As young children, many of us dream of becoming a professional athlete whether it be football, basketball or bowling. Few have the talent. Some lack the perseverance needed to achieve such an ambitious goal. Some just don't have the financial backing to continue pursuing their passion.
When Stuart, Florida native Paul Koehler found his passion it was at the tender age of 5. A bit of a late bloomer in sports culture, Paul was bitten by the bug at 13, when from that point forward, Paul was focused and competitive. He quickly made up for lost time, in two short years when he ranked top 5 in a state wide youth tournament in Miami.
Paul continued to bowl and compete gathering one success after the other, but when it came time to think toward the future Paul enrolled at IRCC to continue his education. Although put second to his academic studies, bowling was still a big part of his life as Paul continued to compete while working at the pro shop located in Saint Lucie Lanes.
Paul's talent didn't go unnoticed. After one year at IRCC Paul landed an athletic sponsor and made the not so difficult decision to put college education on hold to go pro.
5 years into Paul's professional career he made his first national finals appearance at the 1995 U.S. Open at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. Paul rolled 16 straight strikes in front of the largest live audience in bowling history. This achievement was the then record for the most consecutive strikes on TV. Ironically, the color commentator for ABC Sports announcing Paul's spectacular scores was his first sponsor, Nelson Burton Jr.
Paul went on to take second place in those finals and scored second at the 2001 Peoria Open. During his 13 year professional career, Paul won no less than 7 PBA regional titles, rolled 52 - 300 games and scored 18 - 800 series.
Ironically, Paul returned to where it all began on the Treasure Coast. Paul now shares his professional bowling experiences serving as a mentor and manager at Saint Lucie Lanes. Every Tuesday and Saturday night Paul gives instruction on actual PBA lane conditions to those who seek to improve their game. He is always willing and available to help any bowler improve their game and provides psychological and emotional support to those embarking on a professional bowling career.
Saint Lucie Lanes is proud to have PBA Champion Paul Koehler on board for his skill, his passion, his exceptional good humor and his commitment to the universal rules of good sportsmanship, as he serves as a reminder to us all how good life can be when you are lucky enough to do what you truly love.
Thousands of Treasure Coast residents make the Sister Centers of Jupiter and Saint Lucie Lanes their centers for fun, exercise and friendship every week.
Come by and bowl a strike today!