Inside Luke Humphries’ inspirational journey from anxiety battle to FOUR-STONE weight loss and becoming world champion

IT WAS not that long ago that Luke Humphries considered quitting darts because of a heart scare and crippling anxiety and panic attacks.

Cool Hand Luke showed nerves of steel and enormous bottle to beat the teen sensation Luke Littler 7-4 in Wednesday’s thrilling PDC World Darts Championship final.

PALuke Humphries won the World Darts Championship on Wednesday[/caption]

GettyThe World No1 has revealed that he used to suffer from severe anxiety attacks[/caption]

Yet it has been a “long, hard road” for the ex-roofer to scale the summit of world darts.

After beating Phil Taylor in an exhibition in December 2017 on the Isle of Wight, Humphries woke up the next day at 5am and his heart started to give him concerns.

Though his ticker was found to be fine, it was one of several anxiety attacks that he ended up having to contend with.

Episodes that made him think if playing this sport at the highest level, with all its pressures and pitfalls, was really worth it.

Nothing specifically was the trigger, it could sometimes happen when he sat down at home while watching the TV. Or occasionally when he flew abroad.

It was only during the Covid lockdown period, in which he sought professional help, changed his diet and lost FOUR STONE, that he managed to keep his mental health issues under control.

Sitting next to the Sid Waddell trophy that he will keep for at least a year, Humphries, 28, said: “It’s a long, hard road in every life.

“I’m not the only person to have struggled or gone through adversity or had to work hard to overcome things. I don’t want people feeling sorry for me.

PA:Press AssociationHumphries lost four stone during the Covid lockdown period[/caption]

He has won four trophies since OctoberRex

“I had my own battles to face and I had to do it head-on.

“If I can just give anything from this, I’d just love it if there’s anyone out there having that bit of struggle, look at what I’ve done.

“I’ve changed my life around, I’ve managed to battle it. I even faced that little bit of anxiety in the final.

“When I got there, it was a massive spectacle. The anxiety never leaves you.

“But I managed to battle through the whole lot of it and the way I’ve handled myself over the past three months with all the pressure is mindboggling in my head.

“I want to be open and honest. Certain people I won’t name – celebrities and sports stars – have messaged me to say they go through the same.”

Humphries won his first PDC major title in the first week October – the breakthrough moment came at the World Grand Prix in Leicester – and since then the floodgates have opened.

The World crown is the FOURTH trophy plonked on his mantelpiece, justifying his decision to cut out the fast foods and swap for the salads.

The Newbury thrower says he could not have done all that without slimming down first.

He said: “I think that was the key to my upturn in form.

“Once I lost all the weight, it allowed me to become this more elite player. It showed three months after doing that as I was UK Open finalist (in 2021).

APThe 28-year-old beat Luke Littler in the final this week[/caption]

“That was the first real thing that allowed me to believe I could turn my life around and change my career to being better.

“I can’t talk for everyone but for me personally, it was definitely the catalyst to all the success I’ve got now.

“And that’s why I’m looking to maintain it and to keep myself in a healthy fit shape.

“These days are really, really long. What was such a horrible, negative thing, I tried as best I could to turn it into a positive.”

Humphries, who celebrated the Ally Pally success until 3am in the hotel bar, will be busy over the next 12 months but he is a tremendous ambassador for the sport.

Some may think he is dull or bland – there are no earrings, piercings or arm-sleeve tattoos like rivals – but that is so far from the truth.

The world No.1, who has banked £890,000 prize money in four months, said: “There will definitely be a gold star on the shirt – that’s for sure. I deserve that.

“I’ve not really been a bling person or tattoo person.

“I’m not a boring person – I know loads of people say it on social media but what you see on stage is not the person in real life.

“The comments don’t affect me. They don’t bother me., People can say whatever they want to say, everyone is entitled to an opinion.

“If I was to create a fake personality and do different things that weren’t in my personality then I probably wouldn’t be winning all the things I do.

“That’s the great thing about darts – there are so many different personalities.”