GRANDFATHER Russell Rees certainly won’t be putting his feet up when it’s his birthday on Sunday - he’ll be striding up Pen y Fan.
The 76-year-old from Crickhowell has been unable to walk up Pen y Fan - one of his favourite walks - for 10 years now after having hip replacements and then finding out in 2014 that he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
But now after successful radiotherapy treatment, Russell will be taking on the challenge with two goals in mind - raising funds for the Velindre cancer centre where he was treated and raising awareness of prostate cancer.
He plans to follow up his walk by giving talks to local women’s groups, hoping they will take on board his message about how prostate cancer is more easily treated if it is caught early and pass it on to the men in their lives.
Russell says he has developed an acronym, FUSS, and hopes the message will get back to the menfolk.
Russell said: "Us men don’t like anyone making a fuss, so I’ve come up with this simple acronym."
FUSS stands for - frequency (in going to the toilet), urgency ("when you’ve got to go you’ve got to go"), starting (difficulty) and stopping (or dribbling after finishing).
On Sunday (May 7) Russell will be joined by family and friends - including possibly four-year-old granddaughter Amelie - for the groundbreaking walk.
Despite now living in Crickhowell, Russell is a well-known figure in Brecon as he worked in the post office in St Marys Street from the age of 17, becoming branch manager until his retirement in 1992.
Russell’s love of the Brecon Beacons led to him becoming a volunteer warden with the National Parks from 1985-90, during which time he patrolled Pen y Fan every weekend in the summer months.
He was also a well-known local football referee.
Russell’s walk will leave Pont ar Daf car park at 10am on Sunday, May 7 and anyone keen to make a donation can do so at https://www.justgiving.com/Russell-Rees