A FUNERAL director has helped raise over £12,500 for Wales Air Ambulance after taking on a 430-mile cycle challenge from Scotland to Wales in memory of his ‘big-hearted’ uncle.
Steffan Castle cycled from Edinburgh to Powys in four days, with a climb equivalent to the height of Mount Kilimanjaro which stands at just over 19,340 feet.
The 27-year-old flew from Bristol Airport on Sunday 7 June, with his support crew driving his kit up by road. He staged his journey over four legs, setting off from Edinburgh Castle and pedalling through to Carlisle on day one, followed by a trip to Preston, then on to Shrewsbury. The last leg brought him back home via the Brecon Beacons.
Steffan said: “What a journey! I can honestly say I loved every single minute of it, from start to finish.
“I am so grateful to everyone who has supported me the last nine months. My family and friends have been incredible. My second cousin, Mark, has been with me from the get-go, sorting out my training schedule and nutrition.
“My support team on the road, were phenomenal, my partner Jess, Andrew and Heath, all kept me going.”
He added: “This challenge really took over my life; but there was always a bigger picture.
“My uncle Kevin is always in our thoughts, and I am focused on trying to raise as much as I can for Wales Air Ambulance in his memory.”
Steffan has worked for the family-run Roger Castle and Daughter Funeral Directors for nearly ten years, which is run by his auntie Julie.
On Tuesday 8th October 2024, her husband Kevin was driving his ‘beloved lorry’ on Llanharry Road, near Pontyclun when he suffered a fatal cardiac arrest at the wheel. Wales Air Ambulance were among the emergency services that attended.
Steffan said: “Nothing prepares you for that life changing moment. We miss Kevin every single day, but we have such fantastic memories to look back on.
“I wanted to do something uplifting, which would hopefully inspire others. I hope my journey has helped raise awareness of the work done each day by the lifesaving service.”
The Wales Air Ambulance is consultant-led, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient and if required, transferring them directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury.
It is delivered via a unique third sector and public sector partnership. The Wales Air Ambulance Charity relies on public donations to raise the £13 million required every year to keep the helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road.
The Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) supplies highly skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who work on board the Charity’s vehicles.
This advanced critical care includes the ability to administer anaesthesia, deliver blood transfusions and conduct minor operations, all at the scene of an incident.
As a pan-Wales service, its dedicated crews, regardless of where they are based, will travel the length and breadth of the country to deliver emergency lifesaving care.
Steffan headed to the Charity’s headquarters in Dafen just days after completing the challenge, where he was greeted by the crew, who thanked him for his incredible support.
He said: “Each time I come to the base, I get such a fantastic welcome and coming back this time, to tell everyone how much I have raised, felt very special.
“When I first visited a few months ago, I had set myself a target of £5,000, I really did not expect to be able to say that we have reached over £12,500.
“The team told me that’s almost equivalent to the cost of four combined air and road missions. It’s all down to my brilliant supporters who believed in me and were so generous.”
Reflecting on his bike challenge, Steffan says he would do it all again. He said: “I love keeping fit, and this was the ultimate test. What surprised me the most was the mental challenge more than the physical aspect.
“The weather also threw a curveball and caused havoc on day three. It poured down, and I mean hailstones which were hitting my arms and knees, in the end I had to get off my bike and shelter under the trees. I had to change my kit three times that day.”
Steffan admits his headset was the lifeline that kept his momentum up. He said: “I was able to connect with the support crew every 25 minutes; they made sure I was having my supplements every hour and staying hydrated.
“I also have a three-and-a-half hour music set list, with Sam Fender starting me off each day. He got me in the right frame of mind.”
Steffan says he ‘kept it together’ throughout the challenge, but the home run from Hay-on-Wye onwards ‘brought out his emotions’. He said: “My best friend Owen Phillips had been calling me throughout, but on the way to Brecon told me to keep my eye out for a few familiar faces.
“I saw my old rugby team’s physio Stuart Bufton, who gave me a high five. Then Mark and his son Cai joined me on the ride from Brecon, through Sennybridge and on to Abercrave.
“Apparently the family had put up banners on the rocks, but I missed them because we were cycling quite tight together and I was powering on to the finish line.”
Over eighty people welcomed Steffan as he headed into his home village, which he says was ‘quite overwhelming’.
He said: “There were two fire trucks, one in front and another behind me, leading me in. I couldn’t believe it. There were so many people standing on the side of the road.
“It was a massive pathway of family, friends, coaches, neighbours, everyone in my village. I was planning to pick my bike in the air to show I’d done it! But I was just too tired.
“My grandfather came to me first, then Julie, my mother, Hannah and Jess. There were so many saying congratulations, I was crying, it was a struggle to get around everyone.
“I just want to say thank you to everyone who has supported me, whether sponsoring, donating or coming out to cheer me over the finish line, it means so much to me.”
Christian Sullivan, Regional Fundraising Manager for South West Wales was part of the welcoming party and said: “It’s been incredible keeping up with Steffan’s journey!
“When our fundraisers tell us the lengths they are prepared to go to for our Charity, we are always grateful for their dedication and support to our lifesaving service.
“Cycling from Scotland to Wales, in four days, with a climb during that time equivalent to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, is no easy feat. But Steffan did it, and it appears with ease.
“It’s unbelievable that just days after arriving back home, he joined us at Dafen and is already talking about taking on an even bigger challenge.
“He has raised an incredible amount of money! Every pound raised is going to make a lifesaving difference. Diolch yn fawr!”
