Darts legend
Phil Taylor has radically overhauled his life since stepping away from the professional sport. Now 66, the Englishman is focused on his health and has ditched some old habits. “The Power” has cut out alcohol entirely, trains every day, and even salads are now a fixed part of his diet.
Taylor retired at the start of 2018 after a stellar career that made him the most successful darts player of all time. The 16-time world champion no longer had to follow the relentless rhythm of the professional circuit. In recent years, however, he has made a clear decision to work on his health and fitness.
Speaking to
The Smith Brothers Not a Podcast, Taylor explained that his days now look very different. His mornings always start with water and exercise. "I get bottled water with electrolytes. That is my first drink. Then I go in the garage and do 1000m on the rower. Then I go on the treadmill and do 5000 steps," he said.
It doesn’t stop there. Taylor has also reworked his diet. "I have a cuppa. It’s like a mushroom thing. It’s supposed to be an antioxidant. The best in the world. It’s done nothing for me yet, but I’m having it."
Taylor quit alcohol completely
Mounjaro played a key role in his lifestyle shift. Taylor used the medication for about six weeks and says it mainly changed his mindset. “I went on Mounjaro for a month and a half. It changed my mindset 100 per cent from where I went off.
One of the biggest changes is that Taylor no longer drinks alcohol. During his playing days and afterwards, a drink was not unusual for the Englishman, but he has now stepped away from it entirely. "I was drinking vodka every night. I went off that. I didn’t want it at all. So I’m teetotal now."
If he does fancy a beer, Taylor now opts for the alcohol-free version. "“If I have anything, if I wanted one tonight, I’ll have a bottle of 0 per cent Budweiser. It’s only 46 calories."
The shift on his plate is just as big. Where Taylor once had little time for healthy meals, he now makes deliberate choices such as chicken and salad. “For tea I’ll have chicken salad. But I try to get 30-50 grams of protein in a bit of salad.
Taylor can appreciate the irony that he now eats salad regularly. "I would never eat salads before. I was a salad dodger.”
Alongside sixteen world titles, Taylor also won the World Matchplay 16 times in total during his career.
Return to the oche?
His new lifestyle doesn’t mean Taylor is suddenly planning a professional comeback. Even so, “The Power” has been picking up the darts a bit more often lately.
After a spell with little time at the board, Taylor has started training again. For now, he is keeping his practice sessions deliberately short. “I’ve started practising again now. I’m only doing an hour a day. I’ll start stepping it up a little bit later, probably an hour and a half. I’m enjoying it. It’s good."
A serious comeback does not appear to be on the cards. Since his official farewell, Taylor has remained visible in various ways within the darts scene, but returning to the intense life of a professional is another matter. The joy of the game, however, is clearly still there.
Taylor also now has another reason to throw a few darts regularly. His grandson Nathan is proving pretty handy at the sport as well. "When my grandson comes up [I play]," the legend explained. "He was a decent player, young Nathan."
According to the 16-time world champion, there’s enough talent in his grandson to compete respectably with other players. "He’s not bad. He could play county.”