Local Legends

Someone living with MS thought their hiking days were over, until a community effort made something remarkable happen on Pen y Fan.

In Wales, no mountain is too big when a community climbs it together.

This is the story of a wild idea that become a chair; a chair that turned into a team; and a team that found its way up a mountain.

Cwmaman, in the heart of The Rhondda. It’s a small village with a big community. Rows of stone terraces stack along the hillsides, flanked by valleys that catch the morning mist.

Four-and-a-half thousand people call it home, including Mike.

Mike thought his mountain-climbing days were over. MS – multiple sclerosis – had shrunk the ground he could cover until most days he used a wheelchair.

He told people he was fine, but every hill he encountered stirred the old pull in his legs.

One day he said it out loud: no more climbs.

That’s when Gareth called. Gareth also lives with MS.

“We’re going up Pen y Fan”, he said, “and you’re coming”, he said. As if it was already settled.

Mike laughed a hidden no, but Gareth just replied, “We’ll sort it.”

That’s where Paul comes in – with an idea to build a chair fit for a mountain.

Starting with a wheelchair and an old BMX, he welded bike forks to a reinforced plate, added an off-road wheel and scaffolding poles for lift points.

He shifted the brakes for steep bits, braced wobbles, adjusted straps.

Bit by bit this invention looked less like a mad idea and more like a functioning machine with a job.

Word spread through Cwmaman.

Neighbours and strangers got wind and volunteered: “Count me in.” “I can lift.” “Where do you need me?”

The plan grew into a schedule – two chairs, six carriers at a time, fresh shoulders sliding in every few minutes, clear calls of “steady,” “swap,” “stop.”

And they did it.

When the climb was over, Mike knew the chair wouldn’t stay in a shed.

Someone else would borrow it, and what they learned—where to grip, how often to swap, what to check before leaving the car park—would help the next crew.

Mike might never feel the burn in his calves again, but that day he felt the spirit of a community, the lift of many hands working together, and the sense of calm when a group finds its rhythm.

And why Pen y Fan? Not just for the size of the challenge – the highest peak in South Wales – but because it’s a shared place of memory and celebration, and to carry Mike up that mountain meant joining a story that belongs to many.

During a rugby tour in the former Czechoslovakia, a mechanical problem with a bus called for a hare-brained scheme and pure team spirit to keep the trip moving.

No one boards a rugby tour bus expecting to leave with blackened hands, a new throttle system, and a story that locals would still talk about decades later.

This is the story of a Welsh community abroad. A team connecting with each other and with the locals, powered by quick thinking, steady hands, and a Welsh spirit that always travels well.

Rhymney Rugby Club were seasoned travellers, proud to carry a bit of the valleys wherever they went.

On their fourth trip behind the old Iron Curtain, crossing what was then Czechoslovakia for a friendly match, the fun stopped.

Their hired coach, an old rattling thing, shuddered and died beneath grey Soviet-era tower blocks on a silent Sunday evening.

The local driver gestured helplessly: the throttle cable had snapped.

No accelerator, no movement. Only the ticking engine, a distant bark, and a few nervous laughs.

Then Dean, a bus mechanic back home, said, “If we lift that floor panel, I can reach the cable. I’ll pull it to speed up and let it slacken to slow down.”

What choice did they have? They were stuck.

They prised up the panel. Dean stretched flat on the floor, the road a blur beneath him, shafts spinning inches from his face.

Up front the driver gripped the wheel and tried to get to grips with the language barrier, as words gave way to increasingly frantic yells.

Voices rose and fell, someone banged the window for a crossing, another tapped Dean’s shoulder for a sharp bend.

Darkness thickened as the team sang snatches of rugby songs to keep spirits up.

At last, they arrived at their host destination – locals staring as the squad spilled out, noisily relieved to have survived.

Dean, dirty but triumphant, accepted a well-earned pint of pivo and tried to hide his blackened hands from curious eyes.

It wasn’t just a mad adventure. It was a moment that showed how Welsh communities come together — no matter where they find themselves.

And yes, they won the match.

Dean still drives buses today, steering through the valleys and villages of south Wales.

Still keeping people connected. Still part of the team.

A moment of inspiration sparked an unexpected journey of strength and community, and an opportunity to demonstrate true Welsh grit on the world stage.

Inspiration can come in many forms, even from something as simple as a message from your sister, and it can ignite unexpected journeys.

This is a story of strength, community, and showcasing true Welsh grit on the world stage – all sparked by a moment of inspiration.

Sport had always been part of Jolene’s life – from football with Manorbier, to rugby with Haverfordwest, and netball on the local courts.

It wasn’t just the physical challenge she loved – driven on by the idea of pushing herself and finding her limits – but the friendships, camaraderie, and sense of belonging that came with being part of something bigger.

And in her thirties, she discovered something unexpected that made her want to push herself further than ever before.

It began when her sister sent her a video of strongwoman Chloe Brennan.

What struck her wasn’t just the weight being lifted – it was the attitude: the focus, determination, and sheer confidence of seeing a woman her size – under 64kg – performing such extraordinary feats of strength.

It was raw, real, and powerful. Watching it, Jolene realised she wanted in.

The seed was planted.

She started learning the basics, adapting her gym training to include more strength-based movements. With limited access to equipment, she focused on the foundations – technique, consistency, and mental toughness.

Slowly, she saw her strength grow.

A few months later, it was time. She entered her first competition – hosted by Wales’s Strongest Man, Gavin Bilton.

She was the smallest competitor there, nervous but determined, surrounded by women lifting weights she could barely have imagined months earlier.

The energy in the room was electric – the clang of metal, the cheers of the crowd, the shared adrenaline. Jolene gritted her teeth, dug deep, and gave it everything she had.

All the hours of preparation paid off: she finished third.

That day changed everything. She was hooked. She had a newfound sense of purpose and pride, and a strongwoman community that both supported and inspired her.

Being part of that environment pushed her harder and reminded her that she wasn’t on this journey alone.

What started as a shared video became a story of strength and community.

Fast forward two years and Jolene became Wales’s Strongest Woman in the under 64kg category, setting a Welsh axle press record and qualifying for the World Championships in Ireland in 2025, as well as the European and British Championships.

Today, when she competes, Jolene carries more than just the weight of the bar – every time she steps onto that platform she carries the spirit of Wales with her.

And at 38, she’s proved that age shouldn’t stop you from being inspired to tackle new challenges – especially when you have a community behind you.

Yes, the first three stories are already out there, but we’d still love to hear yours!

Share your story of your Wales below and you could be part of the evolving collection that represents today’s country.