He lost over 50 pounds and became World Champion!

Like millions across the country, I was mesmerised by the fantastic talent of sixteen-year-old darts teenage sensation Luke Littler, who has just reached the finals of the World Darts Championship but has just failed to become the youngest-ever winner.
 
He is the big story of this championship, and he will win many tournaments in the future, but the man overshadowed by Luke is someone who has overcome anxiety and depression to win the coveted trophy.
 
Trophy winner Luke Humphries’ recent 4-year journey is a story of resilience and hard work where he overcame depression and anxiety to become the best player in the world. His winning streak in the past few months is astonishing.
 
 
He wanted to give up          
 
When Humphries suffered an anxiety attack midway through a tournament in 2019, he could not have thought four years later, he would be holding The World Darts Trophy aloft.
 
The Newbury thrower was playing in the German Open when he was suddenly immobilised at 5-2 up against James Wade and went on to lose 6-5.
 
It was his darkest moment, and he felt so bad he seriously considered quitting the sport he loved, even suffering from a recurring obsession with having a heart attack, which saw his anxiety spiral.
 
 
It was the trigger for success
 
But it proved a pivotal moment in his career and was the start of a journey that came to a memorable climax on Wednesday night when he solidified his position as the new world No One.
 
“It’s just a fear of panic that overcomes you, and you feel the worst is going to happen. I used to get palpitations, and I still get those feelings every now and then,” he said.

“The anxiety I suffered never goes away, ever, but it’s important you learn the signs of the triggers and learn to manage it.
 
“It’s just a thing that can happen at any moment. You know when you feel it because you start to come over a little heavy-chested and faintish, but the important thing I did was breathe through it.
 
“There were times when I felt I just wanted to get off stage, but you can’t do that, so that was the hardest thing for me, but over the last three to four years, I’ve managed to do that in a professional way, and I try not to let it affect my performances anymore.
 
“I’ve grown to manage it and worked hard to get to a position where I notice these signs and battle them quite quickly.
 
Humphries also explained how using an exercise bike and healthy eating enabled him to shed four stones as part of an incredible body transformation which began during lockdown in 2021 as part of a bid to improve his stamina and performance.
 
The last few months have been a “whirlwind” for Humphries, which has seen him become a four-time major champion, world champion and world number one.
 
 
This wasn’t just good fortune
 
This isn’t luck or good fortune but four years of hard work and self-belief. I can only imagine what he was going through as he exercised furiously to shed those pounds. It took incredible resilience and sheer dogged determination to keep going despite no obvious improvement.
 
But slowly, over time, things began to improve, and he slowly but surely started to see the fruits of his dedicated work.
 
One of the hardest things we can go through is to work hard and to keep working hard even though you can’t see any results. This is the case for all of us, whether working for a company, running our own business or trying to succeed in sports or music.
 
The doubts will be clear, and your inner voice will tell you to give up. You will sometimes want to give up and try something else. But it is at such times when you can be very close to a breakthrough.
 
 
The water pump
 
I talk about the old-fashioned water pump where you have to keep pumping for up to 20 minutes before the water appears from deep down. You could be a couple of pumps from seeing the clear water appearing when you decide to stop. You don’t know how close you are; if you stop, you give up and never see the water.
 
However, if you carry on, you will eventually see the clear, cool water appear, and all the work has paid off. The important thing is that when the water appears, you only need a gentle pumping action to keep the water flowing at a nice, easy pressure. You now start to enjoy the fruits of your labour. 
 
This is what Luke did for four years. He had to continue believing all this work and practice would pay off. He didn’t know for sure, but he had to believe that it could pay off.
 
 
Self-belief
 
His self-belief was crucial, and he is now ranked number one in the world and the world champion. None of this would have happened if he had given up at any stage in those four years. But he didn’t give up, and the rest is history. He is now living the dream, and the price he paid during those four years is worth every drop of sweat and tears.
 
This is something I have done for the past ten years as I built my business. I wanted to give up many times, but each time, I carried on. I am now running a business which I absolutely love, and the pain I suffered has long gone.
 
 
As motivational speaker Zig Ziglar once famously said:
 
“When you do the things you need to do when you need to do them, the day will come when you can do the things you want to do when you want to do them.”
 
 
Thoughts for the week.

1. What are you working on right now?
2. Is it a New Year’s resolution or losing some weight like me after a Christmas binge?
3. Whatever it is, take encouragement from Luke Humphries, and when you want to give up, think about his 4-year struggle where he didn’t give up and is now living the dream.
4. This week, commit to keep going no matter what. 

 
Well, that’s it for this week. Have a wonderful weekend, and keep believing in yourself.
 
Warm regards

John