Over a decade ago, Wes Cunliffe was running from the police, running from fellow drug dealers and ultimately, running from a lifestyle that was catching up with him.
The Newport youngster had found himself involved in the city's drug market, running supplies between dealers, dealing substances himself and carrying a weapon to protect himself.
However, his involvement in the risky 'business' came to a head when he was stabbed and left for dead in the middle of the street.
Read more: Harry Baker's mum relives the agonising moment she was told her son had been stabbed to death
It was this incident, as well as the actions of two perceptive police officers, which lead Mr Cunliffe to abandon the life of crime and turn his fortunes around.
A far cry from his adolescence as a tearaway rogue in the notorious Pill and Duffryn areas of the city, he went on to became one of the most dangerous evasive runners in Welsh semi-professional rugby and a stalwart of the Jamaican Sevens team that played at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and competes in the world series.
Now decades later Mr Cunliffe, has decided to speak about his experience of being stabbed as part of a new campaign to raise awareness of knife crime.
He said he initially got into the drug trade to provide for his family, as his mother was struggling with alcohol and substance abuse.
"I was involved in drugs, I was involved in dealing, don't get me wrong, the money I was getting was okay because I was able to buy food, I was buying my brothers clothes and taking them to school," he said.
While he initially didn't carry a knife, he decided to arm himself with a blade for protection after seeing others armed with weapons.
"You see these older males from different areas, carrying weapons, carrying guns, carrying knives, at that point, I was like, 'Okay, I need to now carry more weapons because I'm very vulnerable.'"
Recounting the day he was stabbed, Mr Cunliffe says he was completing a drug deal when he was followed and ambushed by three attackers.
"I got on the train coming back and I could just see three boys just staring at me, they put a mask on. That's why I jumped off the next train and the three boys jumped off to follow me and I ran and they chased me.
"As I got cornered, I went to pull for my weapon and they already have weapons on them. So I just got my bag. I put it in front of me and I tried to defend myself."
His memory is hazy from here, but he remembers coming around to whirring blue lights, the voice of a police officer, and the feeling of blood.
"I was breathing heavy, I was very disorientated. The police officer said, 'You're alright, mate, you're alright', and I just looked and I felt a hot then a cold, then a tingling down my left arm," he said.
"As I looked, clearly I had been stabbed. All my left arm was red and it was dripping, and a big pool of blood was on the floor.
"I was fading, I was wabbling, all I remember is the police officer radio-ing for assistance. I remember waking up a couple of days later then in the Cardiff hospital."
Following the stabbing, Wes was hospitalised for five days. While unconscious he received life saving surgery.
"I just woke up, and my grandparents were there. I could just see the fear in my grandma's eyes and in my grandfather could see it as well. And that upset me a little bit because the last people you want to hurt really to grandparents.
"My grandfather said to me, 'watching the doctors perform, to try and save your life,, my grandson', The knock on effect that has on a family made me really sad.
"I couldn't make sense of none of it."
Mr Cunliffe said he was told by doctors that the only reason he was alive was because a bystander had seen the altercation from their home and had called the emergency services.
It was both the physical and mental struggle that ensued in the months after the attack that lead him to rethink his choices.
"There were some concerns that maybe some of the organs may have been damaged. I had to have crutches because I could hardly walk," he said.
"I just sat home, just sat there, loathing, feeling sorry for myself. I felt guilt, shame, I was very embarrassed.
"I was also still scared because I was thinking those people who wanted to attack me might come again. I felt like I went into more of a darker place at that point.
"I've been injured so I can't do any sports, nobody is going to employ me, all that turmoil was going on inside of me."
Mr Cunliffe spoke about his troubled youth to WalesOnline in 2018, however, he has now teamed up with South Wales Police as part of their new campaign focusing specifically on knife crime.
The campaign aims to educate young people, specifically males ages 11-16 and provide an early intervention and education on knife crime.
"I would say to these young people, 'do you know the impact this could have on the other people in your life? not just you, but on the people surrounding you as well," said Mr Cunliffe.
"As I said, the effect it had on my grandparents, the effect it had on my brother, even on me to this day. I take off my top and those scars remind me of what I did, what could have happened.
"I would say, do you know where you're going if you do this? because the minute you pick up that knife and you put it in your pocket you either end up using it or one gets used on you. Either way it doesn't end well."
South Wales Police said from conversations with young people in areas where knife-related offences have occurred the most often, feedback showed that those with concerns about knife crime would most likely report this to a teacher, parent, or trusted member of the community.
Officers said that the partnership-led campaign aims to educate 11 to 16-year-old males on the dangers and consequences of carrying a knife, targeting teachers, parents, friends and family with an educational pack of information.
Superintendent Esyr Jones of South Wales Police said: “This campaign has been built with and for young people, and seeks to empower communities to act against knife crime. It provides individuals who have an influence in young people’s lives with information, guidance, and referral options if they believe that a child they care for is at risk of being drawn into knife crime.
“Whether you are a parent, teacher, youth worker, sports coach or a young person yourself, this pack provides you with educational information to make a difference and potentially save lives.”
South Wales Police said knife crime remains relatively rare in south Wales. Research suggests most young people who carry a knife are motivated by fear and the mistaken belief that they need to carry a knife to be safe. Many young people also believe there are more knives on the streets than there actually are.
South Wales Police said in reality, carrying a knife is rare, and those who do are much more likely to be a victim of knife crime themselves. When knives are involved, situations can quickly get out of control.
Their campaign slogan focuses on this: " Only one in 100 young people carry a knife. Don’t be the one."
More details on the #NotTheOne campaign can be found here.
Mr Cunliffe's account is one several people who have decided to be a part of the campaign in the hopes of educating young people on the dangers of carrying weapons.
The first, Emma Baker's harrowing account of her son Harry's death, can be found here. Stabbing survior Dai McBride has spoken about the reality of knife crime and the drug market here.
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