18 Facts About Gayl King

Gayl King was born on 2 January 1964 and is a Canadian former professional darts player.

Gayl King was the first woman to be invited by the darts organization Professional Darts Corporation to complete in the PDC World Darts Championship in the 2001 tournament and was the winner of several regional and national darts competitions in Canada.

Gayl King has two grown-up sons, and worked as a bookkeeper for a restaurant chain in Edmonton, Alberta prior to her debut in the PDC World Darts Championship.

Gayl King was introduced to the throwing game of darts by one of her older sisters Mary; her brother-in-law provided her with an instructional book which strengthened her interest in the sport.

Gayl King made her British Darts Organisation debut in the 1989 World Masters where she was defeated in the preliminary round by Linda Beaver.

Gayl King finished runner-up to Lillian Skears in the 1995 Klondike Open and repeated the result to Lorraine Colenutt in the 1996 contest.

In 1997, Gayl King paired with Kim Whaley to win the women's doubles events of the Klondike Open, adding to a success in the tournament's ladies' cricket pairs division with Terry Towey in 1995.

Gayl King played in the 1997 WDF World Cup Ladies Pairs tournament in Perth, Australia with Patricia Farrell, where the duo lasted until the semi-finals.

Gayl King went on to claim the singles, doubles and the mixed doubles divisions of the 2000 Canadian National Darts Championships, before she followed up with victories in the London Open in the singles and ladies pairs divisions, and that year's Ladies Canadian Open.

Gayl King took a victory in the ladies cricket pairs and the mixed pairs divisions of the 2000 Klondike Open.

Gayl King was runner-up to Stacy Bromberg in that year's Windy City Open Ladies and reached the last 64 of the World Ladies Masters.

Gayl King played in the 2000 BDO World Masters and reached the tournament's first round.

Gayl King became the first woman to participate in the PDC world championship.

Later in 2001, Gayl King reached the last 16 of the WDF World Cup Singles where she was defeated by Francis Hoenselaar.

Gayl King won the Ladies Canadian Open and the Klondike Open twice more over the next four years in the singles divisions.

Gayl King played in the 2004 Las Vegas Desert Classic and had her final two professional matches at the 2005 and 2006 editions of the Vauxhall Open.

Gayl King retired from competitive darts after a shoulder injury caused her to lose the endurance required to play in tournaments.

Gayl King found employment at a cheese-making company working as an administrative assistant.