He barely sees where the arrows land – yet he reached the semi-finals of the World Cup
Ryan Searle lives with a rare, hereditary eye condition that gradually impairs his vision. In a sport where millimeters matter, the Englishman delivered a performance that impressed the entire darts world.
When the world's elite darts players gathered for the World Championship, many people talked about the big favorites. Fewer people talked about the man who can barely see the dartboard properly. Yet it was Ryan Searle who stood out as one of the tournament's big stories after playing his way to the semi-finals.
Searle suffers from Autosomal Dominant Optic Atrophy (ADOA) , a rare and incurable eye disease that attacks the optic nerve. The disease leads to gradual vision loss, reduced sharpness and problems with contrast and detail – all things that a darts player relies on.
– Sometimes I don't see where the arrows end up. Sometimes I have to ask the judge what I got, Searle himself has said.
A fight also off stage
Vision problems have accompanied him for much of his life. Even as a child, he struggled to see the blackboard at school, and as an adult it became clear that it was not just about poor vision, but about a serious diagnosis. Today, he lives with the knowledge that his vision may deteriorate further over time.
The disease has also affected the family. Both children have inherited the condition, and the daughter is already classified as partially sighted. For Searle, this has given her achievements on the darts scene an extra dimension – it is not just about sport, but also about showing that limitations do not necessarily put an end to dreams.
Millimeters from the world elite
Darts is a sport that requires extreme precision, composure and visual control. Yet Searle beat several higher-ranked players on his way to the semi-finals of the World Cup. With his heavy scoring, calm style and distinctive appearance – hence the nickname “Heavy Metal” – he maintained a level that placed him among the very best in the tournament.
The fact that he managed this with severely reduced vision makes the achievement remarkable. Many experts describe the World Championship run as one of the most impressive in recent darts history, precisely because of the conditions.
More than a result
For Searle himself, the World Cup success is more than a ranking in the statistics. He has used the attention to speak openly about ADOA and what it is like to live – and compete – with a serious vision disorder. The goal is to create understanding and hope for others in the same situation.
The semi-final was the final stop this time. But the story of Ryan Searle will remain for a long time: About the man who doesn't always see the dartboard clearly – but who still hits better than almost anyone else in the world.
Also read one of the pre-World Cup analyses I wrote about Ryan Searle here
