A new independent film exploring the life of young mountain bikers has been released in honour of a late ‘Dyfi Grom’.

For Mental Health Awareness Week, Dyfi Groms hit the mainstream - a touching story of connection told through the eyes of young Dyfi Valley mountain bikers.

A ‘grom’ is a young, highly-skilled rider.

Some of the young people featured in the independent short film.
Some of the young people featured in the independent short film. (Dyfi Groms)

Halfway through filming, the young people experienced a loss, fellow biker Ethan Carter taking his own life weeks before his 19th birthday.

In honour of Ethan, the touching 37-minute film has now been released to the public on YouTube.

Film director Ashley Leung from Tiny House Creatives spoke about the profound effect the experience has had on his two young children: “They’re seeing riders they look up to speak openly and courageously about the struggles they’ve faced, the mental health challenges they’ve endured, and finding strength through friendship, riding and community.

“That message became even more profound after Ethan took his own life.

“From that moment on, Dyfi Groms became about more than mountain biking.

“It became a film about vulnerability, connection and the importance of looking out for one another.”

The short film explores the lives of the diverse biking community and how the world-renowned biking destination began.

Made by Trailrippers Project CIC, they aim to inspire people to open up about mental health, take positive action in their local areas and encourage young people to ride bikes.

Trailrippers supports young people in the Dyfi Valley to gain access to the sport through paid coaching, free equipment and bike repairs via their micro-grants.

People can support Trailrippers by buying a Dyfi Groms hoodie or T-shirt, or by supporting their Trail Treasures sales - https://trailrippersproject.org/collections/all