Dad's dream of reaching Snowdon peak crashed after accident put him in wheelchair — his son's rugby team made it happen

When determination and dreams merge, a lot is possible. A 66-year-old dad named Phil Thompson had dreamed of reaching the summit of Mount Snowdon in North Wales, reported USA Today. Unfortunately, an accident at the age of 19 left him in a wheelchair. While he thought he would never accomplish this dream, the determination of the boys of the Bangor Rugby Club served as support in fulfilling the mission. The team had planned to take on a Charity hike as an initiative to gather funds. Phil’s son, Sam, who is a part of the club, mentioned his father’s situation, and the fellow athletes, stepping up in true fashion of team spirit, made it happen. 

The GoFundMe set up for the club revealed that the team was falling short on funds to grant opportunities for young talent to keep playing. As a result, they decided to hike up the Wales mountain, a journey of around 12 hours with a track of over 20 miles. “We’re raising money to support an outreach programme that will allow us to run summer camps at the club — not just for rugby, but for a wide range of activities to get kids outside and active,” the page mentioned. In a post shared by the club, it was revealed that a local outlet, Pro Weld, assisted in creating frames around Phil’s wheelchair so the athletes could carry him up the mountain. The 66-year-old also decided to do this not just to fulfil his dream but also to support the club. 

A post shared by Newsline World captures how the athletes took up the mission as a team. With ropes tightly attached to the frames of Phil’s wheelchair, each member played a part in getting him up the 3,650-foot peak. Standing in twos, the players held the rope and leveraged their strength to pull him up along with them, with two strong guys holding the wheelchair and supporting it. Several others also joined to contribute to making the mission a success. Some offered their vehicles, a bus company donated their bus for the journey back, and with help for arranging other logistics, a dream came true. 

The GoFundMe has raised $2,496, and their efforts to collect funds and pave the way for future athletes continue. “This challenge showed what our club is truly about — community, determination, and looking out for one another. Here’s to many more!” the caption of the club’s post read. A study revealed that there are around 3.3 million Americans who use wheelchairs. The number has significantly increased over the last few years. The study done on individuals who were 65 years and above revealed that those using wheelchairs struggle with efficiency. They were also less likely to step out of their homes compared to non-users. 

The top two reasons cited were health issues and difficulty in moving around in an external environment not designed for wheelchair mobility. If you only imagine how many people still have so much they want to do, from something as simple as getting out in the garden to something as daring as Phil’s dream to reach the mountain’s summit. It can all happen, only if we show kindness and step up in action. 

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