Emma Paton, now a prominent Sky Sports presenter, once dreamed of Olympic glory before injuries derailed her athletics career. The 400m runner competed at national level and even appeared in the 2012 film 'Fast Girls' as a Ukrainian relay runner, but persistent injuries forced her to shift focus to media.
Speaking before the World Darts Championship, Paton reflected: 'I fell short of my dreams but that's OK. I wanted to go to the Olympics to represent Great Britain. That was the aim but I had years of injuries and it didn't really happen.' She balanced training with early morning shifts on Sky Sports News before turning her attention fully to presenting.
Paton now hosts darts coverage, drawing parallels between athletics and the individual nature of the sport. 'Different in many ways but similar in the fact that it's an individual sport. You're just out there on your own,' she said. 'That's where it all started for me, my life was always rooted in sport.'
She will present the World Championship final between Luke Littler and Gian van Veen on December 11, with coverage starting at 7.30pm on Sky Sports Main Events and Sky Sports Darts.
