These individuals are female trailblazers who have set the path for the upcoming generations of budding athletes by excelling in our beloved sport. Where do they originate from and what accomplishments have they attained?
The tales of these female dart players share a common theme of determination and perseverance. Along with hard work, they also experienced moments of pure happiness, numerous accolades, and ultimate success. Their shared goal was to reach the pinnacle of their sport and establish themselves as the best of their time.
Ashton, Lisa
Lisa Ashton, a 51-year-old Englishwoman, has achieved a remarkable feat in the world of darts. Not only has she won the women’s world championship four times, but she has also become the first woman to qualify for the PDC, a prestigious tour that was previously exclusive to men. Her titles may be impressive, but it is this historic milestone that truly sets her apart.
Although women’s presence in darts has significantly increased in recent years, Ashton remains humble and graceful about her achievements. She has stated that she does not desire or anticipate any preferential treatment.
We fully concur with this sentiment. Lisa Ashton should not be perceived merely as the first female player on the highly esteemed men’s tour. No, Lisa Ashton’s skill level far surpasses that. She should be recognized as one of the top players in the world of this sport. After all, she has competed in 10 World Championships consecutively for the past decade and numerous other prestigious events such as Cups, Classics, and Series.
Sherrock, Fallon
I have been keeping track of this game for numerous years, and I cannot recall a more exuberant celebration than the one I experienced at London’s Alexandra Palace on a Saturday in 2019. It was when Fallon Sherrock emerged victorious over Ted Evetts in the PDC World Championships opening round.
In an instant, the unassuming 25-year-old hairdresser from Milton Keynes, England caused a major upheaval in the world of sports and rose to fame. Sherrock gained widespread attention on social media and was swiftly invited to make appearances on popular morning talk shows, radio broadcasts, and numerous newspaper and magazine features were published, all highlighting her groundbreaking feat.
After securing her first-round triumph, she continued her winning streak by defeating the top-ranked Austrian player, Mensur Suljović. While she did ultimately suffer a defeat in the third round against Chris Dobey, many were already drawing comparisons between her accomplishment and that of Billie Jean King.
Fallon Sherrock, who was born in 1994, was raised in a household of dart enthusiasts. All members of her family, including her parents and sister, were passionate players. Fallon can be considered a true champion. Despite being diagnosed with kidney disease after giving birth a few years ago, she managed to continue playing with the help of medication and regular doctor visits.
At the age of 17, she joined the England youth team and was declared the world champion in 2011. From then on, she has been achieving numerous titles with ease.
Anastasia Dobromyslova.
At the age of 36, Dobromyslova has been actively playing for a considerable amount of time. It is not surprising that she has reached numerous accomplishments throughout her illustrious and extensive career.
In her home country of Russia, Anastasia was a dominant figure in the world of darts. She had already achieved the title of 7-time national champion and had won the WDF Europe Youth Cup twice before making her way into the mainstream darts scene.
Dobromyslova has been dominating the competition and making a name for herself since 2004. She holds the impressive titles of three-time BDO World Champion and three-time Finder Masters winner. In addition, she has claimed the World Masters and World Darts Trophy titles.
Not only that, Dobromyslova has also made impressive performances in major PDC tournaments including the World Championship, Grand Slam, and UK open.
She has accumulated approximately 34 victories in various tournaments throughout Europe.
The profile of Mikuru Suzuki
In the year 2019, Mikuru Suzuki of Japan is currently creating a significant impact in the PDC World Darts Championship as she competes against James Richardson from Britain, coming close to defeating him.
At the beginning of the match, Great Richardson had a clear advantage as he took a 2-0 lead. Despite this, the Japanese female dart player, with the support of an enthusiastic fan base, achieved the seemingly impossible by equalizing the score to 2-2 and pushing the match to its final round.
