Wonderful Welsh Sporting Heroes by James Stafford (Y Lolfa)

Wales might be a small country, but we punch well above our weight when it comes to sporting heroes.

This week sees the publication of a new children’s book telling the stories of 20 of the nation’s most exciting athletes, past and present. Wonderful Welsh Sporting Heroes by James Stafford (Y Lolfa) is packed with entertaining and inspiring facts about Welsh stars who have beaten the odds to succeed on a global stage, and whose incredible stories are guaranteed to thrill young readers.

The book, which will also be released in Welsh as Arwyr Chwaraeon Cymru, (published 03/11/25, Y Lolfa) aims to educate, entertain and inspire kids, and features Olympians, Paralympians, team stars and solo heroes, including household names like Gareth Bale, Jess Fishlock, Alun Wyn Jones, Colin Jackson, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Lauren Price, Geraint Thomas and Jade Jones.

It also introduces fascinating athletes who children today might not know, but who are no less impressive. These include swimmer Irene Steer, the only female Welsh Olympic gold medallist for 96 years; Jimmy Wilde, the early 20th-century boxer still considered one of the best of all time; Wilf Wooller, the rugby international who also won cricket’s County Championship with Glamorgan after being captured by the Japanese in WW2; and Billy Boston, the record-breaking titan of Rugby League.

Wonderful Welsh Sporting Heroes by James Stafford (Y Lolfa)

Specifically written to appeal even to those who don’t always enjoy reading, the chapters have been specially designed using a dyslexic-friendly font and short chunks of text. They’re packed with fascinating facts and the book is full of fun, colourful illustrations by well-known Welsh illustrator Telor Gwyn, whose work has brought many popular children’s books to life, including Wondrous Women of Wales by Medi Jones-Jackson and 20 Colourful People of Wales by Natalie Jones.

Wonderful Welsh Sporting Heroes by James Stafford (Y Lolfa)

Author James Stafford, born in Cardiff and raised in Barry, is no stranger to writing about sport – he is the founder of cult rugby website The East Terrace and has written on sport for a wide range of national and regional newspapers, websites and magazines. He is the author of several sport-related books, including An Illustrated History of Welsh Rugby (Polaris, 2021) a unique look at the 140-year history of the Welsh national team and now on its third impression, and the bestselling How Wales Beat the Mighty All Blacks (Y Lolfa, 2021), which tells the story of New Zealand’s first rugby tour to Britain.

James Stafford says: “I think sport is a fantastic way to inspire children and to get them involved in reading. Sadly, in Wales, we aren’t always great at celebrating our own people. I wanted to write this book to show children that so many people from the communities they come from have reached the top of their sports. This is exactly the kind of book I would have loved when I was young and I hope it makes children excited not only to learn more about Welsh athletes past and present, but also to make sure they go out and stay involved in sports themselves. We need our children to read and exercise as much as possible.”

Wonderful Welsh Sporting Heroes by James Stafford (£9.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.

Athletes profiled:

Gareth Bale (b.1989, football)

Billy Boston (b.1934, rugby league, rugby union)

Liza Burgess (b.1964, rugby union)

John Charles (1931–2004, football)

Nicole Cooke (b.1983, cycling)

Non Evans (b.1974, rugby union, judo, weightlifting, freestyle wrestling, powerlifting)

Jess Fishlock (b.1987, football)

Arthur Gould (1864–1919, rugby union)

Tanni Grey-Thompson (b.1969, wheelchair racing)

Chris Hallam (1962–2013, wheelchair racing and swimming)

Colin Jackson (b.1967, athletics)

Alun Wyn Jones (b.1985, rugby union)

Jade Jones (b.1993, taekwondo)

Cath Pendleton (b.1979, ice swimming and open-water swimming)

Lauren Price (b.1994, boxing, football, kickboxing)

Steve Robinson (b.1968, boxing)

Irene Steer (1889–1977 swimming)

Geraint Thomas (b.1986, cycling)

Jimmy Wilde (1892–1969, boxing)

Wilf Wooller (1912–1997, cricket, rugby, squash and football)

Find out more via: https://www.ylolfa.com/en and https://jpstafford.com/

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