Fallon Sherrock was used to beating the odds long before she made history at the World Darts Championship in 2019.
The hairdresser turned Queen of the Palace had already proved she was a cut above the rest after battling back from kidney disease.
Sherrock’s parents and her twin sister, Felicia, all played darts but it took her until she was in her late teens to try her hand at the sport.
“I started off playing county youth and realised I was quite good,” Sherrock told the Telegraph in 2019.
At the age of 17, she opted to pursue a career in darts after turning down the chance to study forensic science at university.
At that point, darts success was hardly a beaten track for women, and within a few years, her world was rocked by life outside the oche.
Sherrock developed a serious kidney problem after giving birth to her son Rory.
She told The Sun: “About six months after I had my little boy in April 2014, I ended up getting a kidney disease.
“I started to feel unwell. I didn’t know what was going on until I was diagnosed.
“It was a worrying time. I started taking medication to weaken my immune system because that is what was attacking my kidneys.
“The problem was when I went on different medication, I suffered side effects.
“And the side effects caused ‘moon face’, where my face swelled up. It was a reaction.
“When I played in the BDO worlds on TV, I received a lot of criticism for how I looked.
“If I saw negative comments I tried to look past them. I’m not going to dwell on what someone has said if it doesn’t affect my life.
“I think that attitude helps to strengthen my character.”
That character was on full show when Sherrock became just the fifth female player to compete in the PDC World Championship in 2019.
It was her tournament debut but she stunned Alexandra Palace by coming from behind to earn a 3-2 win over Ted Evatts.
In doing so, the then-25-year-old became the first woman ever to win a match at the World Darts Championship.
Evetts, who was world number 77 at the time, took a 2-1 lead over Sherrock and was just one leg from progressing to the second round when the history-maker showed her class.
Fans at Ally Pally were firmly on her side, serenading her with “We love you Sherrock, we do” throughout.
After the win, Sherrock declared: “I have proven that we can play the men and can beat them.”
She later added: “I am speechless. I don’t know what to say.
“Thank you every one. I feel really happy because I have made something for women’s darts.
“I can’t believe it. To do that on the biggest stage, wow. I am so happy that I can continue it rather than go out.
“This is definitely one of the best moments I’ve had. I’m just so happy. I’ve just made history. I can’t believe it. I’ve made a great achievement for women’s darts.”
Sherrock, who finished as runner-up in the BDO Womens’ World Championship in 2015, wasn’t done yet though.
The 30-year-old then knocked out No11 seed Mensur Suljovic before losing 4-2 in the third round against Chris Dobey.
2019 will still always be remembered as the year that Sherrock announced herself, with plaudits ranging from posts by tennis icon Billie Jean King to Hollywood actress Sarah Jessica Parker.
Sherrock told the Guardian a year later: “When Billie Jean King started tweeting messages to me I was like: ‘Wow, this amazing person’s actually contacted me.’ I’m just a normal girl from Milton Keynes.
“This stuff doesn’t happen to people like me. And then it was the Instagram post from Sarah Jessica Parker. I watched Sex and the City so that was amazing as well. To have two massive people contact me was incredible. I was like: ‘Fallon, don’t get too carried away. Just put it to one side and you can come back and stare at it later.’ I focused on what I had to do.”
Sherrock will be at Ally Pally again this year after qualifying for the World Darts Championship through the PDC Women’s Series Order Of Merit.
However, the trailblazer’s first victim Evetts is set to be absent for a third successive year following successive qualifying exits.
‘Super Ted’ has long been aware that regardless of what he achieves in his career he will always be the subject of a pub quiz question.
“It’s one of those nights that I’m never going to forget – it’s going to be a pub quiz question for the rest of my life really!” said Evetts.
“Nothing I did that night was going to change what happened. She played that great.”