It was quite unexpected that Suzuki almost became the first female to claim a victory at the highly esteemed tournament hosted at the Alexandra Palace. However, Richardson emerged victorious in the final match, resulting in a 3-2 overall score. This prevented Suzuki from achieving her goal.
Following her loss, Suzuki expressed gratitude to her loyal supporters for their unwavering motivation and showed us her admirable character. Suzuki remarked, “It is a challenging feat to emerge victorious in this tournament, luck was not on my side this time, but perhaps in the future.”
Suzuki, who was a two-time consecutive BDO World Champion, held the #7 spot on the BDO rankings before the organization ceased operations.
The name Beau Greaves
Ms. Beau Graves, despite participating in only one BDO Finals, has quickly made a name for herself as one of the top contenders in the field of women’s darts.
In 2014, Beau Greaves made a remarkable impression on fans when she came in second place in the female World Masters, a highly esteemed and long-standing tournament in the professional darts world. She achieved the same feat in 2016, solidifying her position as one of the top dart players of her generation.
In 2019, Beau had an exceptional year, earning a spot in the World Championships as the 6th seed. Despite not winning, Beau, now the youngest female player in the tournament, displayed great skill by defeating popular players Aileen de Graaf and Tori Kewish.
Winstanley, Lorraine
After listing Lorraine Winstanley’s accomplishments, it may be surprising to know that she is not a full-time player and instead has a thriving career as a beautician.
Although Winstanley’s number of victories may not match up to some of the other individuals mentioned, she has achieved notable successes in a relatively brief timeframe. In 2017, she emerged as the champion of the BDO World Masters and also earned two second place finishes in the 2018 and 2019 World Championship and World Darts Trophy, respectively.
With about 10 high-profile tournament victories under her belt, Lorraine Winstanley is definitely a name to watch out for in the upcoming years.
The Career of Deta Hedman
My next pick would be, in my personal belief, a true trailblazer in the world of women’s darts.
Deta Hedman is widely recognized as a highly esteemed individual in the realm of women’s darts. Originally from Jamaica, she developed a passion for the sport when her family moved to the United Kingdom during the 1970s. She became a member of her inaugural super league in 1984 at 25 years old and began her professional journey with the British Darts Organisation in 1987, a mere three years later.
From that time onwards, she has consistently made remarkable achievements. Among her accomplishments are two victories in the World Masters and two in the Finder Masters, along with several second-place finishes in both the World Championship and the World Darts Trophy. And let’s not forget, she has a total of over 100 wins in various tournaments.
Deta Hedman serves as a great source of inspiration for everyone!
Notable Mentions
When discussing the top female players, it would be remiss not to mention a few additional names. These women may not currently hold top rankings, but they have certainly made their mark in the upper levels of the sport.
The Count, Aileen
Aileen de Graaf, a member of the Dutch National Team, has consistently achieved top finishes in the BDO and WDF circuits. She is particularly known for her victories at the World Masters in 2015 and the World Darts Trophy in 2017.
Turner, Laura
Laura Turner, who is married to Aron Turner from Surrey, has successfully clinched two major women’s tournaments and also reached the Quarter Finals in the 2020 BDO World Championship. It is too soon to determine if Ms. Turner possesses the same level of determination as some of the other notable names on this roster, but in my view, she is a player to watch closely.
O’Brien, Maria
Next up is Maria O’Brien. She has competed in multiple World Championships, but unfortunately lost two of them to Mikuru Suzuki. Additionally, she has reached the Semi-Finals in both the BDO World Masters and World Championships.
With the continuous growth and increasing popularity of darts, we can expect a rise in the number of women joining the sport. This is a positive development, as the talented women on this list are just the beginning – imagine the potential of future generations!
Conclusion
In the end it is deducted that, these female dart players have not only achieved remarkable feats but also paved the way for future generations. Their determination, perseverance, and outstanding achievements have elevated them to the pinnacle of their sport, inspiring others to follow in their footsteps and further enhance the world of women’s darts.
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