Image source, BBC | Cwmni Da | Phil Boyd
"Anything is imaginable if you person immoderate benignant of disability," says Llywelyn Williams
ByNicholas Bourne
BBC Wales
Four-time satellite champion adaptive surfer Llywelyn Williams says losing his limb arsenic a teen elevated his life.
Surfing played a pivotal relation successful his betterment and successful the years since losing a limb aft being deed by a car successful 2011.
It had been a passionateness of the past 16-year-old anterior to the mishap - and it was not going to halt him contempt being severely injured portion retired skateboarding.
In fact, helium recalled coming astir from a coma successful infirmary amid a imagination that a surfboard came betwixt him and a agleam airy "like you spot successful the movies".
"It wasn't my time," said Williams, from Abersoch, Gwynedd.
A person asked him what helium wanted to bash portion helium laic successful his infirmary bed; helium wanted to get backmost successful the h2o - and spell surfing successful Australia.
"The rehab was to thrust myself to get backmost into the ocean," said Williams, known arsenic Sponge by friends.
"As soon arsenic I got backmost successful the ocean, I felt similar I was calved again.
"When the committee and you link cleanable connected the wave, it conscionable feels similar you're flying."
Image source, BBC | Ryan Dein
Llywelyn Williams (third right) pictured aft competing astatine the 2026 Bright Sky Australian Pro Adaptive Surfing Championship
His mother, Eirian Parry, described the "beautiful moment" his friends carried him into the oversea arsenic helium continued his betterment pursuing the amputation.
But she inactive recalled with disposable emotion the clip she and Williams' begetter faced up to a "nightmare" - erstwhile doctors asked them to motion a consent signifier to amputate their son's close leg.
David Williams told BBC documentary Our Lives: Beyond the Waves it was the hardest determination of his beingness "but it was the lone mode to save" his son's life.
"To deliberation helium was astir dormant connected the broadside of the roadworthy erstwhile the mishap happened... to being the satellite champion," helium said.
"Once helium got his archetypal question back, determination was nary stopping him."
His begetter tin besides retrieve pugnacious times aboriginal into his son's recovery, 1 successful which helium told him helium had to beryllium beardown portion astatine a debased point, and past took himself disconnected and cried successful the country adjacent to his son.
"The mode my parents person brought maine up is you've conscionable got to get connected with it so, yeah, I had 1 limb and that was it," said Williams.
Image source, BBC | Samuel Smith
He won the 2026 Bright Sky Australian Pro Adaptive Surfing Championship arsenic the kneeling champion
He works arsenic a digger operator successful the household operation concern erstwhile not surfing.
"I've learned however to bash everything with 1 leg, but to beryllium capable to usage a wheelbarrow," said Williams with a wry smile.
"When I turned 18 I wheelchaired my mode into the room and said we're heading disconnected to Australia.
"We did a twelvemonth retired determination travelling astir the seashore surfing, surviving successful a camper van.
"To beryllium capable to spell backmost determination present each twelvemonth for a contention is conscionable brilliant."
In March, helium won the 2026 Bright Sky Australian Pro Adaptive Surfing Championship arsenic the kneeling champion and proudly held the Welsh emblem aloft connected the formation astatine Byron Bay, New South Wales.
And helium was 3rd successful the North Shore Prosthetics Hawaiian Surfing Championships successful May.
He aforesaid funds information successful surfing competitions and has been thankful for his supporters adjacent to home.
Williams has besides been lobbying with others for his athletics to beryllium included successful a aboriginal Paralympics Games.
"Surfing has been a immense portion of my betterment and the adaptive surfing assemblage has helped maine truthful much," helium said.
"Disability for maine has elevated my beingness - thing is imaginable if you person immoderate benignant of disability."
Our Lives: Beyond the Waves
After losing his limb arsenic a teenager, surfer Llywelyn Williams became a four-times para surfing satellite champion. Now he’s connected apical of the adaptive surfing world, the situation is to enactment there.
Watch present connected iPlayer oregon BBC One Wales connected Monday 20 July astatine 19:00 BST
English (US)·