A man who lost his leg after being struck by a car as a 10-year-old has expressed a desire to thank the driver for fundamentally altering the trajectory of his life. Mark Williams went on to become a world champion swimmer, secured a silver medal at the 1988 Seoul Paralympics, and later founded a prosthetics business alongside his wife Rachael. He believes the unknown driver—now likely in his 80s—may be carrying guilt about the incident and wants to assure him that transformative opportunities emerged as a result.
"My biggest fear is that he doesn't know my story. I just want him to send me a message, just get in contact,"Mark said. The collision occurred on 21 June 1982, the same day Prince William was born, when Mark was cycling home from school in Rhyl, Denbighshire after receiving top marks in his cycling proficiency test.
How did the accident change Mark's life?
Mark cannot recall the crash itself at the busy junction, but he knows a schoolmate cycled to his parents' house to inform them. His father, a caravan repairman, and older brother ran half a mile to reach him as he was being loaded into an ambulance. At the hospital, surgeons discovered gangrene had developed in his leg and informed his parents that amputation was necessary to prevent his death within hours.
When Mark regained consciousness in intensive care days later, the physical reality of his new circumstances confronted him. Yet rather than marking an ending, this moment initiated a series of developments that would reshape his future. He was introduced to Mick Jones, head of Rhyl Dolphins Swimming Club, who was himself recovering from a spinal injury at the hospital's physiotherapy pool. Jones took it upon himself to teach Mark to swim and arranged a year of free lessons after Mark's discharge.
Four months into training, Mark competed in a swimming gala against non-disabled boys his age and won most of his races. Jones contacted the British Sports Association for the Disabled at Stoke Mandeville, the birthplace of Paralympic sports. When qualifying times arrived for the British Championships, the organisation discovered it had mistakenly sent British records instead. Six weeks later, Mark competed in the championships and won five gold medals while setting five new British records.
What were his competitive achievements?
His swimming career expanded internationally, culminating in selection for the 1988 Seoul Paralympics.
"I was wearing my medal on the plane home and then all the way on the train from Euston station to Rhyl,"he recalled of his return after winning silver in the 100m butterfly and bronze in the 4x50m medley relay. He subsequently won gold and set a world record at the 1989 Miami World Youth Games before deciding to step back from competitive sport.
"I felt completely different,"Mark explained of his retirement decision.
"I'd set myself that target and that had been what was driving me forward."
How did his business career develop?
Mark entered sales and eventually partnered with his wife to establish a company addressing a personal frustration. After becoming aware of what he termed
"micro-glances"directed at his prosthetic leg in workplace settings, he designed a custom cover for himself. This concept evolved into LIMB-art, a business creating decorative and functional prosthetic leg covers that allow users to express their personality and feel more confident.
The venture has achieved significant recognition. According to industry reports, LIMB-art won the HSBC UK South West and Wales Small Business Growth Awards Innovation Award in May 2026, with judges highlighting its creativity and measurable impact. The company manufactures the first injection-molded prosthetic leg covers, enabling distribution across 14 international markets and through the NHS. A significant milestone occurred in June 2025 when, for the first time, international sales exceeded domestic sales. Mark has also been appointed an OBE for services to prosthetics, giving him opportunities to meet King Charles and Prince William.
Why does Mark want to find the driver?
Despite his remarkable achievements, Mark carries a concern about the driver who struck him. The man remained at the scene and visited the hospital days later to inquire about Mark's condition. Police decided not to press charges, and no official record of his identity survives. After Mark spoke to local media in 2019 seeking to locate him, a stranger in his 70s appeared at a neighbouring farm a week later, appearing distressed and asking for directions to Mark's house, though he never arrived.
Mark now travels throughout the UK visiting schools to share his story of gratitude for how the accident reshaped his life.
"I am very conscious that I'm travelling around the UK going into schools and telling them all how grateful I am for what happened, and he might not know,"he said.
"My biggest fear is that he's sitting at home now having sleepless nights over what happened. I don't even want to talk to him about that day. I just want him to know how grateful I am."
Finding the driver would, in Mark's view, provide closure to a chapter that has defined his entire adult life.
"I just want him to send me a message, just get in contact,"he reiterated, emphasising that reconnection would allow him to express appreciation rather than recrimination for an event that ultimately opened doors he might never otherwise have encountered.
