An ex-BDO professional darts player and academy coach has shared memories of witnessing Beau when she was just a child, having shocked many players in Doncaster when playing people three-times her age.
James Thomas, owner of Next Gen Darts Academy in Beighton, is convinced that she will make a deep run at the World Championship this winter and is more than capable of beating some of the best players in the world.
He further emphasised the exposure Beau has been getting, originating from local town interest and progressing to worldwide recognition for her elite level of darts and 100+ averages that have stunned ex-professionals.
Thomas says: “I first met Beau when she was 10 -years-old. She played in the Sheffield Darts Masters and by 12 she beat a lot of the older players.”
Darts academies and shops have grown amidst the sports’ rapid growth, where the academy encourages girls to start playing darts, where the gap between men and women in the sport is closer than ever.
The academy has had plenty of girls come through their doors, with many looking to emulate Beau’s current achievements, reaching new heights in development whilst maintaining the importance of having fun.
He also reflected on fellow female professional Fallon Sherrock, who was the first woman to win a game at the World Darts Championship in 2019, believing that Beau will soon follow in her footsteps.
Thomas says: “Anyone that knows Beau knows that she is special. It’s no surprise she is where she is now.”
When asked about the importance of more women’s darts events being available, he told us that the Junior Darts Corporation had their first ever Women’s World Championship this year, with a lot of good things to come in Ladies’ darts.
The importance of women’s development is vital to him, sponsoring 15-year-old darts prodigy Taylor Field, who is the 13th in the World Darts Federation’s U18’s women’s rankings and 79th in the UK and Ireland in all ages.
Thomas says: “There’s a pathway for the women’s game that there wasn’t before”.
The three-time women’s world champion and youngest ever female player at the tournament is playing in her second PDC World Championship, looking to make a run after beating Luke Littler in the World Youth Championship last month.
She has set the women’s game alight this year, earning a PDC Tour Card after winning 13 Challenge Tour events and finishing second on the Winmau Development Tour.
She has been drawn against Northern Irishman Daryl Gurney on the 19th December, which will be a welcome challenge to her, facing a key figure within the sport that has won PDC titles and participated in the Premier League.
