BEAVER BANK: A dart player from Beaver Bank continues to be all smiles about her experience representing Canada at the World Cup of Darts in Gibraltar last month.
Emily Alford was one of four members—and the only girl—that competed wearing the Maple Leaf colours. She returned in late November and spoke to The Laker News just hours after she returned home Nov. 29—during lunch break from Lockview High, where she’s in her Grade 12 year.
“It was amazing,” said Alford still beaming and somehow unaffected by the travel home, arriving in a couple of hours later then planned. “I got to play against top calibre players that I haven’t been able to play in a long period of time.
“It was great to play that competitive level again and be able to see friends and make new friends.”
She said when they got introduced during the opening ceremonies, her heart glowed fully.
“To be able to wear the Canadian flag again and be able to represent everybody here and all the dart players here,” Alford said, continuing “being able to represent all that we have to offer the world. It was really cool.”
There were 20 countries participating at the worlds, so to come top 16 was a rather good achievement given how little some of the Canadian players had playing due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“I’m pretty proud of how we did and the other players on the team,’ she said. “They haven’t played in that level before. They were all amazing.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better group to go there with.”
However, she said her own placement didn’t reflect how she played. But she did have some good takeaways from the experience and about her game.
“I was playing against some players that were getting incredible averages like that you would see on TV,” said Alford as she ate her lunch at the Fall River Dairy Queen. “I’m proud of how I played.
“I didn’t place as well as I would have loved to, but overall, it was an experience that showed me where I’m falling into and where I’m going to need to practice and where I need to improve my game.”
None of it would have been possible without the support back home, from her school Lockview High, to her parents, to the people who supported fundraisers, and her sponsors such as SmurfDarts; LStyle; One80; BullsEye News; and Phoenix Apparel.
“I just want to say thank you to everybody who supported me in going and for everybody’s continued support in the community,” said Alford, 17. “It’s very much appreciated.
“I hope I made you guys all proud.”
