A day in Fallon Sherrock's life at the Ally Pally: Nerves and expectations at the World Darts Championship
Fallon Sherrock will face Jermaine Wattimena in the first round of the World Darts Championship at the Alexandra Palace; we're back for the World Darts Championship from December 15, 2023 to January 3, 2024 - live on Sky Sports
Sunday 17 December 2023 21:30, UK
There is nothing quite like the anticipation of a big sporting event and for Fallon Sherrock, there is nothing bigger than the moment when she walks onto the Alexandra Palace stage.
The Queen of the Ally Pally has had some of her career highs at darts' biggest event, making history by making it all the way to the third round in 2019.
She knows she will have the crowd behind her and she knows each time she plays she could make even more history, her campaign in this year's tournament starting with a tie against Jermaine Wattimena on Sunday evening.
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So, what does a day in the life of Sherrock look like before heading to her favourite venue? More relaxed than you would think.
"I am so excited, I love going to the Worlds," Sherrock told Sky Sports.
"Obviously with all the memories I have got with going to Ally Pally and all that, what I made history doing, I get goosebumps going into it and it is just great.
"I wake up, I chill for a little bit and make sure I am chilled throughout the day.
"I go get lunch and then you get ready and go for a throw and then the build-up starts when you start getting into the Ally Pally and the excitement starts happening.
"I get the butterflies, then you start preparing and then you go from there to play.
"I think I am in the moment until that walk on. When I go for the walk on, then I start to get nervous.
"I go from excited to walking out, to that walk on where I get really, really nervous and then once I am up on the stage I relax.
"When I am on the stage I am just like 'I am here now, this is what I have worked all year to do'.
"You just switch off and focus because you have got a job to do at the end of the day.
"The walk on always feels really amazing because you hear the roar, you have the electric atmosphere going, people singing your name and to me, it is a big thing because I never had people cheering for me or singing my name or anything like that.
"So, every time I walk on it gives me a special feeling."
While Sherrock has expectation placed on her every time the Worlds roll around, with the roaring crowd right behind her, she is keeping her expectations in check and making sure she remains focused on the game that is in front of her, rather than looking too far ahead.
"Every time a woman plays on the stage, it doesn't matter what competition it is, the crowd are always behind them," she added.
"There is never any negativity or anything like that, there is never anything bad publicised about it, it is always supportive and there is always good fans in the audience.
"This year I have just decided to take each game as it comes so my expectations would just be to win the first game then once I win my first game, look to my second game, and just go game by game.
"I am not sitting there thinking that I am going to go and win it straight off the bat because it doesn't work like that but I potentially could get to the third round. I have done it before, I could do it again."
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No matter what happens at this year's World Darts Championship, Sherrock's stardom will only help push female participation in darts forward and she only wants to see more female players join her on that Ally Pally stage in the future.
"It feels amazing because I never thought I would be that person to help progress the sport," Sherrock said.
"To be back again and there is another woman with me, we are both helping to push the sport.
"It has grown so much since everything that happened in 2019 so every time I go I am like 'ok, how far can I go this time and how much can I push the sport even more to see what I can do?'.
"The more women that get involved in playing darts, the more opportunities you are going to get.
"The more opportunities could be more TV as well.
"In a couple of years, the more women that get interested we could have four women, then five."
Watch the World Darts Championship from December 15, 2023 to January 3, 2024 - live on Sky Sports. Stream your favourite sports and more with NOW
