VAN LEUVEN COMPLETES MIRACLE RETURN TO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
28/10/2025 By Aaron Nijjar
NOA-LYNN VAN LEUVEN has earned her World Championship return just months after she feared she might not “still be around” amid intense abuse.
‘The Duchess’ has endured a brutal 12 months of online hate, public scrutiny and mental health struggle after becoming the first trans woman to compete at Ally Pally last December.
Dutch thrower Van Leuven won the Women’s Series events 9-10 and secured her spot at the major for a second consecutive campaign by finishing fourth in the Order of Merit.
But Van Leuven admits things reached a frightening low earlier this year.
She said: “A few months ago, I genuinely didn’t know if I’d still be around the following week.
“The fact I can now enjoy standing behind the board again feels like a miracle.
“I couldn’t enjoy it anymore.
“The pressure, the hate, the media – it completely drained me.
“I spent weeks in bed, watching shows and wondering what the point was. Everything felt dark. I couldn’t see a way out.”
The 29-year-old underwent 14 weeks of treatment with the Dutch Intensive Home Treatment crisis team to rebuild her mental health.
She added: “It was necessary. I was at breaking point.
“I was bullied at school and always felt different. That feeling of exclusion came flooding back.”
The row over her place in the women’s game flared up when Dutch stars Anca Zijlstra and Aileen de Graaf quit the national team, claiming they didn’t want to play alongside a “biological man.”
Not long after, the WDF brought in a rule banning trans women from women’s events — a move that effectively shut Van Leuven out of international selection.
Van Leuven continued: “It was too much. The media attention, the messages – it all reopened old trauma. I changed my number. I couldn’t cope anymore.”
Her turning point came at Amsterdam Pride this summer, where she finally felt able to be herself again.
She explained: “The Lesbische Liga boat was the only reason I got out of bed that day.
“For the first time in months, I felt free — dancing, laughing, being myself.
“It’s the small things that make me happy.
“Like a message from a parent saying my story helped them understand their trans daughter better.
“Bit by bit, the hunger came back.
“First practising, then local events — and now the World Championship again. I never would’ve dreamed of that a few months ago.
“I’m proud that I kept going. It hasn’t been easy, but I’m still here.
“If my story helps even one person not to give up, then it’s worth it.
“I’m so glad I went to Pride that day. Otherwise, I might not be here now. To be back at the World Championship — it really feels like my second chance.”
In the Netherlands, Olympic body NOC*NSF recently issued draft guidance on transgender participation, hinting that “fair competition” may not always be possible in some sports due to physical advantages.
But Van Leuven hit back, stressing that darts isn’t one of them.
She declared: “The guideline is about grassroots sport, not elite sport.
“And darts isn’t about physical strength. No one wins because they’ve got a stronger backswing.”
The PDC has not signalled any plans to change its eligibility rules for women’s darts but Van Leuven acknowledges things could change.
She revealed: “If that happens, they’d basically be deciding my retirement. It wouldn’t just affect me — it would affect the entire trans community.”
Image by Taylor Lanning.
