ATLANTA — A man who has become a legend on the lanes will now rewrite history as he receives one of the highest honors in the Peach State. Ike Reese has been gracing the lanes with his bowling skills since 1971.
He knows everyone at the Bowlero in Austell, where he practices the game multiple times a week.
"Bowling you can do by yourself, whatever pace you want to, as fast as you want to Sometimes I would go bowl 20-30 games at one time, and I would do that for years," he said.
Reese has even collected so many perfect game rings over the years that he split his winning souvenirs with his family.
"I gave my kids some, brothers and sisters some," he said.
He uses his spare time mentoring young bowlers coming up through the leagues. Reese said bowling helped him after he returned home from the Vietnam War a broken man.
"Bowling really saved my life to be honest with you," he said.
Details of the trauma filled his mind.
"Got hit in the neck, the stomach, both legs, both arms. A mortar exploded and just blew us up," he said.
Resse added that his mother was the one who encouraged him to try bowling, which ultimately led to his historic induction.
"She said, 'Look, you need to do something to get your life together, why don't you go down to the bowling center to throw a few bowling balls.' So that's what I did. I went down to the bowling center and threw a few bowling balls. Next thing you know, it's helping me out," he said.
The bowler added that therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder was not an option for him during that time, so bowling became his remedy.
Now, Reese will be one of the first Black men inducted in to the Georgia Bowling Hall of Fame after 66 perfect games on Saturday.
"We now are getting what we should have been getting a long time ago. Things are changing. This is the beginning of something," he said.
Reese is looking to win 100 perfect games after his induction into the prestigious institution.