Paul Hunter

Fans of the English sport snooker, will remember Paul Hunter for both his skill in the game and his charismatic charm in life. He breathed new life into the classic sport and he was an inspiration to many as he continued to compete in his regular season snooker competitions despite the fact he had been diagnosed with and was battling cancer.

Paul Allen Hunter was born in Yorkshire, England, in Leeds, on October 14, 1978. He developed an interest in snooker, the English billiards sport, at an early age and began touring junior leagues by the age of twelve. He debuted in the professional ranks in 1995 at the age of sixteen. By the age of seventeen, he was well on his way to becoming a world champion. He was one of the youngest players in history to reach the semi-finals of the Welsh Open in 1996.

Hunter won three Masters titles in four years at Wembley, each from an underdog position. Much like Tiger Woods and golf, Paul Hunter brought a renewed interest in snooker for more youthful players. He was not only good-natured, but also good-looking and developed a strong female fan base. However, Hunter was not an eligible bachelor as he toured with his girlfriend and future wife Lindsey Fell.

Though Hunter’s career was not without the pragmatic antics of most young professional athletes who spend more time partying than practicing, a positive drug test during the 1999-2000 season brought Hunter under control and he exuded professionalism thereafter. He proceeded to gain a top ten ranking at number eight by 2003 and was ranked number four in 2004.

Hunter and Fell married in 2004 while Hunter was at the peak of his career. The following year, 2005, became a bittersweet year for the couple. In April of 2005, Hunter announced he was diagnosed with a rare form of stomach cancer. In December, Paul and Lindsey gave birth to their first child, daughter Evie Rose Hunter.

The 2005-2006 season proved a great challenge for Hunter who continued to play even though he was undergoing chemotherapy and suffering the side effects of treatment. His ranking had slipped to thirty-four when members of the World Snooker Association voted to allow Hunter to sit out the 2006-2007 season where his ranking would be frozen. He devoted his energy to treatment of his cancer, but succumbed to the disease on October 9, 2006.

Long-time competitor and friend Jimmy White was one of the first in the league to hear of Hunter’s death. He was playing in a charity exhibition when he received the news and then announced he would play for Hunter’s charity. White was Hunter's hero and he once played Snooker with him and Rod Stewart.

YUDDY