3. When he was 12 he skilled a second of revelation

Ronnie was given his first snooker cue by his dad, Ronnie senior, on the age of seven nevertheless it took 5 years earlier than he felt that he may make one thing of the sport.

“The primary time I believed ‘I am good at this recreation’ was once I was 12,” says Ronnie, “and I received a event at Barking, which was my residence membership, and it was a pro-am event and swiftly my recreation simply clicked.”

“I used to be taking part in this man and I simply felt like I could not miss. For the primary time in my life I believed: ‘I will clear this desk.’”

“And it was like ‘Bang!’ Lengthy crimson, 80… ‘Bang!’ Lengthy crimson, 100. And I am within the quarters [quarter finals] now however I really feel a special participant and I believed if I can hold this going, you by no means know.”

“I received a cheque for £600 and I received a trophy. It was half-ten, 11 o’clock at night time and I’m considering, ‘That is unbelievable.’ That is the primary time in my life the place I believed, ‘ what? I can play this recreation.’”

4. He impressed his faculty pals by turning £5 into £20 in 20 minutes

Ronnie didn’t take pleasure in faculty and regardless of his expertise at snooker, he didn’t actually appeal to a substantial amount of consideration from the opposite pupils who have been rather more inquisitive about who was good at soccer.

“The one time individuals received a bit excited once I stated to my mates: ‘Shall we’ve fish and chips then?’ They went, ‘Yeah, we’d love that.’ I stated, ‘How a lot cash you bought?’ And so they went, ‘Acquired a pound for lunch.’”

“So we get a fiver – all of us had a pound every. I went, ‘Proper, I am taking place the snooker membership.’ I stated, ‘I am going to flip it into £20 no drawback.’ I stated, ‘You up for it?’ And so they went, ‘Yeah, yeah.’”

So schoolboy Ronnie would enter the membership and problem somebody to play him for a £20 prize: “‘You desire a recreation of snooker?’ [They] went, ‘Yeah.’ I had 20 minutes to get this carried out and I went, ‘Bang, bang, bang!’ I received the £20 and I went, ‘Proper, let’s go and have fish and chips!’”

Ronnie additionally admits that fish wasn’t all the time his first selection again then: “I used to be a fan of a saveloy!”

5. Away from the snooker desk, he confronted many challenges as a younger grownup

When Ronnie was 16, his father obtained a life sentence for homicide, and 4 years later his mom was imprisoned for tax fraud. With each mother and father jailed, Ronnie was accountable for his sister who was solely eight.

“That was the purpose the place it simply went from zero to 100 in a single day,” says Ronnie concerning the time. “As soon as my mum had gone away, I had nobody to be accountable to, as a result of she was one other one which I knew can be so disillusioned in me if I might come again drunk or I began smoking.”

“When my dad went away, she was the following individual that I did not wish to let down. I needed to be there for her and ensure that we each received by means of it – collectively we have been stronger. That was my mindset.”

“[With] her going away, it left me by myself. After which by the point she got here out, it was too late. The harm… I used to be already off and operating. There was no stopping me.”

“I attempted, I attempted [to look after sister Danielle] however I could not cope with it. I used to be already then ingesting and partying. Simply hanging round with those who weren’t actually good for me, actually.”

6. One in every of his shut pals is a number one British artist

These days Ronnie takes his bodily and psychological well being rather more significantly. He finds a run within the morning units him up for the day. He has additionally taken up portray and has a friendship with Damien Hirst, who burst onto the British artwork scene within the Nineties, with quite a few eye-catching works, together with a preserved lifeless shark, a diamond-encrusted cranium and huge spot work.

“I can not draw to save lots of my life,” says Ronnie. “However what Damien will get me doing is he does numerous dots… He has these large canvases. And he [said], you are able to do this. And I used to be like, ‘I ain’t received a room large enough to place a canvas like that!’”

“No, he stated, ‘Simply get just a little piece of paper. You simply get smaller pens and also you simply do it on a special scale.’”

Ronnie feels that the expertise of making artwork alongside Damien is therapeutic: “That is actually good for me… That is getting me in a pleasant place. I am with my pal. I am right here with him. I do not wish to be anyplace else. I really feel protected.”

7. He’s realized the right way to keep on the very prime of his recreation – and now desires to take pleasure in it

Ronnie is the at the moment ranked primary on the planet, and says that is the results of the work he continues to place in: “[I’ve] all the time been open to study and changing into a greater participant. I feel I am a greater participant than I ever have been as a result of I do not depend on only one factor. I’ve received three or 4 totally different choices of surviving inside a recreation and at any level I can swap, which simply took time as a result of I used to be by no means actually one of the best at something.”

“I wasn’t one of the best lengthy potter. I wasn’t one of the best security participant. I used to be all the time good at making breaks and scoring rapidly, which is an incredible asset to have, however with out the opposite stuff, it turned a bit one dimensional.“

“Through the years I’ve needed to study to enhance in numerous areas and now I can name upon them. However I’ll all the time know that behind my thoughts that to get the job carried out, I must be firing on all cylinders, which is scoring breaks at a fast speedy velocity.”

“Now I’ve received to the purpose the place I’ve improved, nevertheless it’s… how lengthy can I hold it going for? I’ve labored so exhausting to get there and it is like now I simply wish to make as a lot hay as I can and luxuriate in it as a result of I suffered numerous it, you understand, and I’ve realized to not undergo, so it is about extra pleasure now.”