How Rachael Warne Roberts turned her love of exercise into a career helping others to lead more active lives

May 14, 2026

How Rachael Warne Roberts turned her love of exercise into a career helping others to lead more active lives

Some know her as a Pilates teacher, some for her work with Dementia Actif Gwynedd (DAG). Still others know her as a promoter of physical activity to improve the fitness and wellbeing of people with other long-term health conditions through the National Exercise Referral Scheme (NERS). That's because Rachael Warne Roberts does all these things - and more.

Helping people to help themselves - in the nicest way possible - is what drives Rachael, and the latest project in which she's played a major part could make a big difference to those in Tywyn and nearby villages who struggle to get to healthcare appointments locally or further afield.

TAITH, a not-for-profit community transport scheme for people who are older, disabled, unwell or rurally isolated, hit the road earlier this month. Manned by volunteer drivers, it operates during weekdays between 9am and 5pm.

The project coincides with Tywyn being named the only 'dementia friendly community' in Gwynedd - again, an achievement that's due in no small part to Rachael's dedication to guiding people towards leading more active and comfortable lives.

"It turns out that a lot of people know one element of my job, but not all of them," she says. "Within the NERS, for example, I do cardiac and cancer rehabilitation, and there are different elements to my dementia work - it's not just the classes; it's also signposting people to available services, as well as several projects that have come from it."

Both the dementia support and TAITH (which means 'journey' in Welsh) emerged from the lack of services in Tywyn.

"I'd been going to meetings in Porthmadog that comprised social services, the health board and other dementia-related bodies and services in order to share ideas and connect, and nearly everyone who came along acknowledged that services pretty much stopped once you got to Dolgellau or Machynlleth," explains Rachael. "I got quite cross and started stamping my feet in meetings, and my boss, Emma, heard me. She said there was an initiative called Dementia Friendly Communities run by the North Wales Regional Partnership Board, and so that's what we've set up in Tywyn."

Meanwhile, DAG sent out questionnaires to more than 200 people in Gwynedd, asking them what they thought good dementia care looked like.

"One of the top things that came back was that people were struggling with transport to get to appointments, so we had to work out what we were going to do with that information. My boss found two initiatives that were up and running - one in Anglesey and one in Wrexham. A group of us went up and had a meeting with the guys who ran the scheme in Anglesey. They shared a lot of information with us, which was really helpful because we could see how it could work in Tywyn."

Initially, there was a "negative response" from some people, says Rachael, but a meeting in Aberdyfi was well attended and as a result all the necessary roles were filled. "Normally it takes two years to implement a scheme like this, but we've done it in eight months. We've got a really incredible team in place - people from Bryncrug, Tywyn, Aberdyfi and Fairbourne."

Rachael (far right) with her DAG colleagues

All the different aspects of Rachael's work have sprung from her love of keeping fit. She grew up in a family that loved to exercise, whether it was swimming and surfing in the sea or taking part in gymnastics classes at the leisure centre in Tywyn.

"My parents encouraged my brother and me to do lots of activities, but it wasn't seen as exercise - it was viewed as a fun thing to do," she recalls. "My parents were both into horses - my father used to buy horses and break them in, and he met my mum when she was working at a pony-trekking centre in Corris - and I had my first pony when I was eight. As a family, we'd do physical activities together, so it was something that was instilled in me from a young age."

It's not surprising, then, that Rachael - who grew up in Tywyn and Bryncrug - chose to study sports science at sixth-form college, although she still didn't know what she wanted to do as a career.

"I did my BTEC at college in Wellington, Shropshire, and then got my lifeguard qualification and worked at Tywyn leisure centre during the summer holidays."

Although she started a degree course at university in Plymouth, a family tragedy brought Rachael back to Wales. "My mum died and I found it too hard being away at university; I wanted to come home."

She started working full-time at the leisure centre, taking lots of courses and amassing a clutch of qualifications, including one in exercise referral, which enables certain patients to be prescribed exercise instead of medication.

"I hadn't done particularly well in exams at school, but I got 100 per cent in my cancer rehab written exam, so it's about finding your thing!"

When, in 2008, the Welsh Assembly established NERS, Rachael became part of it, setting up - amongst other things - pain management workshops, and doing research into mindfulness.

"It's worked really well, especially with people who have MS and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome," says Rachael, who now lives in Tywyn. "I've had massive success with combining mindfulness, pain management and Pilates as a way of helping people suffering from severe fatigue."

And that includes Rachael herself. As a sufferer of Long Covid, she recently had to step away from taking her twice-weekly Pilates classes.

"Having had my own experience with Long Covid, I know how debilitating fatigue is, and I've found that the approach that works best for me and for my patients is a holistic one."

When it comes to helping people become more active, the key to success is encouraging them to take it slowly and gradually, as well as finding something they actually enjoy doing, stresses Rachael.

"The body and brain are so closely connected and it's really important to find something you love and enjoy doing; otherwise it feels like a chore and there's more chance that you'll give up on it. It's important, too, to realise that you don't have to go to the leisure centre to be active or to exercise: you can go for a walk or do some housework. Dancing, as well, is much underrated as a form of exercise, and it's a fun thing to do, so if you're in pain or discomfort it can be a distraction."

DAG was set up several years ago, with funding from Gwynedd Council, to help people living with dementia stay active - but also to help prevent others developing it in the first place.

"It's a support group for people living with dementia, their families and friends, but there's research that shows exercise can reduce the likelihood of developing the condition, so we've been able to open it up to more people. To begin with, we only did exercise sessions, but we realised people needed more than that: they need to know where to go for information and support; so part of what we do now is to signpost people to different organisations that can help them, along with organising activities such as afternoon tea and a trip on the Talyllyn Railway."

Rachael also delivers community information sessions, talking to local businesses about what they can do to help and support people living with dementia.

"DAG is also about reducing the stigma surrounding dementia - to show people that a little understanding can make a big difference. It's also about enabling people to live independently for longer."

Away from work, Rachael, who's married to Gareth Roberts and is mum to 14-year-old Cora, is as much into fitness and the Great Outdoors as she was as a child. She's also known for her positive, go-getting attitude.

"My mum was very proactive," she says. "She got involved in the community, and both my parents and my brother, like me, have always been motivated."

She adds: "Someone asked me recently if there was anything I didn't do, and I said, 'yes, housework'! I'm not a fan of being inside, so if the tide's right, or there's a sunrise, a sunset or a starry sky, you won't find me in the house!"

* TAITH still needs more volunteer drivers, so if anyone is interested in offering a few hours of their time each week, please email taithtywyn@gmail.com.