Transgender darts star Noa-Lynn van Leuven takes ‘step back’ from the sport after ‘old traumas were triggered’
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NOA-LYNN VAN LEUVEN has admitted "struggling with mental health" after failing to secure a PDC Tour Card. The transgender star missed out on her bid to join the elite players at Qualifying School. Van Leuven, 28, recently made her debut in the Grand Slam and World Championship.
![[Noa-Lynn van Leuven reacts during her World Darts Championship match.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/reacts-first-round-match-kevin-958135064.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
She faced a tough Slam group that contained Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson and Ryan Joyce but was unable to win a match. At the World Championship at the Ally Pally, she lost her first-round match 3-1 to Kevin Doets, having won the opening set. Doets went on to knock out former champ Michael Smith before finally being beaten by semi-finalist Chris Dobey in round four.
![[Noa-Lynn van Leuven reacting during a darts match.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/reacts-first-round-match-kevin-958135006.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Van Leuven spoke before the Worlds of suffering death threats and was already contemplating quitting the game. In an Instagram post on Friday, she revealed: "Q-School 2025 is over, and unfortunately, I didn’t play my best game. "The truth is, my mind hasn’t really been in the right place for a while.
"I’ve been struggling with my mental health for months, and every time a tournament comes up, I’ve tried to push it aside. BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS. "But this time, it caught up with me. “Trying to focus on darts while dealing with old traumas that were triggered last year just doesn’t work, and I’ve realized it’s time to shift my focus.
"It’s time to prioritize my mental health and work on actually getting better". She clarified: "This isn’t the end of my journey, just a step back to move forward. "Thanks to everyone who’s supported me along the way – I appreciate it more than I can put into words.".
