Nearly 11 years ago, the Dunedin bowler’s life drastically changed when he suffered a diabetic retinopathy, leaving him "totally blind" for about three months.
After numerous surgeries, and four years of rehabilitation, he regained 25% peripheral vision in his right eye, but is still completely blind in his left eye.
Having been a "relatively good bowler" for 10 years before his retinopathy, and coming from a competitive family, Wheeler admits he was nervous and let his pride keep him from the green at first.
But his wife, Kim, and their children pushed him to get involved again.
"They could see how much I was missing it and my wife was just on at me quite a bit and she said ‘I think you need to get back into it’," Wheeler said.
"After 10 years I finally decided, no matter what happens, I’m going to have a go — I haven’t looked back since."
He had nothing to worry about, being "narrowly" beaten in the singles final at the New Zealand Blind Bowls Association nationals in the past two years.
It put his name "on the map" and led to his selection for the International Blind Bowls Association world championships, on the Gold Coast, getting under way tomorrow.
The 44-year-old was honoured — "it’s a bit surreal at the moment to be fair" — to be selected as one of six players representing New Zealand.
The B3 bowler will compete in the men’s singles and mixed pairs, with partner Sue Curran, who represented New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games.
There will be another special family connection when Wheeler pulls on the black as his father, Colin, travels as his director.
The pair had always been close when it came to the sport. His father played for 30 years at the North East Valley club, and that translated to his game.
As the director, his father is "virtually my eyes", standing behind him, relaying information on how to play next so he can envision it in his head.
"Obviously with him being my father, we have that sort of connection, and he knows how I react to things, and knows how to deal with things and explain things to me.
"I think it helps us a lot more than other combinations."
Bowls had a lot to do with muscle memory for Wheeler, and while he was apprehensive to start again, he found it easier to get back than he expected.
"It’s one of those games — it’s a bit like golf.
"If you can play it and it’s a natural talent then you don’t really tend to lose it.
"I have got the added extra, or the added disadvantage, of not being able to see now, but with knowing the game previously and knowing how to adjust my weight and stuff like that [it’s] not too bad.
"It sort of helped me and a bit of a benefit for me playing now."
As for his aspirations for the world championships?
"To be the world champion.
"That’s a bit of a no-brainer for me.
"As a squad, for all of them we hope that, but for me and Dad personally, to say that I’m the world champion would be the ultimate."
