This Nova Scotia teen is a dart champion

This Nova Scotia teen is a dart champion — after playing competitively for less than a year

Rhyder Oliver became the Canadian junior champion in May, securing his spot at the World Masters in Las Vegas

Rhyder Oliver rarely competes against kids his own age.

The 13-year-old from Truro, N.S., is used to travelling around the Maritimes with his mom, Angela Oliver, to play in adult darts tournaments.

But with less than a year of competitive darts under his belt, Rhyder has broken out of the local scene and is making a name for himself among youth players.

He became the 2026 Canadian Junior Boys National Darts champion in May, securing his spot at the WDF World Masters in Las Vegas where he travelled earlier this month.

“The capability of playing against the top youth in the world and playing against people from other countries in a venue like that, where it's loud and there's a lot of people watching, it's a really good experience to have going into my career,” Rhyder said.

Rhyder said got involved in the sport to spend more time with his mom, a darts player herself. In fact, their family boasts four generations of dart players.

Angela said it’s nice to be able to bond over the sport with her son.

“He's going far and he's going fast. It’s awesome,” said Angela.

Her son rarely misses a day off the board, she said. He practices in their basement two to three hours a day.

“It's something I've done my whole life, but not at the level that he competes,” said Angela, who plays locally.

At World Masters, Rhyder competed in the under 18 category and was among the youngest players there.

He made it to the top 32 in the world masters singles and in cricket singles. The farthest he made it was semi-finals, or top 4, in the cricket pairs division.

Though Rhyder said he wished he could have performed better, it was an experience he won’t forget.

He’s off to Florida soon to compete in the Championship Darts Corporation's Next Generation Junior Tour hosted by DPFL, one of North America’s biggest darts leagues.

But it doesn't stop there. Angela said Rhyder will soon be shooting for competitions abroad.

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Molly MacNaughton is a news reporter and associate producer. For story ideas contact her at molly.macnaughton@cbc.ca