It wasn't the Sky Sports cameras being at a poor resolution as the Paddy Power signs and the placards raised by fans were blurred during Friday night's action at the PDC World Darts Championship.
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Ryan Searle has often raised awareness of his rare condition, ADOA which results in blurry vision and sees 'Heavy Metal' barely legal to drive no mind doing what he does for a living which is throw darts at incredible accuracy. One of the most heroic stories in darts, Paddy Power have got behind him to highlight it.
Autosomal Dominant Optic Atrophy (ADOA) is a genetic eye problem which means he is sometimes unable to see where his darts land on the board and while his son doesn't suffer as bad as himself, his daughter on the other hand does and is registered as visually impaired. He hopes in finding a cure, she can drive a car when she is older.
He has helped raise more than £15,000 for the Cure ADOA Foundation and as the tournament sponsor Paddy Power want to raise even more. The 180 boards feature blurred writing along with the tables on stage and digital signage to show how Ryan is affected. They have pledged also to donate £15,000 to the Cure ADOA Foundation.
Hedy Smit-Wigchers, a board member at the Cure ADOA Foundation, said as per Paddy Power: “We’re so proud of everything Ryan has achieved so far at Ally Pally. The vital funds and awareness he’s helped raise for the Cure ADOA Foundation will have a life-changing effect for thousands of people. Whatever happens tonight, Ryan is our hero.”
Searle went on to lose 6-1 to Luke Littler but he reached the semi-finals for the first time in his career and continues to inspire those who live with the condition that they can thrive in life.
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
You may notice our Ally Pally branding looking a bit different tonight 👇
Ryan Searle has reached the semis despite his ADOA - a rare eye condition resulting in blurred vision.
We're supporting Ryan in raising awareness of the condition & donating €15k to Cure ADOA foundation