24-year-old doesn’t let TB get the best of him

The road to the perfect game has been a winding one for Jeremy Fleck.

He began bowling as a kid, and then took an eight-year hiatus. When he returned to bowling about a year and a half ago, he never dreamed that he would score a perfect 300 so soon.

“After 13 years of bowling it just feels good,” said Fleck, 24. “I scored 299 the night before, and the next day, that was the day it all worked out.”

The date was Jan. 29 and his new 300-point ring sparkles a bit in the dim lights at Big Daddy’s Bowling Center on the South Hill, as he shyly tells the story.

Friends mill around, getting ready for the night’s leagues and heckling him about the attention. Fleck bowls in three leagues and frequently subs in another, and at first glance he seems no different from anyone else there.

The last thing you’d think is that he’s in constant pain.

“I have TB and I took some medication for it that caused nerve damage in my back and hip,” said Fleck. “It always hurts. It’s on my left side which is my sliding foot for bowling.”

Actually, it hurts more when he bowls than when he doesn’t.

“But I’d rather take the pain than quit bowling,” Fleck said, smiling. “It’s worth it.” His doctors assure him that bowling can’t make the TB worse.

Before physicians understood that tuberculosis is a bacterial infection, it was often called consumption because it seemed to eat people up from the inside.

“In my case, it essentially destroys your immune system,” said Fleck. “And no, I’m not contagious.” Aside from the constant pain, Fleck often runs out of breath – and it’s not just because he has a hectic schedule.

He works two jobs, full time at Big Daddy’s and also full time at Employment Screening Services where Fleck does criminal background checks for companies and private people.

“I’m taking care of my dad. He has some health problems, so we need the money,” Fleck said.

At times, it all becomes a little overwhelming. In January, just a few days before he scored the 300, Fleck thought of quitting bowling all together.

“It was just too much,” Fleck said. “But my parents, and David Montecucco here, and Brittany Knudson – well and all the Big Daddy’s bowlers – convinced me to continue.”

He lights up in a big grin when he talks about how his friends encouraged him.

“That meant a lot to me,” Fleck said.

Montecucco is the night manager at Big Daddy’s and also its casino host. He said he’s gotten to know Fleck really well during the last year, and for the longest time didn’t realize Fleck was sick.

“Then one time he missed a couple of days because he was in the hospital,” Montecucco said, “and that’s when he told me what was going on.”

About Fleck, Montecucco said he’s just a great guy with an upbeat approach to life.

“Everyone has issues in life, but some people just overcome it,” said Montecucco. “I mean, bowling actually hurts but Jeremy still does it with that contagious smile on his face. That’s just great to see.”