An athlete who lost his leg in a cycling accident as a child is trying to track down the man who knocked him down so he can thank him for transforming his life.
Mark Williams, from Denbighshire, in Wales, was 10 years old when he was hit by a car while cycling home from school in June 1982. He lost his leg as a result of the crash.
More than three decades on, the 47-year-old has launched a campaign on Facebook to find the driver so he can thank him for what he sometimes calls “the best day of my life”.
“This changed my life for the better," he said.
“The accident changed my attitude and pushed me to do better. It transformed me from a shy 10-year-old boy, who couldn’t swim, into a super-confident athlete winning medals in the pool.”
Mr Williams, who was a medallist at the 1988 Seoul Paralympics and took part in swimming World Championships, added: “I am trying to find the driver of the car involved to shake his hand and let him know all the amazing things I have done as a result of the accident.
“I am so proud of everything I have done and speak publicly about it. None of it would have happened without the accident. I’m hoping I can find the man and shake his hand.
“It would help me, but more it’s to help him.”
Mr Williams says the driver of the car was middle-aged and may have lived near the scene of the crash in Pen y Maes, in Rhyl.
As well as becoming an athlete, Mr Williams launched LIMB-art, a company which designs and manufactures prosthetic leg covers.
He added: “We don’t want prosthetic wearers to hide away or be self-conscious. We want to be known worldwide for making the coolest prosthetic leg covers so people who wear them feel they can stand out and stand proud.”
Anyone with information about the crash can contact Mr Williams on his Facebook page.
