It was 12 months of ups and downs Noa-Lynn van Leuven who saw her dream of joining the PDC Tour not come to fruition European Q School won’t get out of the first stage.
She now plans to retire from the sport, admitting her mental health has taken a toll and she hasn’t been in the right place for some time.
As the first transwoman to appear at the PDC World Darts Championships and also win multiple titles on the Women’s Series as well as the Challenge Tour, Van Leuven blazed a trail but also experienced violence and even players boycotting WDF tournaments because of her inclusion.
She made her Ally Pally debut a few weeks ago, but was not at her best during Q-School, scoring a few points and failing to reach the final stage, unlike her Women’s Series counterparts in Fallon Sherrock and Beau Greaves, for example.
“Q-School 2025 has come to an end and unfortunately I didn’t play my best match. The truth is that my mind hasn’t been in the right place for some time. I have been struggling with my mental health for months and every time a tournament approaches I try to put it aside,” she wrote on Instagram, explaining why she was leaving the sport.
“But this time it got to me. Trying to focus on darts while dealing with old traumas that surfaced last year just wasn’t working and I realized it was time to change my focus. It’s time to prioritize my mind, health and work to actually make it better.
“This is not the end of my journey, it is just a step back to move forward. Thank you to everyone who has supported me along this journey – I appreciate it more than I can express in words.”
