THOUGH Wally Draper set a world 'first' in the air, he will be keeping his feet firmly on the ground during his year as Hampshire County BA president.

There can be fewer fitter men to have worn the presidential chain than Draper. He may be 75 but he keeps in trim swimming every day.

A fitness regime has been part of his life as he was a physical training instructor and paratrooper in the Army as well as a former British Amateur Gymnastics Association coach.

It was during his time in the forces that he made his claim to fame by becoming the first man to cross the Channel on a parachute, making him the original paraglider. That was in 1962, with sponsorship from the BBC and the Daily Express.

After returning to civvy street, Draper became a senior engineer with Cable and Wireless, working in some of the globe's sunnier climes like Dubai and the Caribbean before retiring in 1987 and moving from Surrey to the south coast.

It was then that he took up bowls, joining Richmond Park. He is still a member of that Bournemouth club and became their president in 1997 and president of the Bournemouth and District BA three years later.

Next year Richmond Park celebrate their centenary and Draper is delighted that the club have invited him back to be president again for their milestone.

He has no great claim to fame on the green and, though he is a former first-team captain, his enjoyment of the game outranks his skill. Nothing would give him greater pleasure than to lead Hampshire out on the green in the Middleton Cup finals at Worthing in August.

"That would be wonderful and we must always be positive and try to achieve it," he says.