The Legacy Of A Real Life Hero Lives on.
By Ally Onion
Some stories begin with a cry of joy. Ours begins with a scream of grief.
On November 11th, 2023, my son William—Will to most, Pickles to his Royal Signals family—lost his life on Crib Goch, one of the most treacherous ridges in Snowdonia. That sentence alone is hard to write. It’s harder still to live with. Every morning since has started with the same question: How is it possible that he’s not here?
But this isn’t just a story of grief. It’s a story of love. Of legacy. Of one extraordinary young man whose short life lit fires in others. And of what we—his family, his friends, his community—are doing to keep that fire burning.
William was many things. A soldier. A coach. A hiker. A leader. A mate. A brother. A son. He was sharp, cheeky, and full of heart. He carried burdens with humour and helped others carry theirs too. If you met him once, you remembered him. If you were lucky enough to be close to him, you knew you’d found one of the rare ones.
He didn’t just love adventure—he lived it. He thrived on challenge. And more than anything, he gave a damn. About people. About causes. About doing some good in the world.
I don’t need to replay the moment we found out. You don’t want to hear it. What matters is this: our world shattered, but somehow, out of that wreckage, something began to take shape. It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t strategic. It was pure instinct. A need to honour him. To say, his life mattered.
What followed in the days after his death left us speechless. His friends rallied. Hikers from across the country reached out. Veterans who’d served with him shared stories we’d never heard. And something started to become clear: William had touched more lives than we could’ve imagined.
Pickles Prizes wasn’t born from a boardroom or a business plan. It came from a conversation. A moment. A spark.
Two days after William’s funeral, we stood among hundreds of orange hats at a hike renamed in his honour—March 4 Pickles. People we’d never met hugged us, cried with us, told us what William had done for them. A neighbour said, “He got me off the drink, mate. He was trying to fix us all.”
That night, I couldn’t sleep. The next morning, I knew. We have to build something. Something lasting. Something worthy.
And so, Pickles Prizes was born.
Pickles Prizes is a fundraising platform. But more than that, it’s a tribute. Every raffle ticket, every donation, every shared post helps honour William’s legacy by supporting the causes he cared most about:
Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team, who tried to save him—and did save the lives of others that day.
Rock2Recovery, who are still helping those traumatised by what happened on the mountain.
Lough Neagh Rescue, close to our hearts and home.
These aren’t just “causes.” They’re people. Volunteers. Medics. Veterans. Friends. They’re the ones who show up when no one else can.
William believed in them. We do too.
Team83, the group of friends who were with William that day, set out to raise £11,000 by the first anniversary of his passing. Together—with their wild ideas, 100km runs, raffles, and endless determination—we’ve already raised over £34,500.
This is just the beginning.
Pickles Prizes will keep going. Because the mountain still calls. Because people still fall. Because veterans still struggle. And because William wouldn’t want us to stop.
So here’s our ask to you:
Get involved. Share the story. Buy a ticket. Spread the word. Every small act is a tribute. Every pound raised is part of William’s legacy.
Because some people leave this world too soon—but their impact doesn’t have to end.
Pickles Prizes.
One man. One community. One unforgettable legacy.
Let’s make sure it never fades.
