Scaling three Welsh peaks for WAY

June 2026

After Andy died suddenly and unexpectedly from a heart attack in February, his friends Ben, Joe and Luke decided to take on the Welsh Three Peaks Challenge on 13 June, which would have been Andy’s 46th birthday. They decided to raise funds for WAY – the charity that has helped Andy’s widow Lucy to connect with other young widowed people. Here’s why WAY has been so important to her...

“Andy and I were together for 28 wonderful years, 20 of them as husband and wife. We built a life full of love, laughter, adventure and countless memories. We travelled whenever we could, danced at festivals and gigs, explored new places, and spent many happy days hiking together. 

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“Andy and I were together for 28 wonderful years, 20 of them as husband and wife. We built a life full of love, laughter, adventure and countless memories. We travelled whenever we could, danced at festivals and gigs, explored new places, and spent many happy days hiking together. 

Andy wasn’t just my husband – he was my best friend and my soulmate. People knew us as ‘Landy’ – Lucy and Andy – because we did everything together. We showed up together, loved our family and friends together, and were genuinely looking forward to growing old together. We had even planned our retirement in detail, right down to the dogs and cats we’d have.

When Andy died suddenly and unexpectedly from a heart attack at just 45, my world changed in an instant. The future we had planned together disappeared, and I found myself trying to navigate a life I had never imagined living alone.

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I have been incredibly fortunate to have the love and support of family and friends around me, but very quickly I realised I needed to connect with people who truly understood the devastating loss of a life partner. Within days of Andy’s death, I started searching for others who had experienced something similar – and that’s when I found WAY.

I couldn’t believe how many people were facing the same heartbreak. For the first time, I felt understood. Reading other people’s stories and recognising my own feelings in their words helped me feel less isolated in my grief. Losing Andy has meant losing not only the person I loved most, but also the life we shared and the version of myself that existed alongside him.

What gives me hope is seeing others who are further along in their journey. Their honesty, resilience and willingness to share their experiences remind me that while life will never be the same, it is possible to survive this loss and find a way forward.

I know there will be difficult days ahead, but I also know I am no longer facing them completely alone. Through this community, I hope to make new friendships, share memories of Andy and continue taking small steps forward while carrying him with me always.”

Ben, Joe and Luke have raised more than £1,000 for WAY in Andy’s memory!