He is aiming to complete 75 games of tenpin bowling in 12 hours to raise $5000 for the Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal.

As a senior lecturer in exercise and sport psychology at Federation University, Associate Professor Mesagno knows just what it will take to topple his goal.

In 2019 he managed to bowl 63 games in the 12 hours, and on his first attempt at a 12-hour bowling marathon in 2009 he managed 51 games.

In recent months Associate Professor Mesagno has drawn on the skills and knowledge of colleagues and students to help prepare for the endurance mission.

"At Fed Uni we have the exercise physiology clinic and some of the staff and students have been helping me with developing an exercise program to strengthen pretty much every part of my body, mainly the parts that are affected by my bowling so much," he said.

The pressure will be mainly on his left side as he slides to release the ball, and his right arm sending the 7.5kg ball down the lane to the pins.

He estimates he will probably do between 1000 and 1500 lunges, depending on how many shots it takes to complete the games, which need to be completed at a rate of six to seven per hour.

And he will draw on his years of research in mental toughness in sport when the fatigue sets in.

At his 2019 fundraiser, Associate Professor Mesagno suffered severe blisters and bleeding to his fingers and thumbs after about 50 games. He also suffered muscle pain in several parts of his body.

Associate Professor Mesagno, who has bowled six perfect 300 games, first took up the sport as a 10-year-old in Clearwater, Florida, and is a member of the Florida state's hall of fame for youth bowlers.

He continued bowling when he relocated to Australia nearly 20 years ago and is well known in Ballarat tenpin bowling circles where he has trained and competed, and in Frankston where he lives and where the marathon will take place on Friday.

"I don't know if it's possible to break the 75-games mark because the lanes may not recycle the pins fast enough for me to get the six or seven games completed in an hour that I need, but I can't wait to try," he said.

"I've been bowling for 35 years and now, at 45, physical fitness and keeping motivated to push past the pain, is extremely important, especially with my fingers, but also my knees and quads, which were particularly under attack during the last marathon."

It was in 2009 that Associate Professor Mesagno first decided to tackle a 12-hour tenpin marathon for the Royal Children's Hospital because he wanted to support a charity.

This year it is dedicated to a member of staff at Zone Bowling Frankston whose son is being treated at the Royal Children's Hospital.

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"The Royal Children's Hospital relies on the support of the community to ensure it continues to provide world-class care to patients and their families. I'm thrilled to be involved," he said.

Oz Tenpin Ballarat, where Associate Professor Mesagno trains, is also helping raise funds for the cause.

Donations can be made to Associate Professor Mesagno's fundraiser page.

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