Cape Breton teen to represent Canada at world cup of darts
She just turned 15-years-old in August, but come the end of September, Brooke Martell will be representing Cape Breton Island, and Canada, at the World Cup of Darts in Denmark.
“I feel very excited to represent my country and my hometown,” Martell told CTV Atlantic during a practice session at the Hawks Club in Dominion, N.S.
Earlier this year, Martell won the Nova Scotia provincial championship without losing a match.
She then won the Canadian championship in junior singles, which punched her ticket to Scandinavia and brought the national championship trophy back to her small home community of Gabarus, N.S. where she found her love for the sport.
“My whole family plays darts, all the way down from my grandfather, so it just got passed down through the generations,” Martell explained.
The high school student’s first time competing at youth nationals was when she was just ten-years-old.
What would have been her second appearance would have been at home in Sydney, N.S., but was cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year was her third attempt, and the third time was a charm.
“I thought I had a chance,” Martell said of this year’s nationals. “I’ve been putting in time, I play against adults so I thought I had a good chance but I wasn’t sure.”
Martell won’t be the only Maritimer representing our region at the World Cup in Denmark. 18-year-old Tyler Cyr of Riverview, N.B. also won his division at youth nationals, earning the right to wear the red and white.
“I have never been out of Canada myself, so that alone is very exciting,” Cyr told CTV Atlantic back in June. “I never even thought or dreamed of representing Canada at the World Cup.”
Back at the Hawks Club in Dominion, Martell was surrounded on Saturday by a slew of medals won during her relatively brief six years of competing.
While many her age don’t know what they want to be when they grow up, Martell’s aspirations when it comes to her chosen sport are short and certain.
“The goal is to get as far as I can go. Go pro,” Martell said.
For now, like Tyler Cyr, she’s looking forward to her first-ever trip out of the country.
The World Cup in Denmark runs from Sept. 24-Oct. 1.
