Rhys Thomas
Former international rugby player, Inspirational Speaker, Mental Health Ambassador, Mentor and Charity Co-Founder. Rhys strives to help others via sharing his incredible life journey and the lessons he has learned along the way.
Areas of interest
- Addiction and recovery
- Overcoming adversity
- Finding Purpose
South African born Rhys Thomas had a thriving international sports career as a capped Welsh rugby player. Then, in 2012, at only 29 years old, he suffered a massive heart attack during training, and in a heartbeat, his life changed forever. The heart attack caused irreparable damage to his heart, and to give him any chance of survival, he had to have an LVAD pump (a mechanical heart) fitted. As a battery-powered half-man-half-machine, Rhys struggled to come to terms with his new reality and loss of identity, causing his mental health to deteriorate rapidly.
He drank heavily; living so recklessly that he would be seconds away from death on an almost weekly occurrence. Then, in 2019, Rhys hit rock bottom and ended up in rehab in South Africa. Rehab was his awakening. In recovery, he found peace within himself, learnt how to be present and rediscovered his purpose in life; to help others so that they don’t have to suffer as he has.
As a mentor and inspirational speaker, Rhys’ areas of expertise include: mental health and wellbeing, addiction and recovery, athlete transition and loss of identity, combating fear and ego, overcoming adversity, finding purpose and perspective, resilience and acceptance, being present and positive, transformation and self-discovery.
Rhys is now a breathwork trainer, and speaks widely on how to find acceptance and hope after trauma and loss and learn thrive again after a major life crisis.
