes before eventually settling on football which took him on a very successful journey.

Having no idea what sort of career to follow when he left school, he was persuaded by a friend, Arthur Brown, to apply for a position as a storeman at Whitcombe and Tombs. It was clearly a wise decision because Mike remained with the firm, which later became Office Max, until he retired. It was in the early years of his time with Whitcombe and Tombs that Mike met a young Teachers’ College student named Karen. She had scored a part time job there and the two of them quickly hit it off and were married in 1973. They lived in Wellington for two years before shifting to Raumati Beach.

By this time Mike was a regular player in the National Football League for Wellington Diamond United. He was a New Zealand representative (these days called an All White) from 1976 till 1981. He retired from football in 1985. Mike and Karen have three children and six grandchildren who all live handily.

Mike is a first year bowler who loves the sport even though he plays with Bob Darragh quite a lot!