Emma Paton, the face of Sky Sports' World Darts Championship coverage, saw her Olympic ambitions shattered by injury before becoming a television star. The presenter, who has been fronting the network's coverage of the tournament, was an accomplished 400m runner in her youth, competing at national level.
Paton also had a cameo role in the 2012 film 'Fast Girls', playing a Ukrainian relay runner alongside Lily James and Noel Clarke. She had hoped to reach the Olympics for Great Britain, but a series of injuries forced her to change course.
'I fell short of my dreams but that's OK,' Paton told Mirror Sport. '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 then turned her focus to a media career at Sky Sports, eventually becoming a host for darts coverage.
Paton draws parallels between athletics and darts, noting both are individual sports. 'You're just out there on your own,' she said. 'I've put myself on a start line, in that situation, although obviously not to the extent these players are playing at.'
Paton will be on duty for the World Championship final between Luke Littler and Gian van Veen on January 3. The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Darts from 7.30pm.
