VOICES: Bowler Kelly Kulick

Oct. 22, 2006 — -- Although you may have never heard of her, Kelly Kulick will follow Danica Patrick and Billie Jean King into the history books next week when she becomes the first woman to travel full-time with the Professional Bowler's Association tour. Kulick got her break by rolling a perfect game at a PBA tournament. She told "This Week" what it's like to move from fixing cars in her father's body shop to the big leagues of bowling.

Kelly Kulick: When the women's tour folded in June of 2003, there was no other place to turn to. The PBA opened its doors to women and, for me, it was just an open invitation to come, see what I could do, how I can better myself as an athlete, and take it from there. If I didn't think I could bowl against the men and beat them, I wouldn't put my shoes on and lace them up.

Working in the body shop will definitely prepare me for the tour. … There's no crying in the body shop. There's no crying in bowling, until you're back in your hotel room and no one is watching. … I'm going from a … small, tiny, little cubicle where dust is constantly falling down each day, into anywhere from a 32- to an 80-lane center, where it's very lit up, people walking by you, asking for your autograph, bleachers filled with seats and cameras in your face every chance they can.

Bowling is very much a fair playing field. The pins do not recognize who is rolling the ball -- whether it's a female, a male, or a 7-year-old boy. … Whoever knocks down the most pins, at the end of the day, is most likely the winner. … I hope to be a role model for other women and younger girls behind me. If they see that I can do it, whether it's in bowling or any other sport or any other business adventure, if they see that I was able to accomplish my dreams, they're going to go out and reach for their own.