Luke Humphries nearly packed in darts completely before reaching this year's World Championship final against Luke Littler.
The newly-named world No 1 will attempt to stop the teenage sensation at Alexandra Palace but it could have been a different story for 'Cool Hand Luke'.
Humphries demolished fellow Englishman Scott Williams 6-0 on Tuesday to reach tonight's showpiece match.
The victory means he will end the tournament on top of the world rankings even if he loses at Ally Pally.
Luke Humphries nearly gave up darts before this year's tournament
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But it has been far from an easy road to the top for the 28-year-old.
Before the tournament, he opened up on how he came close to calling it a day on the oche due to anxiety.
He said: "Obviously it is a battle to get to the top of darts as a whole but when you are battling against anxiety and the panic I went through it is tough.
"I was almost ready to give the game up because I didn’t know if I could do it, but I have worked out ways to control it.
"It was tough moments for me and I should be most proud of myself more than anything else battling through that and getting to where I am now, let alone getting there through darts.
"It has not been an easy rise to the top but I think I have worked hard and I deserve my success and where I am now.
"Then I have raised awareness and helped a few people out which is good in the long run for other people."
Humphries thought long and hard about retiring but ultimately decided he had put in too much work to give it all up.
He added: "I was like, I don't want to give it up but that felt like it was the easiest option and the easy way out I think.
"I sat there and I thought, I have worked all my life to get to this position and people would give their left arm to have a Tour card and be in my position so why throw it away.
"I worked hard to battle the feelings and I am proud of myself for working through that and where I am now just shows that if I had give it all in, I would have had a big career in front of me that I would have let get away.
"I am not the only one with these struggles."
A picture recently circulated of Humphries alongside a 12-year-old Littler.
Humphries has lost four stone since that picture, a change he believes has helped him physically and mentally.
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Luke Humphries will end the tournament as the new world No 1
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He said: "I think when you are losing say four pounds a week but you are practising, your body doesn’t really notice the changes.
"But if you were to lose four stone and not throw a dart through that, my body would have noticed the changes.
"I think that being fitter and healthier helps with longer days and it is no coincidence that I never used to be able to get to those quarter-finals, semi-finals because I would run out of energy.
Luke Littler stands in Luke Humphries' way this evening
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"So losing the weight is a key part of where I am now because I don’t think I would be where I am now as the unfit and unhealthy version of me.
"It is another piece of the puzzle to make me where I am now."
