English · St Thomas, Jamaica · Born 14 November 1959Jamaican-born English darts player nicknamed the 'Caribbean Queen', a long-serving veteran of women's darts who won the WDF World Championship in 2025 after five decades in the sport.
Born in St Thomas, Jamaica, on 14 November 1959, Deta Hedman moved to England in 1973 and built her career in the sport over more than five decades, competing across the BDO, WDF and PDC. She won her first ranking title at the 1989 Finnish Open and captured the World Masters twice, in 1994 and 2013 — a gap of 19 years that speaks to her remarkable longevity. Hedman was a fixture of women's darts finals for years without quite landing the sport's biggest prize, finishing runner-up in the BDO/WDF World Championship on four occasions across 15 years, including a heartbreaking loss to Lisa Ashton in 2014 after leading 2-0. She finally broke through in December 2025, beating top seed Lerena Rietbergen 4-1 to win the WDF Women's World Championship at age 66, capping one of the longest championship droughts in the sport before ultimate success. Beyond her world title, Hedman won the Finder Masters and Dutch Open multiple times each and reached the quarter-finals of the mixed-gender PDC World Championship in 2010. She has also represented England extensively in WDF team events across the World Cup and Europe Cup. In recognition of her services to darts and to charity work supporting disabled children, for which she earned the nickname 'The Heart of Darts', Hedman was awarded an OBE, which she received from Princess Anne at St James's Palace in early 2026.
One of the longest and most enduring careers in women's darts, capped by a world title at age 66
How They Played
Consistent, disciplined scorer with remarkable longevity
Lasting Impact
A trailblazer and beloved veteran of women's darts, honoured with an OBE for her contribution to the sport