Covid: The Rhondda boy who climbed a mountain carrying potatoes

People devised many ways to avoid becoming couch potatoes during lockdown.

But few were as novel as actually carrying sacks of potatoes up a Rhondda mountain.

Corey Williams, 10, did not stop there though - cycling up another and running up a third.

His efforts raised £4,000 to buy tablet computers for patients at hospitals such as Llantrisant's Royal Glamorgan who could not have visitors.

Carrying sacks of potatoes to help out in his dad's Gelli chip shop is not unusual for Corey, who is from Ton Pentre.

But it gave him an idea at the start of the first lockdown - after finding out about hospital patients who could have no contact with the outside world.

"Put yourself in their shoes. You can't talk to them, you can't see them," Corey said.

"It's really sad and then I got an idea in my head to raise money so they can see people on Zoom or Facetime so they can see their loved ones."

It was then he decided to put the practice he had gained helping his dad to good use - and carry a sack of potatoes two miles up the steep hill to the top of Penrhys in Rhondda.

He did not stop there, though - in one week in May he also tackled two other mountains and "biked the Bwlch" and "ran the Rhigos".

People banged pots in Cwmparc to cheer him on and he received messages of support from his rugby heroes such as Sam Warburton and Nigel Owens.

He also appeared on BBC Wales programme The Great Indoors, where hosts Carol Vorderman and Scott Quinnell marvelled at his dedication.

His dad filmed his efforts and offers words of encouragement.

"It's quite inspirational to see a 10-year-old kid running up nearly a two-mile very, very steep mountain in the Rhondda with a sack of potatoes," Corey's dad Mathew said.

"He was crying half way up and he said 'I can't give up, I'll let people down otherwise'. That was mind-blowing."

The money raised bought tablet computers for patients at the Royal Glamorgan, Ysbyty Cwm Rhondda and Y Bwthyn hospitals, all in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Corey said: "My grandmother used to work for Y Bwthyn and she died when I was just being born, and it was quite hard really when that happened but part of the reason was I wanted to make her proud too."

A promising rugby player, he wants to involve his teammates in future fundraising efforts.

"I'm going to try and make it an annual thing with all my friends and some of my family maybe, and I'll love to do it again and every year make it an annual thing.

"Anything is possible and anything is achievable if you put your mind to it"