A woman from Widnes has battled a "barrage" of online hate to triumph at a major snooker tournament.
Jamie Hunter, 25, crowned a memorable debut year on the World Women’s Snooker (WWS) Tour by securing her first world ranking event title at the US Open in Seattle on Sunday (August 28). Jamie, a keen footballer, took up snooker in a bid to fill a "competitive hole" after a severe ankle injury forced her to prematurely hang up her boots.
Jamie joined her hometown snooker club and played in local leagues before joining the WWS tour last year. It's been a whirlwind month for the 25-year-old, who claimed victory at the Women's World Billiards championship in Dublin on August 21 before making the trip to the US.
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While the WWS tour is predominantly made up of high-level amateur competitors, Jamie bagged US open glory by defeating professional snooker player Rebecca Kenna 4-1 in the final.
Jamie told the ECHO : "Seattle was nothing short of magical. The place was simply stunning, the people were so kind, caring and inclusive.
"The venue was the best I've ever been to, the hosts were two of the most special people I've ever met and, to top it all off, I was able to win the US Open so I couldn't have wished for a better experience.
"Honestly, I don't think it's quite sunk in yet. My tournament wins never feel real until I see my dad. The pride and joy in his eyes when I see him, that's when I know I'm a champion".
Following her recent success, Jamie is now sixth in the World Women's Snooker Rankings - a feat that is particularly impressive considering she has to juggle snooker with her full time job in IT at Halton Borough Council.
She said: "Snooker is a sport that requires so much practice, for the precision and for the mental aspect of the game. After joining the tour, I had to get my own table, which took months to organise and setup.
"I now practise roughly 25-30 hours a week, while also having a full time job, so some days it is tough. Add on top that when you lose in some events, you're really disappointed and the desire to keep playing everyday just to fall short is hard and takes a lot of mental strength but I'm always back on that horse at some point."
Despite receiving an "outpouring of love" from family and friends in the wake of her US open triumph, Jamie told the ECHO she has also been hit by a wave of abuse on social media because she is transgender.
She described being a trans woman in the public eye as "exhausting" and has been inundated with "disgusting" hate messages, threats and cheating accusations.
She said: "I have thick skin and nothing anybody will say will stop me playing snooker and billiards, they're my passion and my dreams, but it doesn't half hurt to see that my existence and my dreams upset so many people.
"Luckily WWS and WST staff have been by my side and vocal about standing with me against hate and transphobia, using the hashtag #hateneverwins which has been amazing by them to show their support.
"Although this win in Seattle is my first ranking title and something I thought I'd only ever get in my dreams, and it's one of the happiest moments of my life, at the same time it's the saddest time because of the social media hate barrage."
Jamie will get the chance to pick up another title at the Australian Open, which takes place in Sydney in October. Jamie said: " My Dad is travelling with me and my partner for this one, and it'll be the first ranking event he's ever attended, so it'll be a special one. It's a jam packed calendar this year, but that's just a testament to the growth of the WWS tour and the hard work by all the staff involved."
Speaking of her pride at Jamie's recent achievements, mum Janice told the ECHO: “I’m absolutely delighted. It’s been a long journey and it hasn’t been easy.
"She joined the tour a year ago and has just gone from strength to strength. This is the first major snooker tournament she’s won so we’re just beyond proud of her.
"Some of the girls she’s been competing against have been playing for a long time and have been on the tour for a number of years so we’re just delighted."
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