In the wake of Tom Smallwood’s victory in the PBA World Championship in Wichita, Kan. (pictured left), his inspirational story has attracted extensive media attention from a variety of prominent national and Detroit area media outlets.

The 32-year-old Smallwood, like many others felt the hardship of losing his job when the former assembly line worker was laid-off from General Motors a year ago. But the Saginaw, Mich., bowler turned that misfortune into a success story by earning an exemption on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour, and then winning one of professional bowling’s most prestigious titles.

His story received extensive coverage from his home area newspapers and television stations, which included the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News, Saginaw News, Flint Journal, WDIV-TV and WJRT-TV in Detroit as well as WKOW-TV in Madison, Wis. He also gained nationwide attention through USA Today and Associated Press coverage that resulted in numerous papers across the country picking up the story.

In addition, AOL.com’s financial website dailyfinance.com put the Smallwood story online. He has been featured on CNN Headline News, the TV news magazine Inside Edition, ESPN2’s First Take and he visited with Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom on WJR radio, Detroit. Other radio interviews have included Keglers Corner on KFNS sports radio in St. Louis, Let’s Go Bowling out of Clearwater, Fla., and WWPV radio in Burlington, Vt.

The automotive industry also got wind of his story. Autoglobe.com, autoblog.com and cars.com ran items on the Smallwood saga. The PBA has learned features with the Sun News Syndicate and ABC News are being considered.

“It’s been a crazy past few days,” Smallwood (right) said. “I feel like I have a phone growing out of my ear, but it’s the best possible chaos you can have.”

Smallwood defeated reigning PBA Player of the Year Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, 244-228, to win the PBA World Championship and $50,000 first prize. His victory put him at the top of the PBA earnings list for the 2009-10 season with $69,100 through eight events and he was tied with Bill O’Neill of Southampton, Pa., for the lead in the PBA Player of the Year points race.

You can check out a sampling of Smallwood’s local coverage at these links:

Laid-off autoworker cashes in on PBA dream
and
Click on Detroit Video

 

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