Autistic bowler rolls his first perfect 300 game and turns pro

On 25 March 2026, at Wood Dale Bowl in Wood Dale, Illinois, Matt Sipes did something he had dreamed about for almost his entire life. The 23-year-old, who is autistic and has ADHD, rolled twelve consecutive strikes for his first ever sanctioned perfect game, the elusive 300 that every bowler chases. "It's something I've dreamed about my entire life," he said. "To finally achieve it feels almost surreal."

Sipes has been bowling competitively since he was six years old, fifteen years of patient practice that shaped not only his game but his sense of self. Along the way he earned a bowling scholarship to Judson University in Elgin, Illinois, and competed in PBA National and Open Championships in venues from Las Vegas to Reno to Baton Rouge. The perfect game was the milestone that had always stayed just out of reach.

“The 23-year-old, who is autistic and has ADHD, rolled twelve consecutive strikes for his first ever sanctioned perfect game, the elusive 300 that every bowler chases.”

The achievement arrived at a fitting moment, as Sipes had recently joined the Professional Bowlers Association as a professional member, formally turning his passion into a career. For his mother, Christine Sipes, the score on the board mattered less than everything it represented. "It wasn't just about the score," she said. "It was about seeing his hard work, resilience, and love for the sport come together."

Sipes himself sees bowling as far more than a game. "Bowling has helped me become the person I am today," he reflected. His story is a reminder that sport, practised with patience and love, can become a place where someone fully belongs, and that dreams pursued steadily over many years have a way of finally rolling home.