Achieving a nine-darter is a remarkable feat for any darts player, but doing so with impaired vision is truly exceptional. Ryan Searle, a leading figure in the world of darts, has been dealing with astigmatism since his youth, a condition that leads to blurred or distorted vision. His game changed dramatically for the better after he started wearing contact lenses, propelling him up the rankings with astonishing speed.
Yet, there are times when the Somerset arrowist must pause and inquire about the position of his darts. "It has not been easy," he confessed to the Daily Star last year. "I wear contact lenses to play and it's improved my sight a little bit.
I was about [No.] 54 in the world playing without contact lenses, then I went up to about [No.] 15 once I could see a little bit better.
I'm quite a rhythmic player so it helped that I wasn't having to stop and ask [the referee] every few throws. It has definitely helped my game. "It's still not great and I have to ask every now and again.
But that's what I've always known so it's not like I've gone from having good vision to not being able to see. That's how I've always seen the board and my eyesight isn't getting any worse, which is a positive. "At 37 years old, Searle opens up about his childhood attempts to cheat eye tests to dodge the need for glasses.
"It was never picked up at school but I knew my eyesight wasn't very good," he admitted. He confessed, "Before the eye tests, I'd go up to the chart and try and memorise.
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