Halo Celebrates International Women’s Day: Jane Williams’ Inspiring Story

At Halo, we see firsthand how movement brings people together, but on International Women’s Day, March 8, we celebrate something even deeper—the unshakable strength of women supporting women. Every day, incredible women walk through our doors, carrying their own struggles yet lifting others along the way. This year, we’re shining a light on one of our members, Jane Williams—a warrior who showed us that resilience isn’t just about pushing through hard times but about finding joy, connection, and strength in community.

Jane Williams, 64, is a nurse and lost her brother, then her husband, and then her mum just before she lost, six years ago, her 37-year-old daughter Carrie-Ann. It was, says Jane, only three months from her daughter’s diagnosis with a rare form of cancer until her death and she left two children behind.

“I think the grief you feel when you lose people you love becomes harder, not easier,” Jane told us. “And it’s an everyday thing rather than something you feel on anniversaries like birthdays or Christmas. My brother was only 48, my husband 49, and my mother died while I was caring for my daughter, Carrie-Ann, so I simply didn’t have the time to grieve properly but I can’t believe how much I still miss her. She was always there for me.”

But there is a lot she’s learned, too, explains Jane.

“Firstly, how important it is to make good memories and to live for today. You don’t know what is around the corner, and I feel so lucky that I had such quality time with my family and have good memories of them, and no regrets,” she says.

But also, when you do feel alone and lost and exhausted by life, how important connection is. “Not just after trauma but throughout life. Connection makes you resilient. It brings you joy,” says Jane. “And I have found that connection and friendship at Halo. The team at the centre in Maesteg are like family and, when tragedy happened, they were there to support me.

“But more than that I have discovered how exercising can make me feel. Of course, there are days when I feel I don’t want to get out of bed, but I know now the difference getting up and getting moving makes. When I am not looking after my two grandchildren or working, I enjoy the gym, spinning, legs and tums…but yoga is my favourite and the best thing I have ever done. And when I am in those classes each week, I can just focus on me and the moment, and it helps me relax in a way that’s hard to explain. Now I am inviting my friends to do the same. And I tell them they won’t believe how good it makes them feel. That this is not just for when life is going well but essential when you are facing challenges, too.”