Special Olympics Athlete sets sights now on Darts

Meet Derek Hamburg, not only an ADA Member from Westminster Maryland, but a Gold Medal winner!

Derek is 29 years old and has been competing in the Special Olympics since the Fall of 2010.  He has competed in a lot of different events at the Olympics but none came greater than his Gold Medal in Basketball!  He received the Gold Medal in 2019.

Now with the gold in his hand, he set his sights on another sport……Darts!

Derek threw his first dart in 2019 with the teachings and support of his “Uncle Mike”.  You may know Mike from being one of the ADA’s Division Reps for ADA Rep Holly Dye in Maryland.  Mike also is the “eyes in the sky” for the monthly Nationwide Steel Tip Tournaments.

Mike has passed on his passion of the sport on the steel tip side.  No soft tip start for this competitor!
Derek’s current PPDA is a 13 and a 1.0 MPR in Steel Tip Open! Not bad at all for his very first session!
On top of that, he was one of the Members of the Week in Fall 2020 session and finished as the Most Improved Member Fall 2020!
But he didn’t stop there, first week of the new session, he landed Member of the Week  in week 1 ADL Spring 2021. “Needless to say he is hooked and has become a dedicated member of the Carroll County Steel Singles/Doubles Dart League”, adds Division Rep Mike German.   And we are happy to have him!

When Derek isn’t accelerating in sports, he spends his time working at the local Buffalo Wild Wings & Stavely Forest Products and is active in the Toastmasters & Action Clubs.  When he is in front of the tube he is following his favorite sports teams, the Baltimore Orioles & Ravens.

We are extremely happy to have you part of the ADA Family Derek! We look forward to your dart progress and await you bringing home the “gold” in one of our American Dart Leagues!