"It got blurry before my eyes and I didn't dare release my dart" - Top young Belgian talent sees progress halted by dartitis battle

Lex Paeshuyse is labeled by many experts as "The next big thing" in the Belgian dart world. Just a few years ago, that honour seemed to be reserved for someone else.

After all, Rune Van Damme also shined in the junior categories. "I want to go for a PDC Tour at 18 and be at the World Championship," the then almost 16-year-old Van Damme let it be noted.

Afterwards, however, he suffered from dartitis. A problem that troubles even top darters. Nathan Aspinall recently explained it aptly. "When I’m on that stage about to throw it, I’m having a panic attack. So that is the equivalent of a panic attack on stage. You’re that scared. Your heart’s going like that. You don’t want to miss. And then all of a sudden, you’re like, I can’t throw it.”

"I struggled with it for almost two years," Van Damme told Het Nieuwsblad. "That really made me doubt whether I still wanted to play darts. It just wasn't fun anymore, when you go from 90 to 65 average. I also went under hypnosis at one point and for now the dartitis is gone. I so hope it never comes back. The pressure just got too much. I was regarded as the next big talent and I started to expect that of myself. I had to win everything, so I couldn't lose anymore. Then when that happened... Tears, frustrations and wanting to tear down everything I encountered. I could often not be well for a week from a defeat. I just couldn't relate anymore, during and after races. A 100 wasn't good enough anymore, every throw had to be a 180 so to speak. My parents just stopped coming to watch in the long run, because it was so bad."

"How I felt during competitions? I saw blurry in front of my eyes," Van Damme says. "I wanted to throw every arrow perfectly and because of that I didn't dare release that arrow. It was then up to fifteen times starting all over again: holding arrow, stepping backwards and forward again. I just had so much fear of missing. It had to be over for me in twelve to fifteen darts at most. Every single lay. That focus had crept into my head. I actually didn't like that. A little is not bad, but ... This was the downside of being bombarded as a top talent. I really hope Lex doesn't go through this, I'm very afraid of that."

But quietly there was light at the end of the tunnel. "Things have been going so well lately," Van Damme said. "I didn't feel like playing darts for a while, but when I saw Luke win the World Championship ... I then quietly started training back a bit more because he did motivate me a bit. I knew he was good because he threw a nine darter against me once, but this.... Wow. I'm also still in regular contact with him. Luke sometimes sends me a message before a big tournament. I didn't really want to do any more tournaments abroad this year. Going to England is extremely expensive, especially if you have to do it five times for the Development Tour. I also play soccer on weekends (he is a goalkeeper at fourth-provincial Daring Maria-Aalter, ed.), which complicates it all. I'm thinking about going again when the season is over. And if it doesn't work out? Then I dream of a life as an ambulance driver!"