Darts legend Phil Taylor, known to fans around the world as “The Power,” has shared a remarkable update on his health and lifestyle at the age of 65 – and it involves a revelation about his ancestry, a dramatic diet overhaul and a fresh focus on fitness in retirement.
A Surprising Ancestral Discovery
Taylor says that recent blood tests revealed a surprising detail: “My blood group is a funny blood group, mine comes from Mongolia,” he explained. According to his account, this lineage explains why certain foods agree with him and others don’t. He remarked: “So if I eat rice, in Chinese food, I get no stomach problems at all. But if I eat chips or potatoes, bread, it kills my stomach and gives me heartburn.”
This has prompted him to heavily modify his diet and has been something of a turning point in his post-competitive life.
From Champion to Health Warrior
After dominating the oche for decades and amassing an unmatched tally of major titles in darts, Taylor has shifted gears. While his professional career wound down in recent years, what hasn’t changed is his determination. Following hip surgery and longstanding issues with joint pain and mobility, he adopted a new regime with cycling, weight training and the installation of a home gym (and sauna) to bolster his fitness.
As he put it: “I’m trying to keep fit a bit more now … I had a new hip and the surgeon told me, ‘Phil, keep your legs strong because if you fall and break your hip in your 60s, you’re in trouble.’”
The Reinvention of His Diet
The dietary transformation is perhaps the most visibly dramatic element of Taylor’s new chapter. No longer is he living on the kind of indulgent fare that might have accompanied decades on the darts circuit. Instead, he describes becoming “addicted” to a Mediterranean-inspired diet: sourdough bread, avocado, olive oil, poached eggs, cheese, and a signature Spanish dish of garlic-olive oil prawns (“pil pil”) are now staples. “Normally for my dinner, I’ll have sour bread, avocado, a bit of olive oil, a bit of balsamic, tomatoes or poached egg, a bit of cheese,” he said, adding: “I’m addicted to it, I love it.”
Taylor believes the ancestral blood finding gives scientific rationale to his personal experience with food intolerances. “I used to take a lot out of other sports people … I even had blood tests, so I could eat to my blood type.” He has adapted travel-life accordingly — bringing his own cooking equipment, mattress topper and pillow when staying in hotels to ensure comfort and consistency.
The Mindset: Purpose Beyond Sport
What is striking is Taylor’s attitude. Rather than resting on his laurels, he is intent on using this phase of life to optimise his well-being. He and longtime friend Bobbie Goulding (a former rugby pro) work out together: “He’s in his 50s and fit as a fiddle. He’s getting me into weights now so I built a gym.” Cycling in the morning, lifting in the afternoon, and significant care in diet and sleep – he has turned retirement into a proactive health mission.
Taylor remains refreshingly candid about the downsides: “Because I have arthritis in my hip, I cannot turn right, so I’m not throwing straight … Even if you turn over in bed at night, you’re in pain.” But rather than letting it define him, he is confronting it head-on.
A Legacy and a New Chapter
Of course, Taylor’s legacy in the sport is secure: multiple world championships, Premier League crowns, world match-plays – his record is formidable. But rather than simply enjoying retirement, he seems determined to write the next chapter: one of longevity, health and thoughtful reinvention.
He even joked about an exhibition match against emerging star Luke Littler: “I think it would be a hell of a game … but I think I’d win. Don’t tell Littler…”
What It Means
Taylor’s journey offers more than just an interesting anecdote about “Mongolian blood.” It underlines a broader theme seen among elite athletes: the shift from performance-at-all-costs to longevity and quality of life. He appears to understand that in his 60s and beyond, the choices he makes now will define his next 20 years, not just the next few months.
By combining tailored diet, conscious travel routines, strength and cardio training and a clear awareness of his body’s limits, Taylor provides a blueprint — for retired athletes and everyday people alike — of how to pivot from peak performance to sustainable health.
In short: Taylor might be a retired champion in his sport, but he’s hardly slowing down. Instead, he’s challenging himself on new terms — armed with self-knowledge, discipline and a dose of humour. At 65, The Power is reinventing the definition of power altogether.
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