I was always the person in my family and friends who loved the outdoors, I would climb my local mountains Cadair Berwyn every weekend, and had started running in the hills with my son, Mackenzie, so I was very fit and loved the outdoors. I relocated my family from the South coast of England up to Wales so we could be close to the mountains (and to take up a dream job in Telford). However, in Jan 2022 I was diagnosed with a late stage glioblastoma brain tumour, I had surgery to debulk the tumour, but unfortunately suffered a stroke during surgery, leaving me left side paralysed and unable to walk . I moved to a rehab hospital in Newtown, learning to walk again at the age of 50! I was able to come home in March 2022, and was able to keep up my ability to walk by walking laps of my garden (I am lucky to have a couple of acres on a hill, but missed the mountains so much, mentally I was struggling with being constrained to my house, after being in a hospital bed for months. I reached out to my GP and physio, and they helped me get in touch with Bethan and The Outdoor Partnership.

I never realised that kind of service was available, all of a sudden, I was being offered a lifeline, a way of getting into the hills I love, I was contacted by Andy Cummings (of Manzoku Climbing and Mountaineering), and he came to pick me up (the DVLA had confiscated my license, so I had been dependent on my wife to ferry me around). My wife works full time, and cares for me since the illness, I already felt I was a burden, and felt guilty I had ruined our lives, although she is always quick to say it’s not my fault, anyway, Andy offered to assess my abilities on a walk in the Berwyns I knew well; this was made possible by The Outdoor Partnership.

I cannot explain how much it meant for me to be back in the hills, I had dreamt of this moment so many times when in hospital, not knowing if it would be possible; my brain tumour had been diagnosed as terminal. I was determined not only to survive, but that I would be able to walk in the mountains again. Andy, once again stepped in and helped me to climb Mynydd Llangorse in the Brecon Beacons – a wonderful day, I couldn’t take the smile from my face. Andy had noticed significant improvement in my mobility, which was encouraging. I suggested to Andy I would love to raise money by climbing Snowdon (one of my favourite hills, prior to my illness), Andy offered to help me with this objective, and in September this year, managed to get to Snowdon, accompanied by my son, who has been a driving force in my determination to get better. We had climbed Snowdon together three times previously by various routes and so this meant the world to me.

The Outdoor Partnership has contributed massively to my success in battling my illness, it has enabled me to stay positive and determined mentally, and my doctors have attributed my positivity and determination to my recovery. They have been amazed at my recovery, the last scan showed the tumour has been reduced in size significantly, but I’m still on trial treatment involving chemotherapy, so continuing my walks in the beautiful outdoors of Wales is vital to my wellbeing, both mentally and physically. I am so hugely grateful to both Bethan and Andy for their hard work helping people like myself experience the healing benefits of our outdoors.

Note by Bethan Logan: 02.01.25 – Paul sadly passed away on 10.12.24. Myself and Andy Cummings attended his funeral and were touched by the legacy left by a man who clearly loved his family and the mountains more than anything and left positivity and inspiration in his wake wherever he went. A pair of Scarpa walking boots had been placed on his coffin by his family, as a tribute to the nature he loved to be in and the hope it had offered him as he battled his illness.

Image – The culmination of months spent relearning to walk was a fund-raising trip to Snowdon, Yr Wyddfa. Paul was joined by his son and raised over £1000 for the Lingen Davies Cancer Fund who had supported him post-surgery.